Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a
comfortable, upright position,
leaving ample space between your
chest and the airbag cover in the
center of the steering wheel.
Passengers with adjustable seat-
backs should also adjust their seat-
back to a comfo rtable, upright
position.
If
you sit too close to the steering
wheel or dashboard, you can be
seriously injured by an inflating front
ai rbag, or by striking the steering
wheel or dashboard.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that drivers
allow at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the center of the steering
wheel and the chest. In addition to
adjusting the seat, you can adjust the
steering wheel up and down, and in
and out (see page ).
If you cannot get far enough away
from the steering wheel and still
reach the controls, we recommend
that you investigate whether some
type of adaptive equipment may help. Afterthefrontpassenger’sseatis
adjusted
correctly, rock it back and
forthtomakesureitislockedinto
position.
See page f or how to adjust the
f ront seats.
75
89
Protecting A dults and Teens
Adjust the Seat-Backs
3.
12
Sitting too close to a front
airbag can result in serious
injury or death if the front
airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the
front airbags as possible.
——y
y
(#y
y
µ
If the vehicle seat is too
farforward,orthechild’sheadis
thro wn forward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough force to kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
Whenever possible,
larger children should sit in the back
seat, on a booster seat if needed, and
be properly restrained with a seat
belt (see page for important
info rmation about protecting larger
children).
Front
airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe frontal collision. To do this,
the passenger’s front airbag is quite
large, and it can inflate with enough
force to cause very serious injuries.
According
to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
safer when they are restrained in a
back seat.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ag ed 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat. Some
states have laws restricting where
children may ride.
Children who ride in back are less
likely to be injured by striking
interior vehicle parts during a
collision or hard braking. Also,
children cannot be injured by an
inflating front airbag when they ride
in the back. Even
though your vehicle has an
advanced front airbag system that
automatically turns the passenger’s
front airbag off (see page ),
please f ollow these guidelines:
If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant. 31
48
CONT INUED
Placing a f orward-f acing child seat inthe f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwith passenger’s f ront airbag can behazardous.
Children who have outgrown childseat s are also at risk of being injuredor killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag.
Never put a rear-f acing child seat in the f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag. Small Children
Larger Children
Inf ant s
All Children Should Sit in a Back
Seat The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Poses Serious Risks
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
35
——y
y
(#yy
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
aged 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
If the passenger’s front airbag
inflates in a moderate to severe
frontal collision, the airbag can cause
serious injuries to a child who is
unrestrained, improperly restrained,
sitting too close to the airbag, or out
of position.
A side airbag also poses risks. If any
part of a larger child’s body is in the
path of a deploying side airbag, the
child could receive possibly serious
injuries. Physically,
a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride. If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:
Caref ully read the owner’s manual,
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly and securely positioned.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in f ront,
there are other important f actors you
should consider.
14 48
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting L arger Children
50
——y
y
(#yy
µ
µ
CONT INUED
If , due to damage, your vehicle must
be towed with the f ront wheels on
the ground, do this:
Release the parking brake.
Start the engine.
ShifttoD,thentoN.
Turn of f the engine.
With the f ront wheels on the ground,
it is best to tow the vehicle no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the
speedbelow35mph(55km/h).
Leave the ignition switch in the
ACCESSORY (I) position so the
steering wheel does not lock.
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
Therearetwowaystotowyour
vehicle:
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront) and lif t them
of f the ground. The other two tires
remain on the ground. The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck.
Wheel-lif t Equipment
Flat -bed Equipment
T his is an
acceptable way to tow your
vehicle. This is the best way to trans-
port your vehicle.
Emergency Towing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
237
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine, your vehicle must be
transported with the f ront wheels of f
the ground.
——y
y
(#yy
µ
Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conf orm
to Federal Saf ety Requirements in
addition to these grades. The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
The tires on your vehicle meet all
U.S. Federal Saf ety Requirements.
All tires are also graded f or
treadwear, traction, and temperature
perf ormance according to
Department of Transportation
(DOT) standards. The f ollowing
explains these gradings.
The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-
half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading
T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A Treadwear Traction AA, A, B, C
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
244
——y
y
(#yy
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ µ
µ
µ
µ
µ µ
µ
The tires that came on your vehicle
have a number of markings. Those
you should be aware of are described
below. Rim diameter in inches.
Load index (a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry).
Speed symbol (an
alphabetical code indicating
the maximum speed rating).
Whenever tires are replaced, they
should be replaced with tires of the
same size. The f ollowing is an
exampleof tiresizewithan
explanation of what each component
means.
Tire construction code (R
indicates radial). Aspect ratio (the tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width). Tire width in millimeters. Vehicletype(Pindicates
passenger vehicle). The tire identif ication number (TIN)
is a group of numbers and letters
that look like the f ollowing example
TIN.
This indicates that the tire
meets all requirements of
the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
Manuf acturer’s
identification mark. Tire type code.
Date of manufacture.
Max Press The maximum air pressurethetirecan
hold.
Max Load The maximum load the tire can carry at
maximum air pressure.
P
R DOT
B97RFW6X
2202
S
195
65 15
89
Tire Labeling
Tire Size
T ire Ident if icat ion NumberMaximum T ire Pressure
Maximum T ire L oad
246
DOT B97R FW6X 2202
P195/65 R15 89S
——y
y
(#yy