2000 SUBARU FORESTER belt

2-16
3-point type seatbelt (Combination lap/shoulder belts)
WARNING
Never place the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back. If an accident occurs, this can increase the risk or severity of inju-
ry.
OM-H0044OM-H0043
1. Ad just the seat p osition:
Driver’ s seat: Ad just the seatb ac k to the up rig ht p osition. Move the
seatb ac k as far from the steering wheel as p rac tic a l while still main-
taining full vehic le c ontrol.Front passenger ’s seat: Ad just the seatb ac k to the up rig ht p osition.
Move the seat as far b ac k as p ossib le.
2. Sit well b ac k in the seat.
3. Pic k up the tong ue p late and p ull the b elt out sl owly. Do not let it
g et twisted . If the b elt stop s b efore reac hing the b uc kle, return the
b elt slig htly and p ull it out more slowly. If the b elt still c annot b e un-
loc ked , let the b elt retrac t slig htly after g iving a strong p ull on it, then
p ull it out slowly ag ain.
4. Insert the tong ue p late into the b uc kle until you hear a c lic k.
5. To make the lap p art tig ht, p ull up on the should er b elt. And p lac e
the lap b elt as low as p ossib le on your hip s, not o n your waist.

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2-point type seatbelt (lap only belts)
OM-H0049
OM-H0048
Too high
Keep as low on hip bone as possible.
1. Before sitting in the seat, ad just b oth seatb ac ks to the up rig ht p osi-
tion.
2. Sit well b ac k in the seat and p ic k up the tong ue p late marked
“ CENTER ”. Be c areful not to twist the b elt.
3. Insert the tong ue p late into the b uc kle marked “CENTER ” until you
hear a c lic k. The tong ue p late marked “CENTER ” c an b e fastened
only into the b uc kle marked “CENTER ”. If the b elt is not long enoug h
for you, hold the tong ue p late at a rig ht ang le to the b elt and p ull the
b elt to extend .
4. To make the b elt tig ht, p ull up on the b elt. And p lac e the lap b elt as
low as p ossib le on your hip s, not your waist.
Adjusting the shoulder belt anchor height
WARNING
When wearing the front seatbelts, make sure the shoulder portionof the webbing does not pass over your neck. If it does, adjustthe seatbelt anchor to a lower position. Placing the shoulder beltover the neck may result in neck injury during sudden braking orin a collision.

2-18
HS0040
Push
The should er b elt anc hor heig ht should b e ad justed to the p osition b est
suited for you. To lower the anc hor heig ht, p ush th e release b utton and
slid e the anc hor d own. To raise the anc hor heig ht, slid e it up . Pull d own
on the anc hor to make sure that it is loc ked in p la c e.
Always ad just the anc hor heig ht so that the should e r b elt p asses over
the mid d le of the should er without touc hing the nec k.
Unfastening the seatbelt 3-point type seatbelt (Combination lap/shoulder belts)
HS0138
HB0303
Front
Rear
Push Push
Push the b utton on the b uc kle.
Before c losing the d oor, make sure that the b elts a re retrac ted p rop er-
ly to avoid c atc hing the b elt web b ing in the d oor.

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2-point type seatbelt (lap only belts)
OM-H0050
Push
Push the release b utton on the b uc kle. NOTE
When the seatbelt is not in use, store the seatbelt in the seatbelt pocket to prevent it from being damaged.
HS0041
Seat belt pocket

2-20
Seatbelt maintenance
CAUTION
Keep the belts free of polishes, oils, chemicals and particularly
battery acid. Never attempt to make modifications or changes that will pre-
vent the seatbelt from operating properly.
To c lean the seatb elts, use a mild soap and lukewar m water. Never
b leac h or d ye the b elts b ec ause this c ould seriousl y affec t their streng th.
Insp ec t the seatb elts and attac hments inc lud ing the web b ing and all
hard ware p eriod ic ally for c rac ks, c uts, g ashes, tea rs, d amag e, loose
b olts or worn areas. Rep lac e the seatb elts even if only minor d amag e is
found .
Child restraint systems
WARNING
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a collision, because the child will be caught between the
passenger and objects inside the vehicle. Additionally, holding achild in your lap or arms in the front seat exposes that child to
another serious danger. Since the SRS airbag deploys with con-
siderable speed and force, the child could be injured or evenkilled. Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly re-
strained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerablespeed 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, be sure to secure ALL types of child restraint
devices (including forward facing child seats) in the REAR seats

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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 .

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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.