2000 Saab 9-5 Owner's Manual - Page 23

Safety 23 Airbag (Supplemental Restraint System "SRS") WARNING To reduce risk of injury: • Always wear your safety belt. • Always adjust your seat so that you are as far back as possible but still able to reach the steering wheel and controls comfortably. • Children 12 and under or shorter than 140 cm (55 inches) should always travel in the rear as the vehicle is equipped with an airbag on the passenger side. The supplementary restraint system (SRS) comprises an airbag in the steering wheel, a front passenger airbag and side airbags in the front seats. The system supplements the protection provided by the safety belts to further enhance the safety of occupants. If a fault is detected in the SRS, the AIR BAG warning light on the main instrument panel will come on (see pages 48 and 26). When the system is triggered by impact of a frontal collision, the airbags in the steering wheel and passenger side of the dash board are inflated, after which they deflate through vents in the back of the bags. The entire process takes less than 0.1 second - literally, faster than the blinking of an eye. These airbags are triggered only by moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions. They will not be activated by minor front-end impacts, rear-end or side impacts, or by the car rolling over. • Never attach anything to the steering wheel or passenger side of the instrument panel, as this could result in injury if the airbag should inflate. The same applies to anything you might have in your mouth, such as a pipe, for instance. • Some components of the airbag will be hot for a short time. In some circumstances the airbag can cause burns or abrasions to the body when the airbag inflates/deflates. • Never rest your hands or forearms on the steering-wheel center padding. • If the AIR BAG warning light remains on after the car has been started or comes on while you are driving, have the car checked immediately by an authorized Saab dealer. The warning light could signify that the airbags may not inflate in a crash, or they could even inflate without a crash. WARNING • Even if the car is equipped with an SRS (airbag), safety belts must still always be worn by all occupants. • Note that because an airbag inflates and deflates extremely rapidly, it will not provide protection against a second impact occurring in the same incident. Always use your safety belt. • Always sit with the whole of your back in contact with the backrest of the seat, and with your seat as far back as is practical. This is to reduce the risk of injury from contact with the backrest of the seat when the airbag inflates and also because the airbag needs space in which to inflate.