Page 19 of 372

See page f or how to adjust seat-
backs.
A f ront passenger should also adjust
the seat-back to an upright position,
but as f ar f rom the dashboard as
possible. A passenger who sits too
close to the dashboard could be
injured if the f ront airbag inf lates.
Reclining a seat-back so that the
shoulder part of the belt no longer
rests against the occupant’s chest
reduces the protective capability of
the belt. It also increases the chance
of sliding under the belt in a crash
and being seriously injured. The
farther a seat-back is reclined, the
greater the risk of injury.
Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a
comf ortable, upright position,
leaving ample space between your
chest and the airbag cover in the
center of the steering wheel. If you
sit too close to the steering wheel,
you could be injured if the f ront
airbag inflates. 97
Adjust the Seat-Backs
3.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety15
Reclining the seat-back too far
can result in serious injury or
death in a crash.
Adjust the seat-back to an
upright position and sit well
back in the seat. 
     
        
        Page 20 of 372
Bef ore driving, make sure everyone
with an adjustable head restraint has
properly positioned the head
restraint. The restraint should be
positioned so the back of the
occupant’s head rests against the
center of the restraint. A taller
person should adjust the restraint as
high as possible.Properly adjusted head restraints
will help protect occupants f rom
whiplash and other crash injuries.
See page f or how to adjust the
head restraints.
99
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Adults
A djust the Head Restraints
4.
16
Improperly positioning head
restraints reduces their
effectiveness and you can be
seriously injured in a crash.
Make sure head restraints are
in place and positioned properly
before driving. 
     
        
        Page 21 of 372

CONT INUED
Position the lap part of the belt as
low as possible across your hips,
then pull up on the shoulder part of
the belt so the lap part f its snugly.
This lets your strong pelvic bones
take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.If necessary, pull up on the belt again
to remove any slack from the
shoulder part, then check that the
belt rests across the center of your
chest and over your shoulder. This
spreads the f orces of a crash over
the strongest bones in your upper
body.
Insert the latch plate into the buckle,
then tug on the belt to make sure the
belt is securely latched. Also check
that the belt is not twisted, because a
twisted belt can cause serious
injuries in a crash.
In the rear center seating position,
be sure the detachable anchor is
latched securely (see page ).
108
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Adults
Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts
5.
17
Improperly positioning the seat
belts can cause serious injury
or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are
properly positioned before
driving. 
     
        
        Page 26 of 372

All passengers
must sit in locked, upright seats
andbeproperlyrestrainedbyseat
belts.
A passenger who is not
wearing a seat belt during a crash
or emergency stop can be thrown
against the inside of the vehicle,
against other occupants, or out of
the vehicle. If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
Devices intended to improve
occupant comf ort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt can
severely compromise the
protective capability of the seat
belt and increase the chance of
serious injury in a crash. Carrying hard or sharp
objects on your lap, or driving with
a pipe or other sharp object in
your mouth, can result in injuries
if your f ront airbag inf lates.
Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Never let passengers ride in t he
cargo area or on t op of a f olded-down back seat .
Passengers should not st and up orchange seats while the vehicle ismoving. T wo people should never use t he
same seat belt .
Do not put any accessories on seatbelts. Do not place hard or sharp object s
bet ween yourself and a f rontairbag.
Do not at t ach or place object s onthe f ront airbag covers.
22 
     
        
        Page 28 of 372

Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many parents and other
adults may not know how to
protect young passengers.(See page
.)
(See page
.)
So if you have children, or if you ever
need to drive with a grandchild or
other children in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section. To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be restrained
whenever they ride in a vehicle. Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of death of children ages 12 and
under.
2942
properly
All Children Must Be Restrained
Anychildwhoistoosmalltoweara seat belt should be properlyrest rained in a child seat .
A larger child should always berest rained wit h a seat belt .
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety24
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt. 
     
        
        Page 32 of 372

Many parents say they pref er to put
an inf ant or small child in the f ront
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires
attention.
Your vehicle has three seating
positions in the back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry more than
three children in your vehicle:
Place the largest child in the f ront
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear a seat belt
properly (see page ).
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see page ).
Have the child sit upright and well
backintheseat(seepage ).
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page ). Using
this f eature will prevent children
f rom playing with the windows,
which could expose them to
hazards or distract the driver (see
page ). Using this f eature will
prevent children f rom opening the
doors and accidentally f alling out
(see page ).
Placing a child in the f ront seat
exposes the child to hazards f rom
the passenger’s f ront airbag, and
paying close attention to a child
distracts the driver f rom the
important tasks of driving, placing
both of you at risk.
If a child requires physical attention
or f requent visual contact, we
strongly recommend that another
adult ride with the child in the back
seat. The back seat is far safer for a
child than the front.
42
1320
17 93
110
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children
If a Child Requires Close
Attention
If You Must Drive with Several
Children Additional Saf ety Precautions
Use t he main power window
swit ch t o prevent children f romopening t he rear windows.
Use childproof door locks t o
prevent children f rom opening t hedoors.
28 
     
        
        Page 33 of 372

CONT INUED
Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. For
example, inf ants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die f rom heatstroke. And
children lef t alone with the key in
the ignition can accidentally set
the vehicle in motion, possibly
injuring themselves or others. The f ollowing pages give general
guidelines f or selecting and installing
child seats f or inf ants and small
children.
Children who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside the
vehicle. Teach your children not to
play in or around vehicles.
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition,
and open the tailgate or hatch
glass, which can lead to accidental
injury or death.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children
Do not leave children alone in your
vehicle. Lock all doors and the tailgate
when your vehicle is not in use.
K eep vehicle keys and remot etransmitters out of the reach ofchildren.General Guidelines f or Using
Child Seats
29 
     
        
        Page 37 of 372

Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
and a good position to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
canbethrownoutof theseatina
crash and be seriously injured.
To provide security during normal
driving maneuvers as well as during
a collision, we recommend that
parents secure a child seat as f irmly
as possible.
When you are not using a child seat,
either remove it and store it in a saf e
place, or make sure it is properly
secured. An unsecured child seat can
be thrown around the vehicle during
a crash or sudden stop and injure
someone.
However, a child seat does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ In some vehicles
or seating positions, it may be
dif f icult to install a child seat so that
it does not move at all. Some side-to-
side or back-and-f orth movement can
be expected and should not reduce
the child seat’s ef f ectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured
in the desired seating position.
All child seats are
designed to be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt. Some child seats
can be secured to the vehicle’s
LATCH anchorage system instead.
A child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash. See pages , and f or instructions on
howtoproperlysecurechildseats
in this vehicle.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure. 483935
Inst alling a Child Seat
Secure t he child in t he child seat .
Storing a Child Seat
Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured.
1.
2. 3.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety33