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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 (“NHTSA”) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag is the first 50 — 75
mm (2 — 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.
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141
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.
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.
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OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
142Front 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 with side airbags. Such change 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.
Seat adjustment precautions
CAUTION
Do not adjust the seat while the vehicle is moving as
the seat may unexpectedly move and cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Be careful that the seat does not hit a passenger,
luggage or the rear seat.
NOTICE
Do not operate the control switch in more than one
dimension at a time. It may cause electrical overload.
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154
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 “Child restraint” on page 198 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.
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CAUTION
When using the seat belt extender, observe the
following precautions. Failure to follow these
instructions could reduce the effectiveness of the seat
belt restraint system in case of an accident, increasing
the chance of personal injury.
Remember that the extender provided for you may
not be safe when used on a different vehicle, for
another person, or at a different seating position than
the one originally intended.
If the seat belt extender has been connected to the
driver’s seat belt buckle without wearing the seat belt
when using the extender in the driver’s seat, the SRS
driver’s airbag system will judge that the driver wears
the seat belt even if not wearing it. In this case, the
driver’s airbag may not activate correctly, causing
death or serious injury in the event of collision. Be
sure to wear the seat belt with the seat belt extender.
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Make sure the “AIRBAG ON” indicator light is
illuminated when using the seat belt extender for the
front passenger seat. If the “AIRBAG OFF” indicator
light is illuminated, disconnect the extender tongue
from the seat belt buckle, then reconnect the seat
belt. Reconnect the seat belt extender after making
sure the “AIRBAG ON” indicator light is illuminated.
If you use the seat belt extender while the “AIRBAG
OFF” indicator light is illuminated, the front
passenger airbag and side airbag on the front
passenger side may not activate correctly, causing
death or serious injury in the event of collision.
Be sure to wear the seat belt without the seat belt
extender if you can fasten the seat belt without the
extender.
Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a
child restraint system on the front or rear passenger
seat. If installing a child restraint system with the
seat belt extender connected to the seat belt, the seat
belt will not securely hold the child restraint system,
which could cause death or serious injury to the child
or other passengers in the event of collision.
To connect the extender to the seat belt, insert the tab into
the seat belt buckle so that the “PRESS” signs on the
buckle release buttons of the extender and the seat belt
are both facing outward as shown.
You will hear a click when the tab locks into the buckle.
When releasing the seat belt, press on the buckle release
button on the extender, not on the seat belt. This helps prevent
damage to the vehicle interior and extender itself.
As far as the seat belt extender on the front passenger side is
concerned, be sure to disconnect the extender from the seat
belt after the above operation in order to activate the front
passenger airbag correctly when getting into the vehicle next
time.
When not in use, remove the extender and store in the vehicle
for future use.
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166The front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner will not activate
if no passenger is detected in the front passenger seat by the
front passenger occupant classification system. However, the
front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner may activate if
luggage is put on the seat, or the seat belt is buckled up
regardless of the presence of an occupant in the seat. (As for
the front passenger occupant classification system, see page
193.)
The seat belt pretensioners and SRS airbags may not operate
together in case of collisions at a certain speeds and angles.
1Front airbag sensors
2Front seat belt pretensioner assemblies
3SRS warning light
4Airbag sensor assembly
5Front passenger occupant classification system
(ECU and sensors)
6Front passenger’s seat belt buckle switch
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167
The front seat belt pretensioner system mainly consists of the
above components, and their locations are shown in the
illustration.
The front seat belt pretensioners are controlled by the airbag
sensor assembly. The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor.
When the front seat belt pretensioners are activated, an
operating
noise may be heard and a small amount of non −toxic
gas may be released. This does not indicate that a fire is
occurring. This gas is normally harmless.
Once the front seat belt pretensioners have been activated, the
seat belt retractors remain locked.
CAUTION
Do not modify, remove, strike or open the seat belt
pretensioner assemblies, airbag sensor or
surrounding area or wiring. Failure to follow these
instruction may prevent the seat belt pretensioners
from activating correctly, cause sudden operation of
the system or disable the system, which could result
in death or serious injury. Consult your Lexus dealer
about any repair and modification.
Do not modify or change the suspension system.
Such changes may cause the curtain shield airbags
to inflate accidentally, which could result in death or
serious injury . Consult your Lexus dealer about any
repair and modification.
Do not use tires or wheels other than the
manufacture’s recommended size. Such a use may
cause the curtain shield airbags and seat belt
pretensioners to inflate accidentally, which could
result in death or serious injury. For details, see
“Checking and replacing tires” on page 585.
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 “Roof luggage
carrier” on page 136.
