OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
125
SEATS
While the vehicle is being driven, all vehicle occupants should
have the seatback upright, sit well back in the seat and properly
wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the occupants are
properly seated. Do not allow any passengers to sit
in the luggage compartment or cargo area. Persons
not properly seated and/or not properly restrained by
seat belts can be severely injured in the event of
emergency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow any passengers to stand
up or move around between seats. Otherwise, severe
injuries can occur in the event of emergency braking
or a collision.
FRONT SEATS
Front seat precautions
Driver seat
CAUTION
The SRS driver airbag deploys with considerable force,
and can cause death or serious injury especially if the
driver is very close to the airbag. The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (ªNHTSAº) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag is the first 50 Ð 75
mm (2 Ð 3 in.) of inflation, placing yourself 250 mm (10
in.) from your driver airbag provides you with a clear
margin of safety. This distance is measured from the
center of the steering wheel to your breastbone. If you
sit less than 250 mm (10 in.) away now, you can change
your driving position in several ways:
Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still
reaching the pedals comfortably.
Slightly recline the back of the seat. Although vehicle
designs vary, many drivers can achieve the 250 mm
(10 in.) distance, even with the driver seat all the way
forward, simply by reclining the back of the seat
somewhat. If reclining the back of your seat makes
it hard to see the road, raise yourself by using a firm,
non±slippery cushion, or raise the seat if your vehicle
has that feature.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
126
If your steering wheel is adjustable, tilt it downward.
This points the airbag toward your chest instead of
your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by
NHTSA above, while still maintaining control of the foot
pedals, steering wheel, and your view of the instrument
panel controls.
Front passenger seat
CAUTION
The SRS front passenger airbag also deploys with
considerable force, and can cause death or serious
injury especially if the front passenger is very close to
the airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far
from the airbag as possible with the seatback adjusted,
so the front passenger sits upright.
Front seats (with SRS side airbags)
CAUTION
The SRS side airbags are installed in the driver and front
passenger seats. Observe the following precautions.
Do not lean against the front door when the vehicle
is in use, since the side airbag inflates with
considerable speed and force. Otherwise, you may
be killed or seriously injured.
Do not use seat accessories which cover the area
where the side airbags inflate. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from activating correctly,
causing death or serious injury.
Do not modify or replace the seats or upholstery of
the seats equipped with side airbags. Such changes
may prevent the side airbag system from activating
correctly, disable the system or cause the side
airbags to inflate accidentally, resulting in death or
serious injury.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
151
SEAT BELTS
Seat belt precautions
Lexus strongly urges that the driver and passengers in the
vehicle be properly restrained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase the chance of injury
and/or the severity of injury in accidents.
The seat belts provided for your vehicle are designed for
people of adult size, large enough to properly wear them.
Child. Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child
until the child becomes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle's seat belts. See ªChild restraintº on page 200 for
details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child should
sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the vehicle's
seat belt. According to accident statistics, the child is safer
when properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the seat belts should be worn
properly. If an accident occurs and the seat belts are not worn
properly, the force of the rapid inflation of the airbag may cause
death or serious injury to the child.
Do not allow any children to stand up or kneel on either rear or
front seats. An unrestrained child could suffer serious injury or
death during emergency braking or a collision. Also, do not let
the child sit on your lap. Holding a child in your arms does not
provide sufficient restraint. Pregnant woman.
Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt.
Ask your doctor for specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as possible over the hips
and not on the waist.
Injured person. Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt.
Depending on the injury, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
CAUTION
Persons should ride in their seats properly wearing
their seat belts whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely to suffer serious
bodily injury or death in the event of sudden braking or
a collision.
When using the seat belts, observe the following:
Use the belt for only one person at a time. Do not use
a single belt for two or more people Ð even children.
Avoid reclining the seatback any more than needed.
The seat belts provide maximum protection in a
frontal or rear collision when the driver and the front
passenger are sitting up straight and well back in the
seats. If you are reclined, the lap belt may slide past
your hips and apply restraint forces directly to the
abdomen or your neck may contact the shoulder belt.
In the event of a frontal collision, the more the seat is
reclined, the greater the risk of death or personal
injury.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
152
Be careful not to damage the belt webbing or
hardware. Take care that they do not get caught or
pinched in the seat or doors.
Inspect the belt system periodically. Check for cuts,
fraying, and loose parts. Damaged parts should be
replaced. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Keep the belts clean and dry. If they need cleaning,
use a mild soap solution or lukewarm water. Never
use bleach, dye, or abrasive cleaners, or allow them
to come into contact with the belt Ð they may
severely weaken the belts. (See ªCleaning the
interiorº on page 633 for instructions.)
Replace the belt assembly (including bolts) if it has
been used in a severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage is not obvious.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
164
Do not place luggage heavier than specified on the
roof luggage carrier. Such luggage may cause the
curtain shield airbags and seat belt pretensioners to
inflate accidentally, which could result in death or
serious injury. For details, see ªRoof luggage
carrierº on page 120.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following changes without
consulting your Lexus dealer. Such changes caninterfere with proper operation of the seat beltpretensioners in some cases.
Installation of electronic devices such as a mobiletwo±way radio, cassette tape player or CD player
Repairs on or near the front seat belt retractorassemblies
Modification of the suspension system
Modification of the front end structure
Attachment of a grille guard (bull bar, kangaroo bar,etc.), snowplow, winches or any other equipment tothe front end
Repairs made on or near the front fenders, the frontend structure and console
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
171
Deployment of the airbags happens in a fraction of a second,
so the airbags must inflate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious injuries, primarily to the
head and chest, it may also cause other, less severe injuries
to the face, chest, arms and hands. These are usually in the
nature of minor burns or abrasions and swelling, but the force
of a deploying airbag can cause more serious injuries,
especially if an occupant's hands, arms, chest or head are in
close
proximity to the airbag module at the time of deployment.
This is why it is important for the occupant to: avoid placing any
object or part of the body between the occupant and the airbag
module; sit straight and well back into the seat; wear the
available seat belt properly; and sit as far as possible from the
airbag module, while still maintaining control of the vehicle.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, airbag cover
and inflator) may be hot for several minutes after deployment,
so do not touch! The airbags inflate only once. The windshield
may be damaged by absorbing some of the force of the
inflating airbag.
CAUTION
The driver or front passenger who is too close to the
steering wheel or dashboard during airbag deployment
can be killed or seriously injured. Lexus strongly
recommends that:
The driver sit as far back as possible from the
steering wheel while still maintaining control of the
vehicle.
The front passenger sit as far back as possible from
the dashboard.
All vehicle occupants be properly restrained using
the available seat belts.
For instructions and precautions concerning the
seating position, see ªFront seat precautionsº on page
125.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
185
CAUTION
SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags inflate with
considerable force. To reduce the possibility of death
or serious injury when they inflate, the driver, front
passenger and rear outboard passengers must:
Wear their seat belts properly.
Remain properly seated with their backs upright and
against the seats at all times.
Do not allow anyone to lean against the door when
the vehicle is in use, since the side airbag and curtain
shield airbag could inflate with considerable speed
and force. Otherwise, he/she may be killed or
seriously injured. Special care should be taken
especially when you have a small child in the vehicle.
Sit up straight and well back in the seat, distributing
your weight evenly in the seat. Do not apply
excessive weight to the outer side of the seats with a
side airbag and to the front pillar, rear pillar and roof
side rail with a curtain shield airbag.
Improper sitting and wearing of the seat belts may
not retain you inside the vehicle.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
186
Make sure the ªRSCA OFFº indicator light is off. The
curtain shield airbags will not inflate in a vehicle
rollover if this indicator light is on and you may be
killed or seriously injured. For details, see ªRoll
sensing of curtain shield airbags off switchº on page
199. Do not allow anyone to get his/her head closer to the
area where the side airbag and curtain shield airbag
inflate, since these airbags could inflate with
considerable speed and force. Otherwise, he/she
may be killed or seriously injured. Special care
should be taken especially when you have a small
child in the vehicle.
Do not allow anyone to kneel on the passenger seat,
facing the passenger's side door, since the side
airbag and curtain shield airbag could inflate with
considerable speed and force. Otherwise, he/she
may be killed or seriously injured. Special care
should be taken especially when you have a small
child in the vehicle.