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Reclining Seatbacks
Use the vertical switch on the outboard side of the seat
cushion to recline the seatbacks.
Press the top of the switch forward or rearward to recline
or raise the seatback to the desired position. See
Power
Seats on page 1-2.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash, you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a
crash, the belt could go up over your
abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not
at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
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Head Restraints
The head restraints on
both the front and rear
seats are adjustable.
Press the button at the base of the head restraint to
lower it. Pull up on the restraint to raise it.
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
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Seatback Latches
The front seats in your vehicle have an easy entry
feature.
For easy entry/exit to the rear seats, do the following:
1. Lift the lever located on
the outboard side of
the seat, near the top,
to tilt the seatback
forward.2. Press and hold the
button, located below
the lever, to move
the entire seat forward
completely.
A weight sensor has been built into the front seats. The
seat will not move forward if there is more than 27 lbs
(12 kg) on the seat sensor.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
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To return the seat to the original position, do the
following:
1. Make sure there are no objects in front of or behind
the seat.
2. Return the seatback to the original, upright position.
3. Press and hold the button, located below the
lever, to return the seat to its original position.
The seat will pause for two seconds when it reaches
its original position.
The seatback must ®rst be returned upright before
pressing the button, otherwise the seat will not move.
When rear seat passengers are entering or exiting
the vehicle, it may be helpful to move the seat
belt anchor arm toward the rear of the vehicle.Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers' belts are
fastened properly too.
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{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-24.In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why:
They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter...a lot!
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Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on
wheels.Put someone on it.
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Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
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or the instrument panel... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
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