Volvo 9700 User manual

Driver’s Handbook
Safety Seat Belts
Volvo 9700 US/CAN

Foreword
This manual is intended to help the driver understand how to operate
and properly take care of the safety seat belts equipped on the Volvo
9700/CAN bus. The information in this manual applies to vehicles built
January 2008 and later. Please keep this manual in the vehicle at all times.
Note: Illustrations in this manual are used for reference only and may
differ slightly from the actual vehicle. However, key components
addressed in this document are represented as accurately as possible.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and
Prevost should be informed immediately if you believe that the vehicle
has a defect that could cause a crash, injury or death.
Contact NHTSA by calling the Auto Safety Hotline at 1 [phone],
by writing to NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington,
DC 20590, by TTY at 1 [phone], or visit their website at
www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
Volvo Bus Corporation
Göteborg, Sweden
Order number: PV776-88913363
© 2009 Volvo Bus Corporation, Göteborg, Sweden
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in retrieval system, or transmitted in any forms by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of Volvo Bus Corporation

Contents
Safety Seat Belts ................................................................................. 1
Introduction ....................................................................................... 1
General .............................................................................................. 2
Operating the Safety Belt .................................................................. 4
Inspection .......................................................................................... 5
Important Facts About Safety Belts in Buses .................................... 8

Safety Information
IMPORTANT: Before driving this vehicle,
be certain that you have read and that
you fully understand each and every step
of the driving and handling information
in this manual. Be certain that you fully
understand and follow all safety warnings.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION BE
READ, UNDERSTOOD AND ALWAYS
FOLLOWED.
The following types of advisories are used
throughout this manual:
DANGER
Danger indicates an unsafe practice that
could result in serious personal injury or
death. A danger advisory banner is in
white type on a black background with
ablack border.
WARNING
Warning indicates an unsafe practice that
could result in personal injury. A warning
advisory banner is in black type on a
gray background with a black border.
CAUTION
Caution indicates an unsafe practice that
could result in damage to the product. A
caution advisory is in black type on a
white background with a black border.
Note: Note indicates a procedure, practice,
or condition that must be followed in order
for the vehicle or component to function in
the manner intended.

Safety Seat Belts 1
Introduction
This booklet of Operating Instructions is
intended to help the driver about how to
operate properly and take care of the safety
seat belts
Safety belt assemblies installed in this
vehicle meet FMVSS 209, “Type 1” and
“Type 2” they are recommended for all
persons weighing over 25 kg (50 lb).
T8014321

2 Safety Seat Belts
General
DANGER
Safety belts must be properly worn at all
times by the driver and all passengers
while the vehicle is in motion. Failure to
do so can result in serious personal injury
or death in the event of sudden stop or
collision.
DANGER
Fasten the safety belt before starting to
drive. Trying to fasten the safety belt
while the vehicle is moving may lead
to an accident, causing serious personal
injury or death.
A child restrain system should also be
provided for each child weighing 25 kg (50
lb) or less. It should meet the requirements
of FMVSS213,”Child Restraint System”.
Carefully read and follow all manufacture’s
instructions on installation and use. Make
certain the child remains in the restraint
system at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.

Safety Seat Belts 3
Safety belts must be worn by the driver and
all passengers at all times. Before adjusting
or fastening the safety belt, move the seat
forward or rearward and adjust the seat
height as necessary. Sit erect and adjust the
seat cushion and seat back for a comfortable
driving position. In the event of a collision,
a correct driving position maximizes the
effectiveness of the safety belt.
There are both Federal and State laws
governing the use of safety belts. As laws
differ from state to state, make yourself
familiar with the current rules.
T8014322
Tether straps are installed on all
suspension/type seats. Tether straps
help secure the seat to the floor and are
intended to restrain the seat and safety belt
in case of an accident or sudden stop.
The tether are no adjustable and do not need
any adjustment.
T8014323

4 Safety Seat Belts
Operating the Safety Belt
To fasten the safety belt, pull the belt out
from the retractor and insert the latch into
the buckle. Verify proper lock of the latch
by pulling on the latch
Adjust the slack by pulling on the top part of
the belt until the lower part, or the part that
crosses the lap, is snugly adjusted. Release
the top part and let the retractor pull the belt
in.
The lap portion of the safety belt should be
worn low across the pelvic region (hip bone)
and adjusted snugly. Never adjust the lap belt
across the abdomen. A push button on the
buckle is used to release the safety latch by
pushing in the button release on the buckle.
T8014324
The buckle portion of the safety belt system
is different depending on the seat option
chosen. The national standard and comfort
seat has separate buckle that is attached to
a floor anchor by seat strap. This seat strap
is not adjustable, and does not need to be
adjusted.
The buckle for the seat is bolted to the front
division wall.
T8014325

Safety Seat Belts 5
Inspection
DANGER
Failure to properly inspect and maintain
the safety belts can cause serious personal
injury or death.
DANGER
It is critical that any time a vehicle has
been involved in an accident, the entire
safety belt system must be replaced in the
vehicle if they were in use at the time of
the accident. Failure to replace the safety
belt system may result in serious injury
or death
DANGER
A damaged safety belt, whether visibly
damage or not, could result in serious
personal injury in the event ofan accident.
The safety belt systems should be
replaced at least every five years.
DANGER
Do not bleach or re/dye the color webbing
because it may cause a severe loss of
belt strength. This loss of strength could
allow the safety belt to break under stress,
thus resulting in severe personal injury or
death.
Check the belts, buckles, latch plates,
retractors, anchorages, and guide loops
to ensure that they are working properly.
Look for loose/damage parts (without
disassembling) that could keep the restrain
system from working properly. If the safety
belt, retractor and hardware were in use
during a collision, they must be repaired if
necessary. If there is any doubt about the
restraint system’s effectiveness, replace the
entire safety belt assembly.

6 Safety Seat Belts
The following maintenance guidelines detail
how to inspect safety belts and tethers for
cuts, fraying, extreme or unusual wear
of the webbing, etc., and damage of the
buckle, retractor, hardware or other factors
which indicate that the safety belt system
replacement is necessary.
Check the web wear at the buckle/latch area.
The webbing must be closely examined to
determine if there are any cuts, fraying or
extreme wear in the webbing. Cuts, fraying
or excessive wear would indicate the need
for replacement of the safety belt system.
T8014326
Check the buckle by inserting the latch and
verifying proper operation. Determine if
the latch plat is worn or deformed. Check
the buckle and latch casing for cracks or
breakage
T8014327

Safety Seat Belts 7
If the tethers are being used to anchor the
safety belts to the floor, make sure that they
are properly attached to the seat. Tethers
must also be inspected for web wear and
proper tightness of mounting hardware
T8014323
All hardware for safety belt mounting points
should be evaluated for corrosion. All
attachment points of the system should be
checked for tightness of mounting hardware.
Check the web in areas ex-
posed to ultra-violet rays from the sun or
extreme dust or dirt. If the original color of
the web in these areas is extremely faded,
the physical strength of this web may be
deteriorated. If this condition exists, replace
the safety belt system.

8 Safety Seat Belts
Important Facts About Safety Belts in Buses
The high mileage associated with buses
and the potential exposure of this safety
belt to severe environmental conditions
make it crucial to inspect the seat belt
system regularly. It is recommended that
the system be inspected every 24, 000
km (15,000 miles) or more often if the
vehicle is exposed to severe environmental
or vocational conditions. Any safety belt
system that shows cuts, fraying, extreme
or unusual wear, significant discolorations
due to ultra-violet ray exposure, dusty-dirty
conditions, abrasion to the safety belt
webbing or damage to the buckle, latch plate,
retractor, hardware or any other obvious
problem should be replaced immediately,
regardless of the mileage.
Once replacement of the safety belt has
been determined necessary, be certain
that is replaced only with a Volvo
original replacement safety belt. See
your authorized Volvo or for Prevost
supported vehicles, in Prevost service
center/provider for replacement. Replace
it only with the exact same design
that the vehicle was equipped with.
If the inspection indicates that any other
part of the safety belt system requires
replacement, the entire belt system must
be replaced. It is vitally important that all
components are mounted back in the same
positions as the original components that
were removed. This will maintain the design
integrity of the mounting points for the
safety belt assembly.

Volvo Bus Corporation
Göteborg, Sweden
PV776-88913363 English USA.03.2009