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Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn't long enough, see ªSafety Belt
Extenderº at the end of this section.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.
The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones. And you'd be less likely
to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should
go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts
of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there's a sudden stop or crash, or
if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
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Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that is right for you.To move it down, squeeze the release lever and the
shoulder belt guide as shown and move the height
adjuster to the desired position. You can move the
adjuster up just by pushing up on the shoulder belt
guide. After you move the adjuster to where you want it,
try to move it down without squeezing the release lever
to make sure it has locked into position.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the
belt is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be
away from your face and neck, but not falling off
your shoulder.
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The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it's more
likely that the fetus won't be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the right front passenger's
safety belt properly, see ªDriver Positionº earlier
in this section.
The right front passenger's safety belt works the same
way as the driver's safety belt
-- except for two things.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch
plate and keep pulling until you can buckle the belt.
On some vehicles, if you pull the shoulder portion of the
belt out all the way, you will engage the child restraint
locking feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back
all the way and start again.
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Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap
-shoulder
belts. Here's how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across
you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
Page 41 of 346

1-29
On some vehicles, when the shoulder belt is pulled
out all the way, it will lock. If it does, let it go back
all the way and start again. If the belt is not long
enough, see ªSafety Belt Extenderº at the end of this
section. Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.
The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones. And you'd be less likely
to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the
body are best able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there's a sudden stop or a crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
Page 56 of 346
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3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.4. Some vehicles have a child restraint locking feature
on the shoulder belt retractor. You can tell if your
vehicle has this feature by pulling the shoulder belt
all the way out of the retractor. Then, let the belt go
back a few inches, and try to pull the belt out again.
If you can't pull the belt out because it has locked,
it means the retractor has the child restraint
locking feature.
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1-45
If the belt doesn't lock and you can pull the belt out
of the retractor again, it means your vehicle doesn't
have the child restraint locking feature on the
shoulder belt retractor.
If your vehicle has the child restraint locking
feature on the shoulder belt retractor, pull the rest
of the shoulder belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock.To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor while you push down on the
child restraint. If you're using a forward
-facing
child restraint, you may find it helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child restraint as you
tighten the belt.
If your vehicle doesn't have the child restraint
locking feature on the shoulder belt retractor,
tighten the belt by pulling up on the shoulder belt
while you push down on the child restraint. If
you're using a forward
-facing child restraint you
may find it helpful to use your knee to push down
on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
5. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult
or larger child passenger.
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5. Some vehicles have a child restraint locking feature
on the shoulder belt retractor. You can tell if your
vehicle has this feature by pulling the shoulder belt
all the way out of the retractor. Then, let the belt go
back a few inches, and try to pull the belt out again.
If you can't pull the belt out because it has locked, it
means the retractor has the child restraint locking
feature. If the belt doesn't lock and you can pull the
belt out of the retractor again, it means your vehicle
doesn't have the child restraint locking feature on the
shoulder belt retractor.If your vehicle has the child restraint locking
feature on the shoulder belt retractor, pull the rest
of the shoulder belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock.