2002 NISSAN ALTIMA belt

seat belt assemblies in use during a
collision be replaced unless the col-
lision was minor and the belts show
no damage and continue to operate
properly. Seat belt assemblies not in
use during a collision should also be
inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is
noted.
cAll child restraints and attaching
hardware should be inspected after
any collision. Always follow the re-
straint manufacturer's inspection in-
structions and replacement recom-
mendations. The child restraints
should be replaced if they are dam-
aged.
CHILD SAFETY
Children need adults to help protect
them. They need to be properly re-
strained.
The proper restraint depends on the child's
size. Generally, infants up to about 1 year
and less than 20 pounds, (9 kg) should be
placed in rear facing child restraints. Forward
facing child restraints are available for chil-
dren who outgrow rear facing child restraints.
WARNING
Infants and children need special pro-
tection. The vehicle's seat belts may
not fit them properly. The shoulder belt
may come too close to the face or neck.
The lap belt may not fit over their small
hip bones. In an accident, an improp-
erly fitting seat belt could cause seri-
ous or fatal injury. Always use appro-
priate child restraints.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or
territories require the use of approved child
restraints for infants and small children. See
``Child Restraints'' later in this section.
In addition, there are many types of child
restraints available for larger children which
should be used for maximum protection.
NISSAN recommends that all pre-teens
and children be restrained in the rear
seat if possible. According to accident
statistics, children are safer when prop-
erly restrained in the rear seat than in the
front seat. This is especially important
because your vehicle has a supplemen-
tal restraint system (Air bag system) for
the front passenger. See ``Supplemental
restraint system'' earlier in this section.Infants and small children
NISSAN recommends that infants and small
children be placed in child restraints that
comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards. You should choose a
child restraint that fits your vehicle and
always follow the manufacturer's instruc-
tions for installation and use.
Larger children
Children who are too large for child re-
straints should be seated and restrained by
the seat belts which are provided.
If the child's seating position has a shoulder
belt that fits close to the face or neck, the
use of a booster seat (commercially avail-
able) may help overcome this. The booster
seat should raise the child so that the shoul-
der belt is properly positioned across the
top, middle portion of the shoulder and the
lap belt is low on the hips. The booster seat
should fit the vehicle seat and have a label
certifying that it complies with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards or Canadian Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standards. Once the
child has grown so the shoulder belt is no
longer on or near the face and neck, use the
shoulder belt without the booster seat.
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WARNING
Never let a child stand or kneel on any
seat and do not allow a child in the
cargo areas while the vehicle is mov-
ing. The child could be seriously in-
jured or killed in an accident.
PREGNANT WOMEN
NISSAN recommends that pregnant women
use seat belts. The seat belt should be worn
snug, and always position the lap belt as
low as possible around the hips, not the
waist. Place the shoulder belt over your
shoulder and across your chest. Never run
the lap/shoulder belt over your abdominal
area. Contact your doctor for specific rec-
ommendations.
INJURED PERSONS
NISSAN recommends that injured persons
use seat belts. Check with your doctor for
specific recommendations.
THREE-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WITH RETRACTOR
WARNING
cEvery person who drives or rides in
this vehicle should use a seat belt at
all times.cDo not ride in a moving vehicle when
the seatback is reclined. This can be
dangerous. The shoulder belt will
not be against your body. In an acci-
dent you could be thrown into it and
receive neck or other serious inju-
ries. You could also slide under the
lap belt and receive serious internal
injuries.
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cFor most effective protection when
the vehicle is in motion, the seat
should be upright. Always sit well
back in the seat and adjust the seat
properly. See ªPrecautions on seat
belt usageº earlier in this section.
Fastening the seat belts
1. Adjust the seat.
2. Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retrac-
tor and insert the tongue into the buckle
until you hear and feel the latch engage.
The retractor is designed to lock during
a sudden stop or on impact. A slow
pulling motion permits the seat belt to
move, and allows you some freedom of
movement in the seat.3. Position the lap belt portionlow and
snug on the hipsas shown.
4. Pull the shoulder belt portion toward the
retractor to take up extra slack.
The front passenger seat belt and the rear
three-point seat belts have a cinching
mechanism for child restraint installation. It
is referred to as the automatic locking
mode.
When automatic locking mode is activated
the seat belt cannot be withdrawn further
until the seat belt tongue is detached from
the buckle and fully retracted. Once re-
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tracted, the seat belt is in the emergency
locking mode. See ``Child Restraints'' later
in this section for more information.
The automatic locking mode should be
used only for child restraint installation.
During normal seat belt use by a passen-
ger, the locking mode should not be
activated. If it is activated it may cause
uncomfortable seat belt tension.
Unfastening the seat belts
To unfasten the seat belt, press the button
on the buckle. The seat belt automatically
retracts.
Checking seat belt operation
Seat belt retractors are designed to lock
seat belt movement using two separate
methods:
1) When the seat belt is pulled quickly from
the retractor.
2) When the vehicle slows down rapidly.
To increase your confidence in the seat
belts, check their operation as follows.
cGrasp the shoulder belt and pull quickly
forward. The retractor should lock and
restrict further belt movement.
If the retractor does not lock during this
check or if you have any questions about
belt operation, see an authorized NISSAN
dealer.
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Shoulder belt height adjustment
(For front seats)
The shoulder belt anchor height should be
adjusted to the position best for you. (See
``Precautions on seat belt usage'' earlier in
this section.) To adjust, push the adjustment
button and move the shoulder belt anchor to
the desired position, so the belt passes over
the center of the shoulder. The belt should
be away from your face and neck, but not
falling off of your shoulder. Release the
adjustment button to lock the shoulder belt
anchor into position.
WARNING
cAfter adjustment, release the adjust-
ment button and try to move the
shoulder belt anchor up and down to
make sure it is securely fixed in
position.
cThe shoulder belt anchor height
should be adjusted to the position
best for you. Failure to do so may
reduce the effectiveness of the en-
tire restraint system and increase
the chance or severity of injury in an
accident.
Center of rear seat
Selecting correct set of seat belts:
The center seat belt buckle is identified by
the CENTER mark. The center seat belt
tongue can be fastenedonlyinto the center
seat belt buckle.
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SEAT BELT EXTENDERS
If, because of body size or driving position, it
is not possible to properly fit the lap-shoulder
belt and fasten it, an extender is available
which is compatible with the installed seat
belts. The extender adds approximately 8
inches (200 mm) of length and may be used
for either the driver or front passenger seat-
ing position. See your NISSAN dealer for
assistance if an extender is required.
WARNING
cOnly NISSAN seat belt extenders,
made by the same company which
made the original equipment seat
belts, should be used with NISSAN
seat belts.
cAdults and children who can use the
standard seat belt should not use an
extender. Such unnecessary use
could result in serious personal in-
jury in the event of an accident.
Never use seat belt extenders to in-
stall child restraints. If the child re-
straint is not secured properly, the
child could be seriously injured in a
collision or a sudden stop.
SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
cTo clean the seat belt webbings,apply
a mild soap solution or any solution rec-
ommended for cleaning upholstery or
carpet. Then wipe with a cloth and allow
the seat belts to dry in the shade. Do not
allow the seat belts to retract until they
are completely dry.
cIf dirt builds up on the shoulder belt
guideof the seat belt anchors, the seat
belts may retract slowly. Wipe the shoul-
der belt guide with a clean, dry cloth.
cPeriodically check to see that the seat
belt and the metal components,such
as buckles, tongues, retractors, flexible
wires and anchors, work properly. If
loose parts, deterioration, cuts or other
damage on the webbing is found, the
entire seat belt assembly should be re-
placed.
PRECAUTIONS ON CHILD
RESTRAINTS
WARNING
cInfants and small children should
always be placed in an appropriate
child restraint while riding in the ve-
hicle. Failure to use a child restraint
can result in serious injury or death.
cInfants and small children should
never be carried on your lap. It is not
possible for even the strongest adult
to resist the forces of a severe
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accident. The child could be crushed
between the adult and parts of the
vehicle. Also, do not put the same
seat belt around both your child and
yourself.
cNever install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front seat. An inflating
supplemental front air bag could se-
riously injure or kill your child. A
rear-facing child restraint must only
be used in the rear seat.
cNISSAN recommends that the child
restraint be installed in the rear seat.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly re-
strained in the rear seat than in the
front seat.
cAn improperly installed child re-
straint could lead to serious injury or
death in an accident.
In general, child restraints are designed to
be installed with a lap belt or the lap portion
of a three-point type seat belt. In addition,
this vehicle is equipped with a universal
child restraint lower anchor system, referred
to as the LATCH (Lower Anchors andTether for Children) system. Some child
restraints include two rigid or webbing-
mounted attachments that can be con-
nected to these lower anchors. For details,
see the ``LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tether for Children) system'' later in this
section.
Child restraints for infants and children of
various sizes are offered by several manu-
facturers. When selecting any child re-
straint, keep the following points in mind:
1) Choose only a restraint with a label cer-
tifying that it complies with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or Cana-
dian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
2) Check the child restraint in your vehicle
to be sure it is compatible with the vehi-
cle's seat and seat belt system.
3) If the child restraint is compatible with
your vehicle, place your child in the child
restraint and check the various adjust-
ments to be sure the child restraint is
compatible with your child. Always follow
all recommended procedures.
All U.S. states and provinces of Canada
require that infants and small children be
restrained in approved child restraints atall times while the vehicle is being
operated.
WARNING
cImproper use of a child restraint can
result in increased injuries for both
the infant or child and other occu-
pants in the vehicle.
cFollow all of the child restraint manu-
facturer's instructions for installa-
tion and use. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure to select one
which will fit your child and vehicle.
It may not be possible to properly
install some types of child restraints
in your vehicle.
cIf the child restraint is not anchored
properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision or a sudden
stop greatly increases.
cAdjustable seatbacks should be po-
sitioned to fit the child restraint, but
as upright as possible.
cAfter attaching the child restraint,
test it before you place the child in it.
Tilt it from side to side. Try to tug it
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forward and check to see if the belt
holds the restraint in place. If the
restraint is not secure, tighten the
belt as necessary, or put the re-
straint in another seat and test it
again.
c
For a front-facing child restraint, if
the seat position where it is installed
has a three-point type lap/shoulder
belt, check to make sure the shoulder
belt does not go in front of the child's
face or neck. If it does, put the shoul-
der belt behind the child restraint. If
you must install a front-facing child
restraint in the front seat, see ``Instal-
lation on front passenger seat'' later
in this section for details.
cWhen your child restraint is not in
use, keep it secured with a seat belt
to prevent it from being thrown
around in case of a sudden stop or
accident.
CAUTION
Remember that a child restraint left in a
closed vehicle can become very hot.
Check the seating surface and buckles
before placing your child in the child
restraint.INSTALLATION ON REAR SEAT
CENTER OR OUTBOARD POSI-
TIONS
WARNING
cThe three-point belt in your vehicle
is equipped with a locking mode re-
tractor which must be used when
installing a child restraint.
cFailure to use the retractor's locking
mode will result in the child restraint
not being properly secured. The re-
straint could tip over or otherwise be
unsecured and cause injury to the
child in a sudden stop or collision.
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