2005 DODGE NEON SRT belt

Keep the belt low so that it does not come across the
abdomen. That way the strong bones of the hips will take
the force if there is a collision.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is too short, even when fully extended and
when the adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage (if
equipped) is in its lowest position, your dealer can
provide you with a seat belt extender. This extender
should be used only if the existing belt is not long
enough. When it is not required, remove the extender
and store it.
WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in a collision. Only use
when the seat belt is not long enough when it is
worn low and snug, and in the recommended seating
positions. Remove and store the extender when not
needed.
Driver and Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) - Airbags
This vehicle has front airbags for both the driver and
front passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint
systems. The driver’s front airbag is mounted in the
center of the steering wheel. The passenger’s front airbag
is mounted in the instrument panel, above the glove
compartment. The words SRS AIRBAG are embossed on
the airbag covers.
Front Airbag Components
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Airbags inflate in moderate to high speed impacts. Along
with the seat belts, front airbags work with the instru-
ment panel knee bolsters to provide improved protection
for the driver and front passenger. Side airbags also work
with seat belts to improve occupant protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions. If your vehicle is equipped, the
side airbag on the crash side of the vehicle is triggered in
moderate to severe side collisions. In certain types of
collisions, both the front and side airbags may be trig-
gered. But even in collisions where the airbags work, you
need the seat belts to keep you in the right position for
the airbags to protect you properly.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1.Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints (designed for chil-
dren up to 20 lbs (9 kg) and less than one year old) shouldNEVERride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passen-
ger front airbag. An airbag deployment could cause
severe injury or death to infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle’s seat belt (see section on Child Restraint) should
be secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats.
Older children who do not use child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats should ride properly buckled
up in the rear seat. Never allow children to slide the
shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the front
passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move the
seat as far back as possible, and use the proper child
restraint. See the section on Child Restraint.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2.All occupants should wear their lap and shoulder
belts properly.
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3.The driver and front passenger seats should be
moved back as far as practical to allow the front airbags
room to inflate.
4.If your vehicle has side airbags, do not lean against
the door, airbags will inflate forcefully into the space
between you and the door.
WARNING!
•Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work with
your seat belt to restrain you properly. In some
collisions the airbags won’t deploy at all. Always
wear your seat belts even though you have airbags.
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during airbag deployment could cause seri-
ous injury. Airbags need room to inflate. Sit back,
comfortably extending your arms to reach the steer-
ing wheel or instrument panel.
•If the vehicle has side airbags, they also need room
to inflate. Do not lean against the door. Sit upright
in the center of the seat.
Airbag System Components
The front airbag system consists of the following:
•Airbag Control Module (ACM)
•AIRBAG Readiness Light
•Driver Airbag
•Passenger Airbag
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Crash Sensor
•Interconnecting Wiring
•Knee Impact Bolsters
The side airbag system, if equipped, consists of the
following:
•AIRBAG Readiness Light (shared with the front airbag
system)
•Side Airbag in the Driver’s Seat
•Side Airbag in the Passenger’s Seat
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Airbag Light
You will want to have the airbags ready to inflate for your
protection in an impact. While the airbag system is
designed to be maintenance free, if any of the following
occurs, have an authorized dealer service the system
immediately:
•The AIRBAG light does not come on or flickers during
the 6 to 8 seconds when the ignition switch is first
turned on.
•The light remains on or flickers after the 6 to 8 second
interval.
•The light flickers or comes on and remains on while
driving.
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times—babies and children, too. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.Children 12 years and under should ride properly buck-
led up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats, rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny
baby, can become a missile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on your lap
could become so great that you could not hold the
child, no matter how strong you are. The child and
others could be badly injured. Any child riding in
your vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the
child’s size.
Infants And Small Children
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner’s Manual to ensure you have the right seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child:
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year oldandweigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant
carriers and“convertible”child seats. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint anchorage
system.
•The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg).“Convertible”child seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher
weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than
infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) but are
less than one year old.
•Rearward-facing child seats mustNEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
•Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) and who
are older than one year can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible
child seats used in the forward-facing direction are for
children who weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg) and who
are older than one year. These child seats are also held
in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH
child restraint anchorage system.
•The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weigh-
ing more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small
to fit the vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child
cannot sit with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat
cushion while the child’s back is against the seat back;
they should use a Belt Positioning Booster Seat. The
child and booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt. (Some booster seats are equipped
with a front shield and are held in the vehicle by the
lap portion).
NOTE:For additional information refer to
www.seatcheck.org.
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WARNING!
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
•A rearward facing infant restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward facing infant
restraint in the front seat may be struck by a
deploying passenger airbag which may cause se-
vere or fatal injury to the infant.
Here are some tips on getting the most out of your child
restraint:
•Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. We also recommend that you make sure
that you can install the child restraint in the vehicle
where you will use it before you buy it.
•The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
•Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
The passenger seat belts are equipped with cinching latch
plates which are designed to keep the lap portion tight
around the child restraint so that it is not necessary to use
a locking clip. Pulling up on the shoulder portion of the
lap/shoulder belt will tighten the belt. The cinching latch
plate will keep the belt tight, however, any seat belt
system will loosen with time, so check the belt occasion-
ally and pull it tight if necessary.
•In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path
opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt
several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into
the buckle with the release button facing out.
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•If the belt still can’t be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the buckle
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still can’t make the child restraint secure,
try a different seating position.
•Buckle the child into the seat according to the child
restraint manufacturer’s directions.
•When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
collision, it could strike the occupants or seat backs
and cause serious personal injury.
LATCH—L ower Anchors and Tether for CHildren
Your vehicle’s rear seat is equipped with the child
restraint anchorage system called LATCH, which stands
for Lower Anchors and Tether for Children. The LATCH
system provides for the installation of the child restraint
without using the vehicle seat belt. All three rear seating
positions have exclusive lower anchorages. These are
round bars, located at the rear of the seat cushion where
it meets the seat back, and just visible when you lean intothe rear seat to install the child restraint. You will easily
feel them if you run your finger along the intersection of
the surfaces. The lower strap hooks are passed over the
top of each bar, pushing aside the seat cover material.
In addition, there are tether strap anchorages
behind each rear seating position located in the
panel between the rear seat back and the rear
window—under a hinged plastic cover with
this symbol on it. (Shown to the left) In recent years, only
the tether anchorage has been provided in new vehicles.Latch Anchorages
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provide add-on tether strap kits for some of their older
products. Tether anchorage kits are also available for
most older vehicles.
Because the lower anchorages are to be introduced to
passenger carrying vehicles over a period of years, child
restraint systems having attachments for those anchor-
ages will continue to have features for installation in
vehicles using the lap or lap/shoulder belt. They will also
have tether straps, and you are urged to take advantage
of all of the available attachments provided with your
child restraint in any vehicle.
Installing the Child Restraint System
While there are LATCH anchorages at all three rear
seating positions, do not install child restraints at all three
positions at the same time. The anchorages are not
designed to restrain three child restraints at one time.
Instead, you may install one child restraint at the center
position, or two child restraints at the right and left
positions.
WARNING!
Do not install child restraint systems equipped with
LATCH attachments at all three rear seating posi-
tions at one time. The LATCH anchorages are de-
signed to restrain no more than two child restraints
at a time in the event of a collision.
We urge that you carefully follow the directions of the
manufacturer when installing your child restraint. Many,
but not all, restraint systems will be equipped with
separate straps on each side, with each having a hook or
connector and a means for adjusting the tension in the
strap. Forward-facing toddler restraints and some
rearward-facing infant restraints will also be equipped
with a tether strap, a hook and means for adjusting the
tension in the strap.
In general, you will first loosen the adjusters on the lower
straps and tether straps so that you can more easily attach
the hook or connector to the lower anchorages and tether
anchorages. Then tighten all three straps as you push the
child restraint rearward and downward into the seat.
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