FIAT Stilo - Manual (Page 127)

126
CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
W
ARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICA
TIONS
IINDEX
DASHBOARD AND CONTROLS
SAFETY DEVICES
FRONT AIR BAGS
The car is fitted with front multistage air
bags (“Smart bag”) for driver and passen-
ger, front side bags (where provided), rear
side bags (where provided) and window
bags (where provided).
“SMART BAG” SYSTEM (FRONT
MULTISTAGE AIR BAGS)
The front air bag (driver and passenger)
has been designed to protect the occu-
pants in the event of head-on crashes of
medium-high severity, by placing the cush-
ion between the occupant and the steer-
ing wheel or dashboard.
Front air bags are designed to protect
car’s occupants in front crashes and there-
fore non-activation in other types of col-
lisions (side collisions, rear shunts, roll-
overs, etc.) is not a system malfunction.
In case of front crash, an electronic con-
trol unit, when required, triggers the in-
flation of the cushion according to the
severity of the collision.
The cushion immediately inflates, placing
itself as a protection between the body
of the front occupants and the structure
that could cause injuries. Immediately af-
ter, the cushion deflates.
The front air bag (driver and passenger) is
not a replacement of but complementary
to the use of belts, which should always
be worn, as specified by law in Europe and
most non-European countries.
In case of crash, a person not wearing the
seat belt moves forward and may come in-
to contact with the cushion while it is still
inflating. Under this circumstance the pro-
tection offered by the air bag is reduced.
Do not apply stickers or oth-
er objects to the steering
wheel or to the air bag cover on the
passenger’s side or on the side roof
lining. Do not put objects on the
dashboard on passenger side (e.g. mo-
bile phones) since they could interfere
with proper passenger air bag infla-
tion and cause injuries to the car’s
passengers.
WARNING
Front air bag may not be activated in the
following situations:
❒ in collisions against highly deformable
objects not affecting the car front sur-
face (e.g. bumper collision against guard
rail);
❒ car wedging under other vehicles or
protective barriers (for example under
a truck or guard rail);
as it offers no additional protection com-
pared with the seat belts, consequently,
it would be pointless. Therefore, failure to
come into action in the above circum-
stances does not mean that the system is
not working properly.