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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.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt
is too loose. In a crash, you would move
forward too much, which could increase injury.
The shoulder belt should ®t against your body.
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To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides provide added safety
belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for small adults. When attached to a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions the
belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each of the rear outside
passenger positions. Here is how to attach the comfort
guide to the shoulder belt. Your vehicle may have
one or both of the following styles.
Style 1
1. Slide the guide off of its storage clip located
between the interior body and the seatback.
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2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The elastic
cord must be under the belt. Then, place the guide
over the belt and insert the two edges of the
belt into the slots of the guide.3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies ¯at.
The elastic cord must be under the belt and the
guide on top.
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4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described inRear Seat Passengers on page 1-21.
Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the
shoulder.To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the
belt edges together so that you can take them out of the
guides. Slide the guide back on its storage clip located
between the interior body and the seatback.
Style 2
1. An elastic cord with a hook end is located in a
pocket on the side of the seatback. Remove the
guide from its pocket.
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2. Align the sliding comfort guide, located on the
shoulder belt, with the hook. Attach the hook to
the loop on the sliding comfort guide.3. Adjust the cord length so that the belt is between
the shoulder and neck.
3.1. Squeeze and hold the ends of the lock (A)
on the elastic cord.
3.2. Pull the loop to shorten the guide or pull the
cord to lengthen the guide.
3.3. Release the lock.
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4. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies ¯at.
The elastic cord must be under the belt and the
guide on top.5. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described in
Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-21.
Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the
shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guides, remove the
hook from the loop. Slide the guide back into its storage
pocket located on the side of the seatback.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn't long enough to fasten, your
dealer will order you an extender. It's free. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so
the extender will be long enough for you. The extender
will be just for you, and just for the seat in your
vehicle that you choose. Don't let someone else use it,
and use it only for the seat it is made to ®t. To wear
it, just attach it to the regular safety belt.
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Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle's safety belts.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt
should ®t snugly below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. It should never be worn over
the abdomen, which could cause severe or even
fatal internal injuries in a crash.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
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{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt.
The belt can't properly spread the impact
forces. In a crash, the two children can be
crushed together and seriously injured. A belt
must be used by only one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt
is very close to the child's face or neck?
A:If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window,
move the child toward the center of the vehicle.
If the child is sitting in the center rear seat
passenger position, move the child toward the
safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that the
shoulder belt still is on the child's shoulder, so
that in a crash the child's upper body would have
the restraint the belts provide.
If the child is sitting in a rear seat outside position,
see
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults on page 1-24
.
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