ABS Seat Alhambra 2006 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: SEAT, Model Year: 2006, Model line: Alhambra, Model: Seat Alhambra 2006Pages: 299, PDF Size: 6.33 MB
Page 21 of 299
Seat belts19
Safety FirstOperating instructionsTips and MaintenanceTe c h n i c a l D a t a
Why wear seat belts?
Frontal collisions and the laws of physics
In the event of a frontal collision, a large amount of kinetic
energy is generated .
The action of the laws of physics in the case of a frontal collision may be
explained in the following way: As the vehicle moves Ÿfig. 5 the vehicle and
the passengers alike accumulate a stored energy called “kinetic energy”.
The amount of “kinetic energy” depends on the speed of the vehicle and the
weight of the vehicle and passengers. The higher the speed and the greater
the weight, the more energy there is to be “released” in an accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the speed of the vehicle. If the speed
doubles from 25 km/h to 50 km/h, for example, the kinetic energy increases
by a factor of four.
Because the passengers in our example are not restrained by seat belts, the
entire amount of kinetic energy has to be absorbed at the point of impact
Ÿfig. 6.
Even at speeds of 30 km/h to 50 km/h, the forces acting on bodies in a colli-
sion can easily exceed one tonne (1,000 kg). At greater speed these forces
are even higher.
Passengers not wearing seat belts are not “attached” to the vehicle. In a
frontal collision they will continue to move forward at the speed their vehicle
Fig. 5 Passengers of a
vehicle heading for a brick
wall. They are not wearing
seat belts.
Fig. 6 The vehicle with
unbelted occupants
strikes the wall.
Page 23 of 299
Seat belts21
Safety FirstOperating instructionsTips and MaintenanceTe c h n i c a l D a t a
Seat belts protect
Passengers not wearing seat belts risk severe injuries in the
event of an accident.
Properly worn seat belts hold the vehicle occupants in the correct sitting posi-
tions and substantially reduce the kinetic energy in the event of an accident.
Seat belts also help to prevent uncontrolled movements that could lead to
severe injuries. In addition, properly worn seat belts reduce the danger of
being thrown from the car.
Passengers wearing their seat belts correctly benefit greatly from the ability
of the belts to absorb kinetic energy. The front crumple zones and other
passive safety features (such as the airbag system) are also designed to
absorb the kinetic energy generated in a collision. Taken together, all these
features reduce the forces acting on the occupants and consequently the risk
of injury.
Our examples describe frontal collisions. Of course, properly worn seat belts
reduce substantially the risk of injury in all other types of accidents. This is why it is so important to fasten seat belts before every trip, even when "just
driving around the corner".
Ensure that your passengers wear their seat belts as well. Accident statistics
have shown properly worn seat belts to be an effective means of substantially
reducing the risk of injury and improving the chances of survival in a serious
accident. Furthermore, properly worn seat belts improve the protection
provided by airbags in the event of an accident. For this reason, wearing a
seat belt is required by law in most countries.
Although your vehicle is equipped with airbags, the seat belts must be
fastened and worn. The front airbags, for example, are only triggered in some
frontal accidents. The front airbags will not be triggered during minor frontal
collisions, minor side collisions, rear collisions, rolls or accidents in which the
airbag trigger threshold in the control unit is not exceeded.
Therefore, you should always wear your seat belt and ensure that your
passengers have fastened their seat belts properly before you drive off!Safety notes on using seat belts
If seat belts are used correctly, they can reduce the risk of
injury in an accident.
– Always wear the seat belt as described in this booklet.
– Ensure that the seat belts can be fastened at all times and are not
damaged.
WARNING
•If the seat belts are worn incorrectly or not at all, the risk of severe inju-
ries increases. The optimal protection from seat belts can be achieved only
if you use them properly.
Fig. 9 Driver protected by
the properly worn seat
belt during a sudden
braking manoeuvre.
Page 35 of 299
Airbag system33
Safety FirstOperating instructionsTips and MaintenanceTe c h n i c a l D a t a
•Always properly adjust the front seats.
Conditions for fitting a rear facing child seat in the front
passenger seat
Rear-facing child seats must never be used on the front
passenger seat when the front passenger airbag is enabled.
An enabled front airbag on the front passenger side is potentially a major
danger to a child Ÿ . The front passenger seat is life threatening to a child
if you transport the child in a rear-facing child seat. You should always trans-
port all children up to 12 years of age on the rear seat.
If a rear-facing child seat is secured to the front passenger seat, an inflating
airbag can strike it with such great force that critical or fatal injuries may
result.
Therefore we urgently recommend that you transport children on the rear
seats. That is the safest place in the vehicle for children. Alternatively, the
front and side airbags for the front passenger Ÿpage 43can be disabled with
the ignition key. When transporting children, use a child seat appropriate to
the age and size of each child.
WARNING
If a child seat is mounted in the front passenger seat, the child is exposed
to a greater risk in the event of an accident.
•Never secure a rear-facing child seat to the front passenger seat if the
front passenger airbag is enabled. The child can suffer critical or fatal inju-
ries when the front passenger airbag is triggered.
•An inflating front passenger airbag can strike the rear-facing child seat
and hurl it with great force against the door, the roof or the backrest.
•If, under special circumstances, it should be necessary to transport a
child in a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat, it is absolutely
essential that you observe the following safety measures:
−Disabling front and side airbags for front passenger Ÿpage 43
−The child seat must be approved by the child seat manufacturer for
use on a front passenger seat with front or side airbag.
−Follow the installation instructions of the child seat manufacturer
and absolutely observe the warnings Ÿpage 45.
−Before properly installing the child seat, push the front passenger
seat all the way to the rear so that the greatest possible distance to the
front passenger airbag is ensured.
−Ensure that no objects prevent the front passenger seat from being
pushed completely back.
−The backrest of the front passenger seat must be in an upright
position.
Warning lamp for airbag and belt tension device system T
This warning lamp monitors the airbag and belt tension
device system.
The warning lamp monitors all airbags and belt tension devices in the
vehicle, including control units and wiring connections.
WARNING (continued)WARNING (continued)
Page 39 of 299
Airbag system37
Safety FirstOperating instructionsTips and MaintenanceTe c h n i c a l D a t a The front airbag system will not be triggered if:
•if the ignition is switched off,
•during a minor frontal collision,
•during a minor side collision,
•during a rear-end collision,
•or if the vehicle rolls.
WARNING
•The seat belts and airbags can only provide maximum protection if the
occupants are seated correctly.
•If a fault should occur in the airbag system, have the system checked
immediately by a qualified workshop. Otherwise there is a danger that
during a frontal collision, the system may fail to trigger, or not trigger
correctly.
Function of front airbags
Inflated airbags reduce the risk of head or chest injury.
The airbag system is designed so that the front airbags for the driver and front
passenger are triggered in a severe frontal collision.
In certain types of accident the front, curtain and side airbags may be trig-
gered together.
When the system is triggered, the airbags fill with a propellant gas and
deploy in front of the driver and front passenger Ÿfig. 24. The fully deployed
airbags cushion the forward movement of the front occupants and help to
reduce the risk of injury to the head and the upper part of the body.
The special design of the airbag allows the controlled escape of the propel-
lant gas when an occupant puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and
chest are surrounded and protected by the airbag. Once the impact has been
absorbed, the airbag deflates sufficiently for the front occupants to see
forward.
Fig. 24 Inflated front
airbags