2005 Saab 9-3 Owner's Manual - Page 36

34 Safety Side-impact protection The side airbags, which help protect the upper body (head also in Convertible), are integrated in the outside edges of the front seat backrests. The side impact protection of the Sport Sedan also includes inflatable curtains (see page 35). The side impact protection will be activated if certain predetermined conditions are met such as the force and angle of the impact, the speed of the car on impact, and at which point on the car´s side the impact occurs. The side-impact protection is only activated on the side of impact, while the safety belt pretensioners on both sides are deployed. The front seats and outer rear seats have safety belt pretensioners. There are two sensors on each side of the car, one at the rear of each door sill and one in the lower part of each C-pillar. Convertible: The Convertible has two side impact protection sensors, one on each side of the car. These are located at the rear of the sills. • Never place anything on the dash or in front of the seat as, in addition to being a hazard to passengers, this could interfere with the function of the airbag in the event of a crash. The same applies to the mounting of accessories on the dash. • Keep feet on the floor - never put feet up on the dash, on the seat or out of the window. • Do not carry anything in your lap. WARNING • This car is equipped with side airbags and no extra seat cover should be fitted. Failure to observe this warning could result in the side airbags not inflating as intended and thus not providing the intended protection either. • Never place any object in the area that would be occupied by the inflated airbag. • For optimum protection, sit upright in the seat, with your safety belt correctly fastened. • The side-impact protection will only be activated in the event of a side-on crash and not in the event of a rearend crash or the car rolling over. For the Convertible's Roll-over protection see page 70. • Damage or wear to the seat cover, or the seat seam, in the area of the side airbag must be repaired immediately by an authorized Saab dealer. Head protection The pillar trim and headlining (not Convertible soft top) are designed to absorb energy, softening possible blows to the head. After a crash, these items must be changed in the seat positions that were occupied. Never fit accessories to the pillar trim or headlining as these could reduce the effectiveness of the head protection and inflatable curtain (Sport Sedan).