2009 DODGE JOURNEY Owners Manual

WARNING!
•Driving with the liftgate open can allow poison-
ous exhaust gases into your vehicle. These fumes
could injure you and your passengers. Keep the
liftgate closed when you are operating the vehicle.
•If you are required to drive with the liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
blower switch on the climate control is set at high
speed. DO NOT use the recirculation mode.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. The following safety
features are standard on your vehicle:
•Front airbags for both the driver and front passenger
•Supplemental side curtain airbags for the driver and
passengers seated next to a window
•Supplemental front seat mounted side airbags
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee Bolsters/Blockers for front seat occupants
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating
positions
•Pretensioning and load-limiting retractors for the front
seat belts to enhance occupant protection by managing
occupant energy during an impact event.
•All seat belt systems (except the driver’s and second
row center position) include Automatic Locking Re-
tractors (ALRs).
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If you will be carrying children too small for adult-size
belts, your seat belts or the Lower Anchors and Tether for
Children (LATCH) feature can also 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
ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
inside of the vehicle.
Everyonein a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
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Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
lap/shoulder belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during
very sudden stops or impacts. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However, in a collision, the belt will
lock and reduce your risk of striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.WARNING!
•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 seat belts.
• Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a seat
belt properly.
• Wearing a seat belt incorrectly is dangerous. Seat belts are
designed to go around the large bones of your body. These
are the strongest parts of your body and can take the forces
of a collision best.
• Wearing your belt in the wrong place could make your
injuries in a collision much worse. You might suffer internal
injuries, or you could even slide out of part of the belt.
Follow these instructions to wear your seat belt safely and to
keep your passengers safe, too.
• Two people should never be belted into a single seat belt.
People belted together can crash into one another in an
accident, hurting one another badly. Never use a lap/
shoulder belt or a lap belt for more than one person, no
matter what their size.
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Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and
adjust the front seat.
2. The seat belt latch plate is along side the pillar near the
back of your seat. Grasp the latch plate and pull out the
belt. Slide the latch plate up the webbing as far as
necessary to make the belt go around your lap.
Pulling Out Lap/Shoulder Belt
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”WARNING!
•A belt that is buckled into the wrong buckle will not protect
you properly. The lap portion could ride too high on your body,
possibly causing internal injuries. Always buckle your belt
into the buckle nearest you.
• A belt that is too loose will not protect you as well. In a
sudden stop, you could move too far forward, increasing the
possibility of injury. Wear your seat belt snugly.
• A belt that is worn under your arm is very dangerous. Your
body could strike the inside surfaces of the vehicle in a
collision, increasing head and neck injury. A belt worn under
the arm can cause internal injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as
shoulder bones. Wear the belt over your shoulder so that your
strongest bones will take the force in a collision.
• A shoulder belt placed behind you will not protect you from
injury during a collision. You are more likely to hit your head
in a collision if you do not wear your shoulder belt. The lap and
shoulder belt are meant to be used together.
Connecting Latch Plate To Buckle
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4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap belt portion, pull up
a bit on the shoulder belt. To loosen the lap belt if it is too
tight, tilt the latch plate and pull on the lap belt. A snug
belt reduces the risk of sliding under the belt in a
collision.
Removing Slack From Belt
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in a collision. The belt forces won’t be
at the strong hip and pelvic bones, but across your
abdomen. Always wear the lap belt as low as pos-
sible and keep it snug.
• A twisted belt can’t do its job as well. In a collision,
it could even cut into you. Be sure the belt is straight.
If you can’t straighten a belt in your vehicle, take it to
your authorized dealer and have it fixed.
5. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is
comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retractor
will withdraw any slack in the belt. 6. To release the belt, push the red button on the buckle.
The belt will automatically retract to its stowed position.
If necessary, slide the latch plate down the webbing to
allow the belt to retract fully.
WARNING!
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a collision and
leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt system
periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or loose parts.
Damaged parts must be replaced immediately. Do
not disassemble or modify the system. Seat belt
assemblies must be replaced after a collision if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.).
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Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the driver’s seat and front passenger’s seat, the shoul-
der belt can be adjusted upward or downward to posi-
tion the belt away from your neck. Push and fully
depress the button above the webbing to release the
anchorage, then move it up or down to the position that
fits you best.As a guide, if you are shorter than average you will
prefer a lower position and if you are taller than average
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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