2000 SUBARU FORESTER Owners Manual

Seat, seat belt and SRS airbag2-21
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at all times. You should choose a restraint device which is appropriate for the child
’s age, height and weight.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when properlyrestrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seatingpositions. SINCE YOUR VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A PASSENGER ’S
SRS AIRBAG, DO NOT INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD
SEAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER ’S SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SE-
RIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLACING THE
CHILD’ S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.
Children should be properly restrained in the rear seat at all
times. Never allow a child to stand up, or to kneel on the front
passenger’ s seat. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable
force and can injure or even kill the child.
HS0043
HS0229
HS0228
HS0042
Never allow a child to stand up, or to kneel on the front passenger ’s seat
or any other seat.
Never hold a child on your lap or in your arms in the front passenger ’s
seat or any other seat.
Never install rearward facing child seat in the front passenger ’s seat.
Secure child restraint devices in the REAR seats at all times.

2-22WARNING
Child restraint systems and seat belts can become hot in a ve-
hicle that has been closed up in sunny weather; they could burn a small child. Check the child restraint system before you place achild in it. Do not leave an unsecured child restraint system in your vehi-
cle. Unsecured child restraint systems can be thrown around in-
side of the vehicle in a sudden stop, turn or accident; it can strikeand injure vehicle occupants as well as result in serious injuriesor death to the child.
Infants and small c hild ren should always b e p lac ed in an infant or c hild
restraint system in the rear seat while rid ing in t he vehic le. You should use
an infant or c hild restraint system that meets Fed e ral Motor Vehic le Safety
Stand ard s or Canad a Motor Vehic le Safety Stand ard s, is c omp atib le with
your vehic le and is ap p rop riate for the c hild ’s ag e and size. All c hild re-
straint systems are d esig ned to b e sec ured in vehic le seats b y lap b elts or
the lap p ortion of a lap /should er b elt.
Child ren c ould b e end ang ered in an ac c id ent if thei r c hild restraints are
not p rop erly sec ured in the vehic le. When installin g the c hild restraint
system, c arefully follow the manufac turer ’s instruc tions.
Ac c ord ing to ac c id ent statistic s, c hild ren are safe r when p rop erly re-
strained in the rear seating p ositions than in the front seating p ositions.
These statistic s also ind ic ate that the safest p osi tion for a c hild restraint
system is the c enter of the rear seat.
All U.S. states and Canad ian p rovinc es req uire that infants and small
c hild ren b e restrained in an ap p roved c hild restrai nt system at all times
while the vehic le is moving .

Seat, seat belt and SRS airbag2-23
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Installing child restraint systems in the 2-point type seat belt position (Rear center seating position)
HS2002BA
1. Ad just b oth rear seatb ac ks to fit the c hild restr aint system, p lac ing
them as up rig ht as p ossib le. Make sure that b oth se atb ac ks are at the
same ang le and sec urely loc ked into p lac e.
2. Set the c hild restraint system in the c enter seat ing p osition.
3. Run the 2-p oint typ e seat b elt throug h or around the c hild restraint
system following the instruc tions p rovid ed b y its m anufac turer.
4. Insert the tong ue p late into the b uc kle.
5. Tig hten the seat b elt.
6. Before having a c hild sit in the c hild restraint system, move it b ac k
and forth to c hec k if it is firmly sec ured . Sometim es a c hild restraint
c an b e more firmly sec ured b y p ushing it d own into the seat c ushion
and then tig htening the seatb elt.
If the c hild restraint system req uires a top strap , latc h the hook onto
the top strap anc hor and tig hten the top strap . Installing child restraint systems in the 3-point type seat belt position
NOTE When the child restraint system is no longer in use, remove it and
restore the ELR function of the retractor. That function is restored
by allowing the seat belt to retract fully.

2-24
HB1080BA
1. Ad just the seatb ac ks to fit the c hild restraint system, b ut as up rig ht
as p ossib le. Make sure that the seatb ac k is sec urel y loc ked into
p lac e.
2. Set the c hild restraint system in the seating p os ition.
3. Run the lap and should er b elts throug h or around the c hild re-
straint system following the instruc tions p rovid ed b y its manufac turer.
If the should er b elt g oes in front of the c hild ’s fac e or nec k, p ut it b e-
hind the c hild restraint system.
4. Insert the tong ue p late into the b uc kle.
5. Take up the slac k in the lap b elt.
6. Pull out the seat b elt fully from the retrac tor t o c hang e the retrac tor
over from the Emerg enc y Loc king Retrac tor(ELR) to t he Automatic
Loc king Retrac tor (ALR) func tion. Then, allow the b elt to rewind into
the retrac tor. As the b elt is rewind ing , c lic ks wil l b e heard whic h ind i-
c ate the retrac tor func tions as ALR.
7. Before having a c hild sit in the c hild restraint system, move it b ac k
and forth to c hec k if it is firmly sec ured . Sometim es a c hild restraint
c an b e more firmly sec ured b y p ushing it d own into the seat c ushion
and then tig htening the seat b elt.
8. Pull at the should er p ortion of the b elt to c onfi rm that it c annot b e
p ulled out (ALR p rop erly func tioning ).
If the c hild restraint system req uires a top strap , first remove the head
rest and then latc h the hook onto the top strap anc hor and tig hten the
top strap .

Seat, seat belt and SRS airbag2-25
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HS0045
Top strap anchors Anchorage location
HS2006BB
Three anc hor b rac kets, i.e., ones for the rig ht, c e nter and left p osi-
tions, are alread y installed on the rear ed g e of th e roof.
To hook the top strap CAUTION
Always remove the head rest when mounting a child restraint
system with a top strap either on the left seating position or rightseating position.Otherwise, it may happen that the top strap cannot be fastened
tightly.

2-26
OM-H0397
HS0263
Front of vehicle
Top strap hook
1. Remove the head rest (if so eq uip p ed ) at the seat p osition where
the c hild restraint has b een installed with the sea t b elt: lift up the head
rest while p ressing the release b utton. Store the h ead rest in the c arg o
area. Avoid p lac ing the head rest in the p asseng er c omp artment to
p revent it from b eing thrown around in the p asseng e r c omp artment in
a sud d en stop or a sharp turn.
2. Fasten the top strap hook of the c hild restraint to the ap p rop riate
anc hor b rac ket.
3. Tig hten the top strap sec urely.

Seat, seat belt and SRS airbag2-27
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*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
*SRS: This stand s for sup p lemental restraint system
. This name is used
b ec ause the airb ag system sup p lements the vehic le ’s seatb elts.
Vehicle with driver ’s and front passenger ’s SRS air-
bags and lap/shoulder restraint
WARNING
To obtain maximum protection in the event of an accident, the
driver and all passengers in the vehicle should always wear seat- belts when the vehicle is moving. The SRS airbag is designed
only as a supplement to the primary protection provided by the
seatbelt. It does not do away with the need to fasten seatbelts. In
combination with the seatbelts, it offers the best combinedprotection in case of a serious accident.Not wearing a seatbelt increases the chance of severe injury ordeath in a crash even when the car has the SRS airbag.
For instructions and precautions concerning the seatbelt system,see the “Seatbelts” sections in this chapter.
Do not sit or lean unnecessarily close to the SRS airbag. Be-
cause the SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed – faster
than the blink of an eye – and force to protect in high speed colli-
sions, the force of an airbag can injure an occupant whose bodyis too close to SRS airbag. It is also important to wear your seatbelt to help avoid injuriesthat can result when the SRS airbag contacts an occupant not inproper position such as one thrown forward during pre-accidentbraking.Even when properly positioned, there remains a possibility thatan occupant may suffer minor injury such as abrasions andbruises to the face or arms because of the SRS airbag deploy-ment force.

2-28
Do not place any objects over or near the SRS airbag cover or
between you and the SRS airbag. If the SRS airbag deploys, those objects could interfere with its proper operation and could
be propelled inside the car and cause injury. The SRS airbags deploy with considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious injuries. Because the SRS air-bag needs enough space for deployment, the driver should al-ways sit upright and well back in the seat as far from the steeringwheel as practical while still maintaining full vehicle control and
the front passenger should move the seat as far back as possibleand sit upright and well back in the seat.
HS0233
Adjust the seatback to upright position. Sit well back and upright.
Move the seat as far from the steering wheel as practical.HB0290
Adjust the seatback to upright position. Sit well back and upright.
Move the seat as far back as possible.
WARNING
Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly re-
strained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force and can injure or even kill children, especially ifthey are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or im-properly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than
adults, their risk of being injured from deployment is greater.
For that reason, we strongly recommend that ALL children (in-cluding those in child seats and those that have outgrown child
restraint devices) sit in the REAR seat properly restrained at alltimes in a child restraint device or in a seatbelt, whichever is ap-