Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Power Seat...................................................1-3
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-5
Seatback Latches...........................................1-6
Rear Seats.......................................................1-7
Rear Seat Operation.......................................1-7
Bench Seat..................................................1-11
Bucket Seats...............................................1-12
Safety Belts...................................................1-13
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-13
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-17
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-18
Driver Position..............................................1-19
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-26
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-27
Center Passenger Position.............................1-27
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-29
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults.......................................1-32
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-34
Child Restraints.............................................1-35
Older Children..............................................1-35
Infants and Young Children............................1-38
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-44Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-47
Top Strap....................................................1-48
Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-50
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-52
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System.........................................1-54
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position............................................1-54
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat
Position...................................................1-57
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position............................................1-58
Air Bag System..............................................1-62
Where Are the Air Bags?
...............................1-64
When Should an Air Bag Inflate?
....................1-65
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?
.....................1-65
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?
.....................1-66
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates?
.......1-66
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
.........1-67
Adding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle
................................1-68
Restraint System Check
..................................1-68
Checking Your Restraint Systems
...................1-68
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash
...................................................1-69
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
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Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear it
properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see“Front Seats”in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn’t long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-34.
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.
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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.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-34.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so that 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.
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CAUTION: (Continued)
will become so heavy it is not possible to hold
it. For example, in a crash at only 25 mph
(40 km/h), a 12-lb. (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly
become a 240-lb. (110 kg) force on a person’s
arms. A baby should be secured in an
appropriate restraint.
{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer outstanding protection for adults
and older children, but not for young children
and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt
system nor its air bag system is designed for
them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can
provide.
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Q:What are the different types of add-on child
restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by
the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic
types. Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight,
height and age but also whether or not the restraint
will be compatible with the motor vehicle in
which it will be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This
is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck
is weak and its head weighs so much
compared with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the
restraint, so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants
always should be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
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{CAUTION:
The body structure of a young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child’s
hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not remain lowon the
hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle
up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the
belt would apply force on a body area that’s
unprotected by any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
Cargo Vans
{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer outstanding protection for adults and
older children, but not for young children and
infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system
nor its air bag system is designed for them.
Young children and infants need the protection
that a child restraint system can provide.
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{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This
is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck
is weak and its head weighs so much
compared with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the
restraint, so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants
always should be restrained in appropriate
infant restraints. However, infants, who should
be restrained in a rear-facing child restraint,
cannot ride safely in this vehicle.
{CAUTION:
The body structure of a young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child’s
hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not remain lowon the
hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle
up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the
belt would apply force on a body area that’s
unprotected by any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
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Q:Howdo child restraints work?
A:A child restraint system is any device designed for
use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position
children. A built-in child restraint system is a
permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add-on
child restraint system is a portable one, which
is purchased by the vehicle’s owner.
For many years, add-on child restraints have used
the adult belt system in the vehicle. To help
reduce the chance of injury, the child also has to be
secured within the restraint. The vehicle’s belt
system secures the add-on child restraint in the
vehicle, and the add-on child restraint’s harness
system holds the child in place within the restraint.
One system, the three-point harness, has straps that
come down over each of the infant’s shoulders and
buckle together at the crotch. Thefive-point harness
system has two shoulder straps, two hip straps and a
crotch strap. A shield may take the place of hipstraps. A T-shaped shield has shoulder straps that
are attached to aflat pad which rests low against the
child’s body. A shelf- or armrest-type shield has
straps that are attached to a wide, shelf-like shield
that swings up or to the side.
When choosing a child restraint, be sure the child
restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle. If it is, it
will have a label saying that it meets federal motor
vehicle safety standards.
Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or in a
booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system in
your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured
within the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal
injury. When securing an add-on child restraint, refer
to the instructions that come with the restraint which may
be on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both, and
to this manual. The child restraint instructions are
important, so if they are not available, obtain a
replacement copy from the manufacturer.
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