2001 Lexus IS300 Child

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
81
INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR
SV16011

1Day 2Night
When driving at night, pull the lever toward you to reduce
the glare from the headlights of vehicles behind you.
Before adjusting the mirror to the position with most clarity,
push the day±night change lever forward (daylight driving
position).
Remember that by reducing glare you also lose some rear view
clarity.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the mirror while the vehicle is moving. It
may cause the driver to mishandle the vehicle and an
accident may occur resulting in personal death or
injuries.
SEAT BELTS
Seat belt precautions
Lexus strongly urges that the driver and passengers in the
vehicle be properly restrained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase the chance of injury
and/or the severity of injury in accidents.
Child. Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child
until the child becomes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle's seat belts. See ºChild restraintº on page 102 for
details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child should
sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the vehicle's
seat belt. According to accident statistics, the child is safer
when properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the seat belts should be worn
properly. Do not let the child sit on your lap. It does not provide
sufficient restraint. If an accident occurs and the seat belts are
not worn properly, the force of the rapid inflation of the airbag
may cause severe injury to the child.
Do not allow the child to stand up or kneel on either rear or front
seats. An unrestrained child could suffer serious injury or
death during emergency braking or a collision.
Pregnant woman. Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt.
Ask your doctor for specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as possible over the hips
and not on the waist.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
82Injured person. Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt.
Depending on the injury, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
CAUTION
Persons should ride in their seats properly wearing
their seat belts whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely to suffer serious
bodily injury or death in the event of sudden braking or
a collision.
When using the seat belts, observe the following:

Use the belt for only one person at a time. Do not use
a single belt for two or more people ± even children.
 Avoid reclining the seatbacks too much. The seat
belts provide maximum protection when the
seatbacks are in the upright position. (See
ºAdjusting seatback angleº on page 72.)
 Be careful not to damage the belt webbing or
hardware. Take care that they do not get caught or
pinched in the seat or doors.
 Inspect the belt system periodically. Check for cuts,
fraying, and loose parts. Damaged parts should be
replaced. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Keep the belts clean and dry. If they need cleaning,
use a mild soap solution or lukewarm water. Never
use bleach, dye, or abrasive cleaners ± they may
severely weaken the belts. (See ºCleaning the
interiorº on page 282 for instructions.)
 Replace the belt assembly (including bolts) if it has
been used in a severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage is not obvious.
Fastening front and rear seat belts
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Adjust the seat as needed and sit up straight and well back
in the seat. To fasten your belt, pull it out of the retractor
and insert the tab into the buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks into the buckle.
The seat belt length automatically adjusts to your size and the
seat position.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
83
The retractor will lock the belt during a sudden stop or on
impact. It also may lock if you lean forward too quickly. A slow,
easy motion will allow the belt to extend, and you can move
around freely.
When a passenger's shoulder belt is completely extended and
is then retracted even slightly, the belt is locked in that position
and cannot be extended. This feature is used to hold the child
restraint system securely.
(For details, see ºChild restraintº on
page 102.) To free the belt again, fully retract the belt and then
pull the belt out once more.
If the seat belt cannot be pulled out of the retractor, firmly pull
the belt and release it. You will then be able to smoothly pull
the belt out of the retractor.
CAUTION
 After inserting the tab, make sure the tab and buckle
are locked and that the belt is not twisted.
 Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in the buckle as this
may prevent you from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
 If the seat belt does not function normally,
immediately contact your Lexus dealer. Do not use
the seat until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot protect
an adult occupant or your child from injury.
SV16014
Adjust the position of the lap and shoulder belts.
1
Position the lap belt as low as possible on your hips ± not
on your waist.
2 Adjust it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder portion
upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION
Both high±positioned lap belts and loose±fitting
belts could cause serious injuries due to sliding
under the lap belt during a collision or other
unintended result. Keep the lap belt positioned as
low on hips as possible.
 For your safety, do not place the shoulder belt under
your arm.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
86
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure the tab and buckle
are locked and that the belt is not twisted.
 Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in the buckle as this
may prevent you from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
 If the seat belt does not function normally,
immediately contact your Lexus dealer. Do not use
the seat until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot protect
an adult occupant or your child from injury.
Front seat belt pretensioners
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The driver and front passenger's seat belt pretensioners
are designed to be activated in response to a severe
frontal impact.
When the airbag sensor detects the shock of a severe frontal
impact, the front seat belts are quickly drawn back by the
retractor so that the belts snugly restrain the front seat
occupants.
The front seat belt pretensioners are activated even with no
passenger in the front seat.
Collisions occurring at certain speeds and angles may cause
the seat belt pretensioners and SRS airbags not to operate all
together.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
95
When the SRS operates, it produces a fairly loud noise and
release some smoke and residue along with non±toxic gas.
This does not indicate a fire. This gas is normally harmless;
however, for those who have delicate skin, it may cause a
minor skin irritation. Be sure to wash off any residue as soon
as possible to prevent any potential skin irritation.
Deployment of the airbags happens in a fraction of a second,
so the airbags must inflate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious injuries, it may also
cause minor burns or abrasions and swelling.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, dashboard,
front seats) may be hot for several minutes, but the airbags
themselves
will not be hot. The airbags are designed to inflate
only once.
A crash severe enough to inflate the driver and front passenger
airbags may break the windshield as the vehicle buckles. In
vehicles with a front passenger airbag, the windshield may
also be damaged by absorbing some of the force of the
inflating airbag.
CAUTION
 The SRS airbag system is designed only as a
supplement to the primary protection of the driver
side and front passenger side seat belt systems. The
front seat occupants can be killed or seriously
injured by the inflating airbags if they do not wear the
available seat belts properly. During sudden braking
just before a co llision, an unrestrained driver or front
passenger can move forward into direct contact with
or close proximity to the airbag which may then
deploy during the collision. To ensure maximum
protection in an accident, the driver and all
passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts
properly. Wearing a seat belt during an accident
reduces the chances of death or serious injury or
being thrown out of the vehicle. For instructions and
precautions concerning the seat belt system, see
ºSeat beltsº on page 81.
 Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and
children can be killed or seriously injured by the
deploying air bags. An infant or child who is too small
to use a seat belt should be properly secured using
a child restraint system. Lexus strongly
recommends that all infants and children be placed
in the rear seat of the vehicle and properly restrained.
The rear seat is the safest for infants and children.
For instructions concerning the installation of a child
restraint system, see ºChild restraintº on page 102 .

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
96
SV16023
Never put a rear±facing child restraint system on the
front passenger seat because the force of the rapid
inflation of the front passenger airbag can cause
death or serious injury to the child.
SV16053

Move seat fully back
A forward±facing child restraint system should be
allowed to be put on the front seat only when it is
unavoidable. Always move the seat as far back as
possible, because the force of a deploying airbag
could cause death or serious injury to the child. Do
not allow the child to lean against the front door or
around the front door even if the child is seated in a
child restraint system. It is dangerous if the side
airbag inflates, and the impact could cause death or
serious injury to the child.
 For instructions concerning the installation of a child
restraint system, see ºChild restraintº on page 102.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
98
SS16056a
Do not allow a child to stand up, or to kneel on the
front passenger seat. The airbag inflates with
considerable speed and force; the child may be killed
or seriously injured.
 Do not hold a child on your lap or in your arms. Use
a child restraint system in the rear seat. For
instructions concerning the installation of a child
restraint system, see ºChild restraintº on page 102.
SV16065
Do not put objects or your pets on or in front of the
dashboard or steering wheel pad that houses the
driver and front passenger airbag system. They
might restrict inflation or cause death or serious
injury as they are projected rearward by the force of
the deploying airbags. Likewise, the driver and front
passenger should not hold things in their arms or on
their knees.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
102
CHILD RESTRAINT
Child restraint precautions
Lexus strongly urges the use of child restraint systems for
children small enough to use them.
The laws of all fifty states in the U.S.A. and Canada now
require the use of a child restraint system.
Your vehicle conforms to SAE J1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child should
sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the vehicle's
seat belt. See ºSeat beltsº on page 81 for details.
CAUTION
 For effective protection in automobile accidents and
sudden stops, child must be properly restrained
using a seat belt or child restraint depending on age
and size. Holding a child in your arms is not a
substitute for a child restraint system. In an accident,
the child can be crushed against the windshield, or
between you and the vehicle's interior if you are
unrestrained.
 Lexus strongly urges use of a proper child restraint
which conforms to the size of the child and is put on
the rear seat. According to accident statistics, the
child is safer when properly restrained in the rear
seat than in the front seat.
Never put a rear±facing child restraint system on the
front seat. In the event of an accident, the force of the
rapid inflation of the airbag can cause death or
serious injury if a rear±facing child restraint system
is put on the front seat.
 Unless it is unavoidable, do not put a forward±facing
child restraint system on the front seat.
 A forward±facing child restraint system should be
allowed to be put on the front seat only when it is
unavoidable. Always move the seat as far back as
possible, because the force of the deploying airbag
could cause death or serious injury to the child.
 Make sure you have complied with all installation
instructions provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and that the system is properly
secured. Do not allow the child to lean over the front
door or around the front door even if the child is
seated in a child restraint system. It is dangerous if
the side airbag inflates, and the impact could cause
death or serious injury to the child.