DODGE SPRINTER 2007 2.G Owner's Guide

30 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Vehicle deceleration or acceleration and
the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
\4the distribution of the force during the
impact
\4the collision angle
\4the deformation characteristics of the
vehicle
\4the composition of the object involved
in the collision, for example the other
vehicle
Factors that cannot be seen or measured
until after the collision are not used to de-
termine whether the airbag should be trig-
gered and are not decisive for this.
The vehicle may be substantially deformed
without an airbag being triggered, for exam-
ple if only relatively easily-deformable vehicle
parts such as the hood or fenders are affect-
ed by the collision and the required deceler-
ation threshold is not reached. On the other
hand, airbags may be triggered even though
the vehicle only displays minor deformation,
if, for example, rigid vehicle parts such as a
longitudinal member are affected by the im-
pact, thus causing vehicle deceleration to ex-
ceed the pre-determined threshold. Emergency tensioning retractors, belt
force limiters
If the vehicle is equipped with a driver’s air-
bag, the driver’s and the co-driver’s seat
belts are equipped with emergency ten-
sioning retractors.
A belt force limiter additionally installed in
the seat belt reduces the load exerted by
the seat belt on the occupant when it is
triggered.
Emergency tensioning retractors tension
the seat belts in an accident, pulling them
close against the body. When the ignition is on, the emergency
tensioning retractor is activated:
\4only if the restraint systems are opera-
tional (the 1-warning lamp comes
on for approximately 4 seconds after
the ignition is switched on.)
(\2page 28).
\4in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, if there is a high rate of vehi-
cle acceleration or deceleration in the
initial stages of a collision
\4in the event of a side impact, if the ve-
hicle suddenly decelerates or acceler-
ates in a lateral direction at the initial
stage of the impact and the vehicle is
equipped with thorax / sidebags and /
or windowbags.
If the emergency tensioning retractors are
triggered, you will hear a bang that is gen-
erally harmless to your hearing. A small
amount of powder may also be released.
The 1 warning lamp lights up.
iEmergency tensioning retractors do
not correct:
\4incorrect sitting positions
\4incorrectly worn seat belts
Emergency tensioning retractors do
not pull occupants back towards the
backrest.

31 Safety
Occupant safety
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Warning
G
If the emergency tensioning retractors have
been triggered, have them replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop which has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools to
carry out the work required.
The manufacturer recommends that you use
an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the safety regulations when dispos-
ing of emergency tensioning retractors. You
can see a copy of these regulations at any
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Airbag systemWarning
G
To reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries
in the event of an accident with a high rate
of deceleration, for example due to an air-
bag inflating within milliseconds, or due to
sudden braking, please observe the follow-
ing points:
\4All vehicle occupants must select a seat
position in which they can wear their
seat belt correctly and which is as far
back from the airbag as possible. The
seat position of the driver must be such
that the vehicle can be driven safely. The
distance from the driver’s seat to the
pedals must be such that the driver can
fully depress the pedals. The distance
between the driver’s chest and the cen-
ter of the airbag cover must be more
than 25 cm. The driver’s arms should be
slightly bent when holding the steering
wheel.
\4Vehicle occupants should wear their
seat belt correctly at all times and lean
back against the backrest, which should
be positioned as upright as possible.
The head restraints should support the
back of the head at about eye level.
\4Move the co-driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible, especially if a child is
secured in a restraint system installed
on this seat.
\4On vehicles with a co-driver’s airbag, it
is not permitted to secure a rearward-
facing child restraint system to the co-
driver’s seat (\2page 37). Children in a
rearward-facing child restraint system
must be secured on a suitable rear seat.
\4Do not lean forward, for example over
the padded boss of the steering wheel,
especially when the vehicle is in motion.
\4Only hold the steering wheel by the out-
er rim. This allows the airbag to inflate
fully. If you hold the inside of the steer-
ing wheel, you could be injured if the air-
bag were to be triggered.
\2\2

32 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Your vehicle is equipped with the following
airbags, depending on the equipment ver-
sion:
\4Driver’s front airbag, located in the
steering wheel
\4Co-driver’s front airbag, located above
the glove box
\4Thorax sidebags* in the outer sides of
the driver’s seat and the co-driver’s in-
dividual seat
\4Windowbags* in the side of the roof
frame between the A and B-pillars
Each airbag's cover is marked with the let-
ters "SRS/AIRBAG" or "AIRBAG".How airbags work
An airbag inflates within milliseconds. The
1 warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter comes on.
Airbag inflation slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
When the vehicle occupant makes contact
with the airbag, hot gas flows out of the in-
flated airbag. This reduces the load on the
head and upper body of the vehicle occu-
pant. The airbag is therefore in a deflated
state after an accident.
\4Do not put your feet on the dashboard.
\4Do not lean on the doors from inside the
vehicle.
\4Make sure that no persons, animals or
objects are present between the vehicle
occupants and the deployment range of
the airbags.
\4Do not cover the padded boss of the
steering wheel, the co-driver’s airbag
cover, the windowbag cover or the
thorax / sidebag cover with film or other
material. Do not affix any badges or
stickers to these areas.
\4Do not hang any hard objects, for exam-
ple coat hangers, on the grab handles or
coat hooks.
\4Do not place any items in the storage
compartment above the co-driver’s air-
bag if they protrude from the compart-
ment. The co-driver’s airbag must be
able to inflate unimpeded.
The risk of injuries from an airbag cannot be
entirely ruled out due to the high speed at
which the airbag is required to inflate.
iIf the airbags are triggered, you will
hear a bang and a small amount of dust
may also be released. The bang will not
damage your hearing and the dust does
not constitute a health hazard.

33 Safety
Occupant safety
2
Front airbags
The front airbags are designed to increase
protection to the driver’s and co-driver’s/
co-drivers' head and chest.
The driver’s airbag is located in the steer-
ing wheel housing; the co-driver’s is above
the glove box.
1Driver’s airbag
2Co-driver’s airbag
Driver’s front airbag1 inflates in front of
the steering wheel; co-driver’s front
airbag2 inflates in front of and above the
glove box and the center console.
Warning
G
After an airbag has been triggered:
\4airbag parts are hot – do not touch
them, otherwise you could be burnt
\4the airbags must be replaced at a quali-
fied specialist workshop which has the
necessary specialist knowledge and
tools to carry out the work required. The
manufacturer recommends that you use
an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this
purpose.
In particular, work relevant to safety or
on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Warning
G
A small amount of fine powder is released as
an airbag inflates. This powder does not
constitute a health hazard, nor does it imply
that fire has broken out in the vehicle. This
powder could cause short-term breathing
difficulties for persons suffering from asth-
ma or other respiratory conditions. To avoid
these breathing difficulties, you should ei-
ther:
\4leave the vehicle immediately, if it is
possible to do so safely
or
\4open the window to allow fresh air to
enter
N91.60-2140-31

34 SafetyOccupant safety
2
The driver’s front airbag and co-driver’s
front airbag are triggered:
\4in the initial stages of an accident with
a high rate of vehicle acceleration or
deceleration in a longitudinal direction
\4if the system determines that airbag
deployment can offer additional pro-
tection to that provided by the seat belt
\4independently of other airbags in the
vehicle
Thorax sidebags*
The purpose of the thorax/sidebags is to
increase the level of protection for the tho-
rax (but not the head, neck and arms) of
the occupants on the side of the vehicle on
which the impact occurs.
The thorax / sidebags are installed in the
outer sides of the backrests on the driver’s
seat and the co-driver’s individual seatWarning
G
For safety reasons, the manufacturer rec-
ommends that you use seat covers that
have been tested for Sprinter vehicles and
that have a seam for thorax / sidebags. A
thorax / sidebag may otherwise not inflate
correctly and could fail to provide the in-
tended degree of protection in the event of
a collision. You can obtain these covers from
an authorized Sprinter Dealer, for example.
Warning
G
To reduce the risk of injury to occupants if a
thorax / sidebag is triggered, make sure
that:
\4no persons, animals or objects are
present between the vehicle occupants
and the thorax / sidebag deployment
range
\4no accessories, for example cup hold-
ers, are secured to the doors
\4only light items of clothing are hung
from the coat hooks in the vehicle
\4there are no heavy or sharp objects in
the pockets of items of clothing
Warning
G
Observe the following to reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injury if the thorax / sidebag
is triggered:
\4Vehicle occupants – in particular, chil-
dren – must never lean their head
against the area of the window in which
the thorax / sidebag inflates.
\4Vehicle occupants must wear their seat
belt correctly at all times and lean back
against the backrest, which should be
positioned as upright as possible.
\4Always secure children who are less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall or under 12 years
of age in a suitable child restraint sys-
tem.

35 Safety
Occupant safety
2
1Thorax sidebag
The thorax sidebags are triggered:
\4in the initial stages of an accident with
a high rate of vehicle acceleration or
deceleration in a lateral direction, for
example in the event of a side impact
\4on the side on which an impact occurs
\4if the system determines that airbag
deployment can offer additional pro-
tection to that provided by the seat belt
\4independently of the front airbagsIn the event of an accident, the thorax side-
bag next to the outer seat side inflates be-
tween the door and the chest area of the
occupant.
Windowbags*
The windowbags are designed to increase
protection to the head (but not to the chest
or arms) of the vehicle occupants on the
side on which the impact occurs.
The relevant windowbag is installed in the
side of the roof frame behind the trim pan-
el between the A and B-pillar.
iYou will find additional information
about airbag deployment on
(\2page 32).
You will find additional information
about the triggering of emergency ten-
sioning retractors and belt force limit-
ers on (\2page 30).Warning
G
To ensure that windowbags can provide the
intended degree of protection when de-
ployed, make sure that no persons, animals
or objects are present between the vehicle
occupants and the deployment range of the
windowbags.
Warning
G
Observe the following to reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injury if the windowbag is
triggered:
\4Vehicle occupants – in particular, chil-
dren – must never lean their head
against the area of the window in which
the windowbag inflates.
\4Vehicle occupants must wear their seat
belt correctly at all times.
\4Always secure children who are less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall or under 12 years
of age in a suitable child restraint sys-
tem.

36 SafetyOccupant safety
2
1Windowbag
The windowbags are triggered:
\4in the initial stages of an accident with
a high rate of vehicle acceleration or
deceleration in a lateral direction
\4on the side on which an impact occurs
\4independently of the front airbagsIf a child is traveling in the vehicle:
\4secure the child in a child restraint sys-
tem appropriate to his/her age and
size, preferably on a suitable seat in the
rear
\4ensure that the child is strapped in
throughout the trip
You can obtain child seats and information
about the correct child restraint system
from any authorized Sprinter Dealer.
iYou will find additional information
about airbag deployment on
(\2page 32).
You will find additional information
about the triggering of emergency ten-
sioning retractors and belt force limit-
ers on (\2page 30).Children in the vehicle
Warning
G
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle even if they are secured in a child re-
straint system. The children could:
\4injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
\4be seriously or even fatally injured by
prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold
Do not expose child restraint systems to di-
rect sunlight. Metallic parts of the child re-
straint system could heat up, for example,
and the child could burn him / herself on the
hot parts.
If the children open a door, they could:
\4cause injury to others as a result
\4get out of the vehicle and could either
injure themselves when doing so or they
could be injured by passing vehicles
\4sustain serious injuries if they were to
fall out of the vehicle, due in particular
to the height of the passenger compart-
ment from the ground
\2\2

37 Safety
Occupant safety
2
Child restraint systems
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow child re-
straint instructions for mounting. Then pull
the shoulder belt out completely and let it
retract. During seat belt retraction, a ratch-eting sound can be heard to indicate taht
the special seat belt retractor is activated.
The belt is now locked. push down on child
restraint to take up any slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. The seat
belt can again be used in the usual
manner.Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside
the vehicle or load compartment unless they
are secured. You will find further information
under “Transporting156” (\2page 156) and
“Features164” (\2page 164) in the “Con-
trols in detail” section.
An unsecured or incorrectly positioned load
increases the risk of injury to occupants,
particularly children, in the event of:
\4sharp braking
\4a sudden change of direction
\4an accident
Warning
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.Warning
G
To reduce the risk of serious or fatal injury to
a child in the event of an accident, sharp
braking or a sudden change in direction:
\4Always secure children less than 5 ft
(1.50 m) tall or under 12 years of age in
a special child restraint system installed
on a suitable vehicle seat, since the seat
belts are not designed for this body size.
\4Do not secure children under 12 years
of age on the co-driver’s seat unless
they are secured in a suitable forward-
facing child restraint system.
\4It is not permitted to secure a child in a
rearward-facing child restraint system
on the co-driver’s seat if the vehicle is
equipped with a co-driver’s airbag.
Only secure a rearward-facing child re-
straint system on a suitable rear seat.
\4Always move the co-driver’s seat to its
rearmost position if you have secured a
child on this seat in a forward-facing
child restraint system.
\4A child must never be carried sitting on
the lap of a vehicle occupant. It would
not be possible to restrain the child as a
result of the forces acting in the event of
an accident, braking or abrupt changes
in direction. The child would be thrown
against parts of the vehicle interior and
be seriously or fatally injured.
\4Vehicle occupants must wear their seat
belt correctly at all times.

38 SafetyOccupant safety
2
The use of infant or child restraints is re-
quired by law in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia, the U.S. territories and all Ca-
nadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be seat-
ed in an appropriate infant or child re-
straint system properly secured by a lap /
shoulder belt or, if so equipped, a top teth-
er anchorage point and a child restraint
lower anchorage system that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225 and Canadian Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 and
210.2.
Warning
G
If the child restraint system is not installed
correctly on a suitable vehicle seat, the child
may not be restrained in the event of an ac-
cident or sudden braking and may be seri-
ously or fatally injured. For this reason,
always observe the installation instructions
issued by the child restraint system manu-
facturer and the intended use for the child
restraint system when fitting it.
It is advisable to install the child restraint
system on one of the rear seats. The child is
generally better protected there.
Do not place objects (for example a cushion)
underneath the child restraint system. The
entire base of the child restraint system
must be in contact with the seat cushion at
all times.
Child restraint systems must not be used
without the original cover. Replace damaged
covers only with original covers.
On the rear seats, only use child restraint sys-
tems recommended by the manufacturer.
Warning
G
If you no longer require the child restraint sys-
tem, remove it from the vehicle or secure it
with the seat belt.
The restraint system could otherwise be
thrown through the vehicle interior in the
event of an accident.Warning
G
A child secured in a child restraint system
could be seriously or fatally injured in the
event of an accident, braking or a sudden
change in direction if the child restraint sys-
tem or its securing system is already dam-
aged or has been subjected to a load in an
accident.
Have restraint systems and their securing
systems which have been damaged or sub-
jected to a load in an accident checked and,
if necessary, replaced immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop which has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools
for the work required.
The manufacturer recommends that you use
an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this pur-
pose. All work relevant to safety or on safe-
ty-related systems must be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.

39 Safety
Occupant safety
2
A statement by the child restraint manu-
facturer of compliance with this standard
can be found on the instruction label on
the restraint and in the instruction manual
provided with the restraint.
When using any infant or child restraint
system, make sure to carefully read and
follow all manufacturer’s instructions for
installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels af-
fixed to inside of vehicle and to infant or
child restraints.Passenger sun visor with warning stickerWarning symbol for rearward-facing child
seat
ISOFIX child seat securing system/
Child seat anchors - LATCH type
ISOFIX is a standardized securing system
on the rear seats for special LATCH (Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children) child re-
straint systems with matching mounting
fittings.
The LATCH type anchors for child restraint
systems are installed between the seat
cushion and the backrest:
\4on the outside left and right on narrow
rear bench seats with 3 seats\4on the outside left on rear bench seats
with 2 seats
N00.00-2620-31
iNon-LATCH type child seats may also
be used and can installed using the ve-
hicle’s seat belt system. Install child
seat according to manufacturer’s in-
structions.Warning
G
A LATCH type child restraint system that has
been secured using the ISOFIX child seat se-
curing system is unable to provide adequate
protection for children who weigh more than
48 lbs (22 kg). For this reason, only secure
children weighing less than 48 lbs (22 kg) in
a LATCH type child restraint system secured
using the ISOFIX child seat securing system.
If the child weighs more than 48 lbs (22 kg),
you should secure the LATCH type child re-
straint system with a lap-shoulder belt.