Page 31 of 412

Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of
the way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage
both the belt and your vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt height
adjuster to the height that is right for you.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is
centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away from
your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
Incorrect positioning of the shoulder belt can reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt.
To move it up or down,
squeeze the release
buttons (A) together and
move the height adjuster
to the desired position.
After you move the height
adjuster to where you
want it, try to move it up or
down without squeezing
the release buttons to
make sure it has locked
into position.
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt,
and the lap portion should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more
likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
1-25
ProCarManuals.com
Page 32 of 412

Right Front Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety
belt properly, seeDriver Position on page 1-17.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt — except for one thing.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all the
way, you will engage the child restraint locking feature.
If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and
start again.
Rear Seat Passengers
It is very important for rear seat passengers to buckle
up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in
the rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those
who are wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who are not safety belted can be
thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike
others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All rear seat positions have lap-shoulder belts.
Here is how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the
belt across you more slowly.
1-26
ProCarManuals.com
Page 33 of 412
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
For the center rear position, if the belt stops
before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch plate
and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
For the outboard rear positions, when the shoulder
belt is pulled out all the way, it will lock. If it
does, let it go back all the way and start again.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-31.Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder part.
1-27
ProCarManuals.com
Page 34 of 412
The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would be less
likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the
belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of
the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or a crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt
is too loose. In a crash, you would move
forward too much, which could increase injury.
The shoulder belt should t against your body.
To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle.
1-28
ProCarManuals.com
Page 35 of 412
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions the belt
away from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each outboard passenger position
in the rear seat. Here is how to install a comfort guide and
use the safety belt:
1. Remove the guide from its storage clip, which
is behind the seatback. Pull the elastic cord out
from between the edge of the seatback and
the interior body.
2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The
elastic cord must be under the belt. Then, place
the guide over the belt, and insert the two edges
of the belt into the slots of the guide.
1-29
ProCarManuals.com
Page 36 of 412