2006 BMW 6 Series Owner's Manual - Page 48

Adjustments Sitting safely The ideal sitting position can make a vital contribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In the interaction with the safety belts, the head restraints and the airbags, the seat position plays an important role in an accident. To ensure that the safety systems operate with optimum efficiency, we strongly urge you to follow the instructions contained in the following section. For additional information on transporting children safely, refer to page 56. Head restraints A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the risk of injury to cervical vertebrae in an accident. Adjust the head restraint so that its center is approx. at ear level. Otherwise there is increased danger of injury in the event of an accident.< Head restraints, refer to page 50. Safety belt Before every drive, make sure that safety belts are being worn at all of the occupied seats. Airbags complement the safety belt as an additional safety device, but they do not represent a substitute. Your vehicle has four seats that are each equipped with a safety belt. Never allow more than one person to wear a single safety belt. Never allow infants or small children to ride in a passenger's lap. Expectant mothers should always wear their safety belts, taking care to position the lap belt against the lower hips, where it will not exert pressure against the abdominal area. Do not route the belt across your neck, or run it across sharp edges. Be sure that the belt does not become caught or jammed. Make sure that the safety belt is securely fastened across the lap and shoulders, as close to the body as possible without it being twisted or tangled. Be sure not to route it over solid or breakable objects; otherwise, the belt can slip over the hips in the lap area in a frontal impact and injure the abdomen. Avoid wearing clothing that prevents the belt from fitting properly and pull the shoulder belt upward periodically to readjust the tension across your lap in order to avoid a reduction in the retention effect of the safety belt.< For instructions on operating safety belts, refer to page 51. Airbags Always maintain an adequate distance between yourself and the airbags. Always hold the steering wheel by its rim with hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to minimize the risk of injuries to your hands and arms in the event of airbag deployment. No one and nothing is to come between the airbags and the seat occupant. Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the front passenger side as a storage area. Make sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly and does not rest feet or legs on the instrument panel, otherwise leg injuries can occur if the knee and front airbags are triggered. Make sure that occupants do not rest their head on the side or head airbag; otherwise, injuries can occur if the airbags are triggered.< Even if you adhere to all the instructions, the occurrence of injuries resulting from contact with airbags cannot be entirely ruled out, depending on the circumstances. The ignition and inflation noise may provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensitive individuals. This effect is usually only temporary. For airbag locations and additional information on airbags, refer to page 90. 47 Online Edition for Part-No. 01 41 0 159 709 © 09/05 BMW AG Reference Mobility Communications Entertainment Navigation Driving tips Controls At a glance