Additional devices to the front seat belt

Depending on the vehicle, these may consist of:

• seat belt pretensioners;
• front airbags 1 for driver and front passenger.

These systems are designed to operate separately or together in frontal impacts.

Depending on the severity of the impact, the system may trigger:

• seat belt locking 2;
• the seat belt pretensioner (which fires to take up seat belt slack);
• the front airbag.

Supplementary front seat belt restraints

Pretensioners

Pretensioners are used to pull the belt against the body, press the occupant against the seat and thus increase its effectiveness.

With the ignition on, in the event of a severe frontal impact, depending on the severity of the impact, the system may trigger the seat belt pretensioner, which instantly retracts the belt.

• After an accident, have all restraint systems checked.
• Any work on the complete system (pretensioners, airbags, electronic control units, wiring) or reuse on any other vehicle, even an identical one, is strictly prohibited.
• To prevent unintentional deployment that could cause injury, only qualified personnel from the Brand Network are authorised to work on the pretensioners and airbags.
• Checking the electrical characteristics of the igniter must only be carried out by specially trained personnel using suitable equipment.
• When scrapping the vehicle, contact a Brand Representative to dispose of the gas generators in the pretensioners and airbags.

Driver and passenger airbags

It is fitted to the driver's front seat and, depending on the vehicle, the front passenger's seat.

An "airbag" marking on the steering wheel, the dashboard (airbag zone A) and, depending on the vehicle, a sticker on the lower part of the windscreen indicate the presence of this equipment.

Each airbag system consists of:

• an airbag and its gas generator, mounted in the steering wheel for the driver and in the dashboard for the passenger;
• an electronic control unit that monitors the system and controls the electric igniter of the gas generator;
• a single warning lighton the instrument panel;
• remote sensors.

Operation

The system is only operational when the ignition is on.

In a severe frontal impact, the airbags inflate rapidly to cushion the impact of the driver’s head and chest against the steering wheel and of the passenger’s head and chest against the dashboard. They then deflate immediately after the impact so as not to hinder exit from the vehicle.

Force limiter

Above a certain impact severity, this mechanism triggers to limit the forces the belt applies to the body to a tolerable level.

Driver and passenger airbags

All the following warnings are intended to avoid obstructing airbag deployment and to prevent serious direct injuries caused by the airbag as it inflates.

• Do not modify the steering wheel or its airbag cover.
• Covering the steering wheel airbag cover is prohibited.
• Do not attach any object (pin, badge, watch, phone holder, etc.) to the cushion.
• Removing the steering wheel is prohibited (except by authorised Brand Network personnel).
• Do not sit too close to the steering wheel: adopt a driving position with your arms slightly bent (see the "Adjusting the driving position" section in chapter 1). This ensures sufficient space for the airbag to deploy and work correctly.

Warnings concerning the front passenger airbag

Do not stick or attach any objects (pins, badges, watch, phone holder, etc.) to the dashboard in the airbag zone.

Do not place anything between the dashboard and the occupant (animal, umbrella, cane, parcels, etc.).

Do not place your feet on the dashboard or the seat, as these positions could cause serious injury. In general, keep all parts of the body (knees, hands, head, etc.) away from the dashboard.

Reactivate the front passenger seat belt supplementary restraint systems as soon as you remove a child seat, to ensure passenger protection in the event of an impact.

IT IS PROHIBITED TO INSTALL A REAR-FACING CHILD SEAT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT UNLESS THE SUPPLEMENTARY FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT RESTRAINTS ARE DEACTIVATED.

(See the "Child safety: deactivating and activating the front passenger airbag" section in chapter 1.)