2009 DODGE CHALLENGER child seat

TRUNK SAFETY WARNING
WARNING!
Do not allow children to have access to the trunk,
either by climbing into the trunk from outside, or
through the inside of the vehicle. Always close the
trunk lid when your vehicle is unattended. Once in
the trunk, young children may not be able to escape,
even if they entered through the rear seat. If trapped
in the trunk, children can die from suffocation or
heat stroke.
Trunk Emergency Release
The trunk of your vehicle is equipped with an emergency
release handle. It is located on the inside of the trunk lid,
near the latch, and is coated so that it glows in a darkened
trunk. Pull on the handle to open the trunk.
Emergency Release
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 35

OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers, the
front airbags for both the driver and front passenger, and
the supplemental side curtain airbags for the driver and
passengers seated next to a window. If you will be
carrying children too small for adult-sized belts, your
seat belts also can be used to hold infant and child
restraint systems.
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly, to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buckled
up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or other
passengers or you can be thrown out of the vehicle.
Always be sure you and others in your vehicle are
buckled up properly.
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some
of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility of
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

2. At about 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm) above the latch plate,
grasp and twist the belt webbing 180 degrees to create a
fold that begins immediately above the latch plate.
3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded webbing.
The folded webbing must enter the slot at the top of the
latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the
folded webbing.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove any slack from the seat belts in the event of a
collision. These devices improve the performance of the
seat belt system by assuring that the belt is tight around
the occupant in a collision. Pretensioners work for all size
occupants, including those in child restraints.NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snug and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). (Refer to information on Air-
bags in this section). Like the front airbags, the preten-
sioners are single use items. After a collision that is severe
enough to deploy the airbags and pretensioners, both
must be replaced.Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
If the driver’s seat belt has not been buckled within
60 seconds of starting the vehicle and if the vehicle speed
is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), the Enhanced Seat Belt
Use Reminder System (BeltAlert) will alert the driver to
buckle the seat belt. The driver should also instruct all
other occupants to buckle their seat belts. Once the
warning is triggered, the BeltAlertwill continue to
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NOTE:When the BeltAlertis deactivated, the Seat Belt
Reminder Light will continue to illuminate as long as the
driver’s seat belt is unbuckled.
Automatic Locking Mode — If Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. However, the belt will still retract to remove slack
in the shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking Mode
any time a child safety seat is installed in a seating
position that has a seat belt with this feature. Children
12 years old and younger should be properly restrained
in the rear seat whenever possible.
How to Engage the Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire belt is extracted.3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will
here a clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the Automatic Locking Mode.
How to Disengage the Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap and shoulder belt and
allow it to retract completely to disengage the Automatic
Locking Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emer-
gency) locking mode.
Seat Belts and Pregnant Women
We recommend that pregnant women use the seat belts
throughout their pregnancy. Keeping the mother safe is
the best way to keep the baby safe.
Pregnant women should wear the lap part of the belt
across the thighs and as snug across the hips as possible.
Keep the belt low so that it does not come across the
abdomen. That way the strong bones of the hips will take
the force if there is a collision.
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WARNING!
•Do not stack luggage or other cargo up high
enough to block the location of the side curtain
airbag. The area where the side curtain airbag is
located should remain free from any obstructions.
•Do not have any accessory items installed which
will alter the roof, including adding a sunroof to
your vehicle. Do not add roof racks that require
permanent attachments (bolts or screws) for instal-
lation on the vehicle roof. Do not drill into the roof
of the vehicle for any reason.
NOTE:Do not use a clothing bar mounted to the coat
hooks in this vehicle. A clothing bar will impede the
proper performance of the curtain airbags.
Along with the seat belts, front airbags work with the
instrument panel knee bolsters to provide improvedprotection for the driver and front passenger. Side curtain
airbags also work with seat belts to improve occupant
protection.
While the seat belts are designed to protect you in many
types of collisions, the front airbags will deploy in
moderate-to-severe frontal collisions. The supplemental
side curtain airbag on the crash side of the vehicle will
also trigger in moderate-to-severe side collisions. How-
ever, even in collisions where the airbags deploy, you
need the seat belts to keep you in the correct position for
the airbags to protect you properly.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize
the risk of harm from a deploying airbag:
1. Children 12 years old and younger should ride buck-
led up in the rear seat.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

WARNING!
Infants in rear-facing child restraints should NEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
front airbag. An airbag deployment could cause
severe injury or death to infants in that position.
2. Children who are not big enough to wear the vehicle
seat belt properly should be secured in the rear seat in
child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats. (Refer to
information on Child Restraint in this section.)
3. Older children who do not use child restraints or
belt-positioning booster seats should ride properly buck-
led up in the rear seat. Never allow children to slide the
shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
4. If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the front
passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move theseat as far back as possible and use the proper child
restraint. (Refer to information on Child Restraint in this
section.)
5. You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
6. All occupants should use their seat belts properly.
7. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the airbags time to inflate.
8. Do not lean against the door, as the airbags will inflate
forcefully into the space between you and the door.
9. If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact the
Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided in theIf
You Need Customer Assistancesection.
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

inflating side curtain airbag pushes the outside edge of
the headliner out of the way and covers the window.
The airbag inflates in about 30 milliseconds (about
one-quarter of the time that it takes to blink your eyes)
with enough force to injure you if you are not belted
and seated properly, or if items are positioned in the
area where the side curtain airbag inflates. This espe-
cially applies to children. The side curtain airbag is
only about 3-1/2 in (9 cm) thick when it is inflated.
If a Deployment Occurs
The airbag system is designed to deploy when the ORC
detects a moderate-to-severe collision to help restrain the
driver and front passenger and then to immediately
deflate.
NOTE:A frontal collision that is not severe enough to
need airbag protection will not activate the system. This
does not mean something is wrong with the airbag
system.If you do have a collision that deploys the airbags, any or
all of the following may occur:
•The nylon airbag material may sometimes cause abra-
sions and/or skin reddening to the driver and front
passenger as the airbags deploy and unfold. The
abrasions are similar to friction rope burns or those
you might get sliding along a carpet or gymnasium
floor. They are not caused by contact with chemicals.
They are not permanent and normally heal quickly.
However, if you haven’t healed significantly within a
few days or if you have any blistering, see your doctor
immediately.
•As the airbags deflate, you may see some smoke-like
particles. The particles are a normal by-product of the
process that generates the non-toxic gas used for
airbag inflation. These airborne particles may irritate
the skin, eyes, nose, or throat. If you have skin or eye
irritation, rinse the area with cool water. For nose or
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•Traction/stability control status
•Tire Pressure Monitoring System status (if equipped)
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a projectile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap could
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child’s
size.
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner’s Manual to ensure you have the correct seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57