Controls and features -> Safe seating position for your BMW 3 Series 1997-2006

To adjust  
48 Safe seating position  
For relaxed and fatigue-free driving you For airbag locations and additional  
should select a sitting position that  
For information on using the safety  
belts, refer to page 52.  
information on airbags, refer to  
reflects your personal requirements. In page 57.  
combination with the safety belts and  
airbags, the correct seating position  
plays an important role in enhancing  
occupant safety in the event of an acci-  
dent. To ensure that the vehicle's safety  
systems provide you with optimal pro-  
tection, we request that you direct your  
careful attention to the following sec-  
tion.  
Sitting safely with safety belts  
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. Avoid twisting the  
belt while routing it firmly across the  
pelvis and shoulder, wear it as snugly  
against your body as possible. Do not  
allow the belt to rest against hard or  
fragile objects in your pockets. 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. Avoid wearing bulky clothing  
and pull on the lap belt periodically to  
retension it over your shoulders. In the  
event of a frontal impact, a loose lap  
belt could slide over the hips, leading to  
abdominal injury. In addition, the safety  
belt's restraint effectiveness is reduced  
if the belt is worn loosely. 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.<  
For supplementary information on  
transporting children, refer to page 59.  
Sitting safely with airbags  
Always maintain an adequate dis-  
tance between yourself and the  
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel  
by the rim to keep any chance of injury  
to hands or arms to an absolute mini-  
mum should the airbag be deployed.  
Never allow any objects, individuals or  
animals to obstruct the areas between  
passengers and airbags. Never use the  
front airbag's cover as a storage tray or  
support for objects of any kind. Never  
allow front passengers to rest their feet  
or legs on the airbag cover.<