2009 BMW 5 Series Owner's Manual - Page 60

Transporting children safely Transporting children safely The right place for children Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle, otherwise they could endanger themselves and other persons, e.g. by opening the doors.< Backrest width* on front passenger seat Open the backrest width setting of the front passenger seat all the way. After mounting the child's seat, deactivate the active backrest width adjustment and do not call up any memory position. Otherwise this limits the stability of the child's seat on the front passenger seat.< 1. After unlocking the vehicle, sit on the front passenger seat and close the door to call up the memory position. 2. Completely open the backrest width adjustment, refer to page 48. 3. Deactivate active backrest width adjustment, refer to page 49. 4. Install child's seat. Children always in the rear Accident research shows that the safest place for children is on the rear seat. Children younger than 13 years of age or with a height under 5 ft/150 cm may only be transported in the rear in child restraint systems which correspond to the age, weight and height of the child. Otherwise there is an increased danger of injury in an accident.< Children 13 years of age or older must wear a safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint system can no longer be used due to their age, size and weight. Child seat security Exception for front passenger seat Should it ever be necessary to use a child restraint system on the front passenger seat, the front and side airbags on the passenger side must first be deactivated. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of injury for the child if the airbags are triggered, even with a child restraint system.< For more information on automatic deactivation of the front passenger airbags, refer to page 101. All rear safety belts and the safety belt for the front passenger can be locked against pulling out to secure child restraint systems. Installing child restraint systems Observe the child restraint system manufacturer's instructions for selection, installation and use of the child restraint systems. Otherwise the degree of protection may be reduced.< Locking safety belt 1. Secure the child restraint system with the belt. 2. Pull out the belt webbing completely. 3. Allow the belt webbing to retract and pull taut against the child restraint system. The safety belt is locked. 58 Online Edition for Part no. 01 41 2 600 721 - © 08/08 BMW AG