Volkswagen Polo Owners Manual: Seat belt protection
Fig. 49 Driver restrained by a properly positioned seat belt during a sudden braking manoeuvre
First read and observe the introductory information
and safety warnings
Correctly fastened seat belts can make a major difference. When fastened properly, seat belts hold the vehicle occupants in the correct sitting positions and considerably 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, wearing seat belts properly reduces the risk of being thrown from the vehicle .
Passengers wearing seat belts correctly benefit greatly from the ability of the belts to reduce the kinetic energy. The front crumple zones and other passive safety features (such as the airbag system) are also designed to reduce kinetic energy. The amount of energy generated will thus decrease, thereby reducing the risk of injury.
The examples describe frontal collisions. Of course, properly worn seat belts substantially reduce the risk of injury in all other types of accidents. This is why seat belts must be fastened before every trip – even if you are only planning to drive a very short distance. Ensure that all passengers also wear their seat belts properly.
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. This is why wearing a seat belt is a legal requirement in most countries.
Although the vehicle is equipped with airbags, the seat belts must be fastened and worn. For example, the front airbags will only be triggered in certain types of frontal collision. 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, always wear your seat belt and ensure that your passengers have fastened their seat belts properly before you drive off.
What happens to vehicle occupants who have not fastened their seat belts
Fig. 47 An unbelted driver is thrown forwards
Fig. 48 The unbelted rear passenger is
thrown forwards, hitting the belted driver
First read and observe the introductory information
and safety ...
Using seat belts
First read and observe the introductory information
and safety warnings ...
Other materials:
Indicator lamp in the vehicle key
Fig. 20 Indicator lamp in the vehicle
key
First read and observe the introductory information
and safety warnings
If a button on the vehicle key is pressed briefly, the indicator lamp (arrow)
flashes once. The lamp will flash several times if the button is pressed and held,
e.g. convenien ...
Towing a trailer
First read and observe the introductory information
and safety warnings
Headlight adjustment
Towing a trailer can raise the front end of the vehicle enough for the dipped
beam to blind other road users. Use the headlight range control to lower the light
cone as required. If you do not have ...
Wear Spots
A wear spot is a flat spot on the tread of the tires that
can be caused by extreme braking maneuvers on subsurface such as
asphalt.
At the same time a tire during the braking maneuver is
rubbed at selective points which ...
