2003 SUBARU FORESTER belt

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Front seats

Never adjust the seat while driving to avoid
the possibility of loss of vehicle control and of
personal injury. Before adjusting the seat, make sure the
hands and feet of rear seat passengers are
clear of the adjusting mechanism. Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when
theoccupantsitswellbackanduprightinthe
seat. To reduce the risk of sliding under the
seatbelt in a collision, the front seatbacks
should be always used in the upright position
while the vehicle is running. If the front seat-
backs are not used in the upright position in a
collision, the risk of sliding under the lap belt
and of the lap belt sliding up over the abdomen
will increase, and both can result in serious in-
ternal injury or death.
Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat
properly restrained at all times. The SRS airbag
deploys with considerable speed and force and
can injure or even kill children, especially if
they are 12 years of age and under and are not
restrained or improperly restrained. Because
children are lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from deployment is
greater. For that reason, we strongly recom-
mendthatALLchildren(includingthosein
child seats and those that have outgrown child
restraint devices) sit in the REAR seat properly
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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restrained at all times in a child restraint device
or in a seatbelt, whichever is appropriate for the
child

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

Reclining the seatback
Pull the reclining lever up and adjust the seatback to
the desired position. Then release the lever and make
sure the seatback is securely locked into place.
The seatback placed in a reclined position can spring
back upward with force when released. When operat-
ing the reclining lever to return the seatback, hold it
lightly so that it may be raised back gradually.
To prevent the passenger from sliding under
the seatbelt in the event of a collision, always
put the seatback in the upright position while
the vehicle is in motion. Also, do not place ob-
jects such as cushions between the passenger
and the seatback. If you do so, the risk of slid-
ing under the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding
up over the abdomen will increase, and both
can result in serious internal injury or death.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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Seat height adjustment (driver

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

Head restraint adjustment
To raise the head restraint, pull it up.
To lower it, push the head restraint down while press-
ing the release button on the top of the seatback.
The head restraint should be adjusted so that the cen-
ter of the head restraint is closest to the top of the oc-
cupant’s ears.
Never drive the vehicle with the head restraints
removed because they are designed to reduce
the risk of serious neck injury in the event that
the vehicle is struck from the rear.
NOTE
If the seatback is reclined rearward to the same
level as the rear seat cushion with the head re-
straint removed, a wide flat bed is made available.
1. Slide the front seat forward as far as possible.
2. Pull off the head restraint while pressing the re-
lease button.
3. Recline the seatback rearward up to the lowest po-
sition. Remember to reinstall the head restraint when-
ever the seatback is raised back.
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Never drive your car with the seats converted
in a flat bed position. If you do so, occupants
will have a greater chance of being injured even
during simple deceleration, acceleration and
cornering since no firm restraint will be avail-
able for them. Before you lie on the flat bed to take a rest,
read the description “Parking your vehicle” in
Chapter 7 carefully and follow the instructions.
Active head restraint The front seats of your vehicle are equipped with ac-
tive head restraints. They automatically tilt forward
slightly in the event the vehicle is struck from the rear,
decreasing the amount of rearward head movement
and thus reducing the risk of whiplash. For maximum
effectiveness the head restraint should be adjust so
that the center of the head restraint is closest to the top
of the occupant’s ears.
Each active head restraint is effective only
when its height is properly adjusted and the
user sits in the correct position on the seat. Each active head restraint is designed to
work only once. If your vehicle is involved in a
rear-end collision, have an authorized SUBARU
dealer inspect the active head restraints. The active head restraints may not operate in
the event the vehicle experiences only a slight
impact in the rear. The active head restraints may be damaged if
they are pushed hard from behind or subjected
to shock. As a result, they may not function if
the vehicle suffers a rear impact
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seat heater (if equipped)
The seat heater operates when the ignition switch is
either in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
To turn on the seat heater, push the “LO” or “HI” posi-
tion on the switch, as desired, depending on the tem-
perature. Selecting the “HI” position will cause the seat
to heat up quicker.
1)
HI— Rapid heating
2) LO – Normal heating
The indicator located on the switch comes on when
the seat heater is in operation. When the vehicle’s in-
terior is warmed enough or before you leave the vehi-
cle, be sure to turn the switch off.
There is a possibility that people with delicate
skin may suffer slight burns even at low tem-
peratures if he/she uses the seat heater for a
long period of time. When using the heater, al-
ways be sure to warn the persons concerned.
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Do not put anything on the seat which insu-
lates against heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
or similar items. This may cause the seat heater
to overheat.
NOTE Use of the seat heater for a long period of time
while the engine is not running can cause battery discharge. When cleaning the seat, do not use benzine,
paint thinner, or any similar materials.
Rear seats
Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when the
occupant sits well back and upright in the seat.
Do not put cushions or any other materials be-
tween occupants and seatbacks or seat cush-
ions. If you do so, the risk of sliding under the
lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the
abdomen will increase, and both can result in
serious internal injury or death.
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