In the new S40 & V50, why is the ignition key in the dashbord?
This is a safety feature, reducing the injury to legs and knees in the event of an accident. (December 2006) The seatbelt buzzer sounds when nobody is on the passenger seat. The buzzer will sound when the car thinks there is someone on the seat. So anything of any weight that sits on the seat can trigger it. Shopping bags, hand bags, and brief cases should be kept on the floor of the car or in the boot/trunk. This is also a safer position, since unrestrained luggage can be very dangerous in an accident. It should also be noted that items should not be wedged on the floor between the front and rear seats, since this could affect the WHIPS mechanism and reduce its effectiveness. For example, an unrestrained umbrella weighing 2kg, in a 50mph collision, would be propelled forwards with an equivalent force of 100 kg/220lbs – this is, between 15 and 16 stone in human weight.
