2000 SUBARU LEGACY ESP

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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.


CHILD SAFETY
WARNING
Never hold a child on your lap or in your arms while the ve-
hicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from in- jury in a collision, because the child will be caught between the
passenger and objects inside the vehicle. While riding in the vehicle, infants and small children should
always be placed in the REAR seat in an infant or child restraint
system which is appropriate for the child's age, height andweight. If a child is too big for a child restraint system, the childshould sit in the REAR seat and be restrained using the seatbelts.According to accident statistics, children are safer when properlyrestrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seatingpositions. Never allow a child to stand up or kneel on the seat. Put children aged 12 and under in the REAR seat properly re-
strained at all times in a child restraint device or in a seatbelt. TheSRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force and caninjure or even kill children, especially if they are 12 years of ageand under and are not restrained or improperly restrained. Be-
cause children are lighter and weaker than adults, their risk being
injured from deployment is greater. NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO
THE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD'S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO

1-2
Front seats
WARNING
Never adjust the seat while driving to avoid the possibility of
loss of vehicle control and of personal injury. Never drive the vehicle with the head restraints removed be-
cause they are designed to reduce the risk of serious neck injury
in the event that the vehicle is struck from the rear. Before adjusting the seat, make sure the hands and feet of rear
seat passengers are clear of the adjusting mechanism. Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat. To reduce the risk of sliding un-der the seatbelt in a collision, the front seatbacks should be al-ways used in the upright position while the vehicle is running. Ifthe front seatbacks are not used in the upright position in a colli-
sion, the risk of sliding under the lap belt and of the lap belt slid-ing up over the abdomen will increase, and both can result in se-rious internal injury or death. Do not put cushions or any other materials between occupants
and seatbacks or seat cushions. If you do so, the risk of sliding
under the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the abdomen
will increase, and both can result in serious internal injury or death. 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. 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 if
they are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or im-
properly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-5
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n
Power seat (if equipped)
HB1060BA
To ad just the seat forward or b ac kward , move the c o ntrol switc h for-
ward or b ac kward . Seat cushion angle and height adjustment (Power seat only)
HB1062BA
HB1078BA
To ad just the ang le and heig ht of the seat c ushion,
move the c ontrol
switc h in the c orresp ond ing d irec tion.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-15
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Seatbelts
Seatbelt safety tips
WARNING
All persons in the vehicle should fasten their seatbelts BE-
FORE the vehicle starts to move. Otherwise, the possibility of se-
rious injury becomes greater in the event of a sudden stop or ac-cident. All belts should fit snugly in order to provide full restraint.
Loose fitting belts are not as effective in preventing or reducing
injury. Each seatbelt is designed to support only one person. Never
use a single belt for two or more persons — even children. Other-
wise, in an accident, serious injury or death could result. Replace all seatbelt assemblies including retractors and at-
taching hardware worn by occupants of a vehicle that has been ina serious accident. The entire assembly should be replaced evenif damage is not obvious. 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. Forthat reason, we strongly recommend that ALL children (includingthose in child seats and those that have outgrown child restraint
devices) sit in the REAR seat properly restrained at all times in achild restraint device or in a seatbelt, whichever is appropriate forthe child ’s height and weight.
Secure ALL types of child restraint devices (including forwardfacing child seats) in the REAR seats at all times.
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TOTHE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-19
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Front and rear seatbelts (except rear center seatbelt on station wagon)
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.
Rear center seatbelt on station wagon
WARNING
Fastening the seatbelt with the webbing twisted can increase
the risk or severity of injury in an accident. When fastening the
belt after it is out from the retractor, especially when inserting thesmaller tongue plate into the mating buckle (smaller one on right-

1-20hand side), always check that the webbing is not twisted.
Be sure to fasten both tongue plates to the respective buckles.
If the seatbelt is used only as a shoulder belt (with the smallertongue plate not fastened to the smaller buckle on the right-hand
side), it cannot properly restrain the wearer in position in an acci-dent, possibly resulting in serious injury or death.
HB1031BA
HB1030BA
HB1032BA
1. Pull out the seatb elt slowly from the retrac tor o n the roof.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-31
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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
at all times. You should choose a restraint device which isappropriate for the child ’s age, height and weight. According to
accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained inthe rear seating positions than in the front seating positions. 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.

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Snugly adjust the belts provided with this child restraint
around your child. The built-in child restraint should be used for only one child at
a time. Using it for two or more children at the same time couldresult in serious injury or death in an accident. Do not use the center lap and shoulder belt with the child re-
straint. A child using the center seatbelt could slide forward andout from under the seatbelt in a sudden stop or an accident, re-sulting in serious injury to the child.
HBS047BA
WARNING
Do not use another child restraint system over the opened
built-in child restraint. Because a child restraint system cannot be secured on the built-in restraint cushion, the restraint could
fall down during sudden braking, a sharp turn or in an accident,
causing serious injury to the child in it. Always keep the child restraint equipped rear seatback locked
securely in place when the child restraint is in use. Otherwise, inan accident, serious injury or death to a child could result if the
seatback falls down. The built-in child restraint, especially metallic parts, can be-
come hot in a vehicle that has been closed up in sunny weather;they could burn a small child. Check the child restraint beforeyou place a child in it.