Following basic safety precautions can minimize the risk of serious injury in the event of an accident.
Infants and young children
In some countries it is mandatory to use child seats when transporting infants and young children in a vehicle. Whether required by regulations or not, the use of a child seat or restraint for infants and young children weighing less than 18 kg is strongly recommended.
Older children
Children who have become too small for child seats should be seated in the rear seats and fastened with a combined lap-shoulder seat belt. The lap belt should be pulled tight and positioned so that it runs below the abdomen and is located below the top of the pelvic bone. Check the tension of the seat belt periodically. If an older child (over 13 years old) is in the front passenger seat, it must be securely fastened with a seat belt. Under no circumstances should the child be seated or kneeling.
In the event of an accident, it is safest for children to be in a child seat in the rear seat.
Pregnant women
Pregnant women are advised to use the seat belts provided in the car in order to reduce the risk of injury to both the woman and her unborn child in the event of a traffic accident. The lap belt should be positioned across the hips, as low as possible over the abdomen, and pulled as tightly as possible, but never across the waist.
Injured people
When transporting injured people, seat belts must be used.
One seat belt must be fastened by one person
The use of one seat belt by two passengers is not allowed (including children). This increases the risk of injury in the event of an accident.
Do not lie down
To reduce the risk of injury, and to maximize the effectiveness of the safety system, all occupants should be in a seated position and the front seatbacks should be in the most upright position when the vehicle is in motion. The seat belt will not provide the necessary protection if the passenger is lying in the rear seat or if the front seat is heavily reclined.
Warning! Sitting reclined or lying down while the vehicle is in motion can be very dangerous. When the seat back is reclined, even if you are wearing a seat belt, the seat belt will not be able to do its job. The shoulder strap will not be effective as it will not be able to support your body. Instead, it will be positioned in front of you. In the event of an accident, it will crash into you, which may result in severe neck injuries or other consequences. A waist belt will also be ineffective. In the event of an accident, it could hit your stomach instead of your hip bones. This can result in serious internal injury.
Warning! The seat belt provides maximum protection when the seatback is in a fully upright position.