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How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This section is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-32
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-34. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants to buckle up.
Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out
of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety
belt, there is important information you should know.
Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the floor in
front of you. 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 on 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 shoulder belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash.
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Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a
lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seating position with a detachable
safety belt and the safety belt is not attached, see
Rear Seat Operation (Sedan) on page 1-7orRear Seat
Operation (Hatchback) on page 1-10for instruction
on reconnecting the safety belt to the mini-buckle.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-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.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let
the belt go back all the way and start again.3. If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
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Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Your vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for
the driver and right front passenger.
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. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could
reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
To move it down, press
the release button (A) and
move the height adjuster
to the desired position.
After you move the height adjuster to where you want it,
try to move it down without pressing the release button
to make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although you cannot see them,
they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help
tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal or near frontal crash if the
threshold conditions for pretensioner activation are met.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other
new parts for your safety belt system. SeeReplacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-73.
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.
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{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled
if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their
neck and the safety belt continues to tighten.
Secure any unused safety belts behind the
child restraint so children cannot reach them.
Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock, if your vehicle has one,
after the child restraint has been installed.
Be sure to follow the instructions of the child
restraint manufacturer.Notice:Contact between the child restraint LATCH
attachment parts and the vehicle’s safety belt
assembly may cause damage to these parts. Make
sure when securing unused safety belts behind
the child restraint that there is no contact between
the child restraint LATCH attachment parts and
the vehicle’s safety belt assembly.
Folding an empty rear seat with the safety belts
secured may cause damage to the safety belt or the
seat. When removing the child restraint, always
remember to return the safety belts to their normal,
stowed position before folding the rear seat.
1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the
lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have
lower attachments or the desired seating position
does not have lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and the safety belts.
Refer to your child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired
seating position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments
on the child restraint to the lower anchors.
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If you need to install more than one child restraint in the
rear seat, be sure to readWhere to Put the Restraint on
page 1-40.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or around
the restraint. The child restraint instructions will
show you how.
3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If you find that the latch plate will not go fully into
the buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle.Make sure the release button is positioned so you
would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if necessary.
4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
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4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Make sure the release button is positioned so you
would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if necessary.5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
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If your vehicle has seat-mounted side impact airbags
for the driver and right front passenger, they are in
the side of the seatbacks closest to the door.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not in ate properly
or it might force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death. The path
of an in ating airbag must be kept clear.
Do not put anything between an occupant and
an airbag, and do not attach or put anything
on the steering wheel hub or on or near any
other airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that block the
in ation path of a seat-mounted side impact
airbag.
Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
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What Will You See After an
Airbag In ates?
After the frontal and seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly that some
people may not even realize the airbags inflated.
Some components of the airbag module may be hot
for several minutes. For location of the airbag modules,
seeWhat Makes an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-63.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent
the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people
from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag in ates, there may be dust
in the air. This dust could cause breathing
problems for people with a history of asthma or
other breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone
in the vehicle should get out as soon as it is
safe to do so. If you have breathing problems
but cannot get out of the vehicle after an airbag
in ates, then get fresh air by opening a window
or a door. If you experience breathing problems
following an airbag deployment, you should
seek medical attention.
Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically
unlock the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and turn on
the hazard warning flashers when the airbags inflate.
You can lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off,
and turn the hazard warning flashers off by using the
controls for those features.
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