Occupant safety
>> Safety.
55
The deployment of the air bags tempo
rarily releases a small amount of dust
from the air bags. This dust is neither in
jurious to your health, nor does it indi
cate a fire in the vehicle. The dust might
cause some temporary breathing diffi
culty for people with asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, you may
wish to get out of the vehicle as soon as it
is sa f e to do so. If you h a ve an y bre a th in g
difficulty but cannot get out of the vehi
cle after the air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
G
Warning!
To reduce the risk of injury when the
front air bags inflate, it is very important
for the driver and passenger to always be
in a properly seated position and to wear
their respective seat belt.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated posi
tion with your back against the backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and ensure it is
properly positioned on your body
(page 98).
Since the air bag inflates with consider
able speed and force, a proper seating
and hands on steering wheel position will
help to keep you at a safe distance from
the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi
tion or too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag
as it inflates extremely quickly and with
great force:
• Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.
• Adjust the driver’s seat as far as pos
sible rearward, still permitting proper
operation of vehicle controls. The dis
tance from the center of the driver’s
breastbone to the center of the air bag
cover on the steering wheel must be at
least 10 inches (25 cm) or more. You
should be able to accomplish this by
adjustments to the seat. If you have any
problems, please contact an autho
rized smart center.
• Do no t l e an yo ur he a d or che st cl ose to
the steering wheel or dashboard.
Seats
92
>> Controls.G
Warning!
All seat adjustments, as well as fastening
of seat belts, must be done before the
vehicle is operated.G
Warning!
When adjusting the seat, make sure that
no one becomes trapped.
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while
driving. Adjusting the seat while driving
could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the
seat backrest in an excessively reclined
position as this can be dangerous. You
could slide under the seat belt in a colli
sion. If you slide under the seat belt, it
could apply force at the abdomen or neck,
potentially causing serious or fatal inju
ries. The seat backrest and seat belts
provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a position that is as upright
as possible and seat belts are properly
positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you
can correctly fasten your seat belt
(page 98).
Observe the following points:
• Adjust the seat backrest until your
arms are slightly angled when holding
the steering wheel.
• Adjust the seat to a comfortable
seating position that still allows you to
reach the accelerator/brake pedal
safely. The position should be as far to
the rear as possible, consistent with
ability to properly operate controls.
• Never place hands under the seat or
near any moving parts while a seat is
being adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an acci
dent and/or serious personal injury.
Observe the notes on the air bag system
(page 54).
G
Warning!
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat recom
mended for the size and weight of the
child. For additional information, see
"Children in the vehicle" (
page 65).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries
is significantly increased if the child re
straints are not properly secured in the
vehicle and/or the child is not properly
secured in the child restraint.
