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Squeeze the release buttons (A)
together and move the height
adjuster up or down to the desired
position.
After the adjuster is set to the desired
position, try to move it up or down
without squeezing the release
buttons to make sure it has locked
into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for the front outboard
occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, theyare part of the safety belt assembly.
They can help tighten the safety belts
during the early stages of a moderate
to severe frontal, near frontal, or rear
crash if the threshold conditions for
pretensioner activation are met. And,
for vehicles with side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help
tighten the safety belts in a side
crash or a rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
they will need to be replaced, and
probably other new parts for the
vehicle’s safety belt system. See
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash on page 1-59.
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 shoulder 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 to the safety belt:
1. Remove the guide from its
storage location, which is a
pocket on the side of the seat.
2. Place the guide over the belt and
insert the two edges of the belt
into the slots of the guide.
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3. Be sure that the belt is not
twisted and it lies at. The elastic
cord must be under the belt
and the guide on top.
{CAUTION
A safety belt that is not properly
worn may not provide the
protection needed in a crash.
The person wearing the belt could
be seriously injured. 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.
4. Buckle, position, and release
the safety belt as described
previously in this section. Make
sure that the shoulder belt
crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort
guide, squeeze the belt edges
together so that the safety belt can
be removed from the guide. Store the
comfort guide in its storage location,
which is a pocket on the side of
the seat.
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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.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer/retailer will order
you an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to t. The extender
has been designed for adults.
Never use it for securing child seats.
To wear it, attach it to the regular
safety belt. For more information, see
the instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the
vehicle’s safety belts.
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The manufacturer’s instructions that
come with the booster seat, state
the weight and height limitations for
that booster. Use a booster seat
with a lap-shoulder belt until
the child passes the below t test:
Sit all the way back on the
seat. Do the knees bend at the
seat edge? If yes, continue.
If no, return to the booster seat.
Buckle the lap-shoulder belt.
Does the shoulder belt rest on the
shoulder? If yes, continue. If no,
try using the rear safety belt
comfort guide. See “Rear Safety
Belt Comfort Guides” under
Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-19
for more information. If the
shoulder belt still does not rest
on the shoulder, then return to
the booster seat.
Does the lap belt t low and snug
on the hips, touching the thighs?
If yes, continue. If no, return to the
booster seat.
Can proper safety belt t be
maintained for the length of the
trip? If yes, continue. If no, return
to the booster seat.
Q:What is the proper way to
wear safety belts?
A:An older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder
belt can provide. The shoulder
belt should not cross the face
or neck. The lap belt should
t snugly below the hips,
just touching the top of the
thighs. This applies belt force
to the child’s pelvic bones
in a crash. It should never be
worn over the abdomen,
which could cause severe or
even fatal internal injuries
in a crash.Also see “Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides” underLap-Shoulder Belt
on page 1-19.
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in a child
restraint system or infant restraint
system secured in a rear seating
position.
In a crash, children who are not
buckled up can strike other people
who are buckled up, or can be
thrown out of the vehicle. Older
children need to use safety
belts properly.
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{CAUTION
Never do this.
Never allow two children to wear
the same safety belt. The safety
belt can not properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, the two
children can be crushed together
and seriously injured. A safety
belt must be used by only one
person at a time.
{CAUTION
Never do this.
Never allow a child to wear the
safety belt with the shoulder belt
behind their back. A child can be
seriously injured by not wearing
the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a
crash, the child would not be
restrained by the shoulder belt.
The child could move too far
forward increasing the chance of
head and neck injury. The child
might also slide under the lap
belt. The belt force would then be
applied right on the abdomen.
That could cause serious or fatal
injuries. The shoulder belt should
go over the shoulder and across
the chest.
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Infants and Young
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs
protection! This includes infants and
all other children. Neither the
distance traveled nor the age and
size of the traveler changes the
need, for everyone, to use safety
restraints. In fact, the law in
every state in the United States and
in every Canadian province says
children up to some age must
be restrained while in a vehicle.
{CAUTION
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Never leave children
unattended in a vehicle and never
allow children to play with the
safety belts.
Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer
protection for adults and older
children, but not for young children
and infants. Neither the vehicle’s
safety belt system nor its airbag
system is designed for them. Every
time infants and young children
ride in vehicles, they should have
the protection provided by
appropriate child restraints.Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people, or
can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{CAUTION
Never do this.
Never hold an infant or a child
while riding in a vehicle. Due to
crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not
possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
25 mph (40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg)
infant will suddenly become a
240 lb (110 kg) force on a
person’s arms. An infant should
be secured in an appropriate
restraint.
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{CAUTION
Never do this.
Children who are up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it
in ates can be seriously injured or
killed. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front
seat. Secure a rear-facing child
restraint in a rear seat. It is also
better to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in a rear seat. If you
must secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go.
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Q:What are the different types of
add-on child restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which
are purchased by the vehicle’s
owner, are available in four basic
types. Selection of a particular
restraint should take into
consideration not only the child’s
weight, height, and age but also
whether or not the restraint will be
compatible with the motor vehicle
in which it will be used.
For most basic types of child
restraints, there are many
different models available.
When purchasing a child
restraint, be sure it is designed
to be used in a motor vehicle. If it
is, the restraint will have a label
saying that it meets federal motor
vehicle safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s
instructions that come with
the restraint state the weight andheight limitations for a particular
child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints
available for children with
special needs.
{CAUTION
To reduce the risk of neck and
head injury during a crash, infants
need complete support. This is
because an infant’s neck is not
fully developed and its head
weighs so much compared with
the rest of its body. In a crash, an
infant in a rear-facing child
restraint settles into the restraint,
so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest
part of an infant’s body, the back
and shoulders. Infants should
always be secured in rear-facing
child restraints.
{CAUTION
A young child’s hip bones are still
so small that the vehicle’s regular
safety belt may not remain low on
the hip bones, as it should.
Instead, it may settle up around
the child’s abdomen. In a crash,
the belt would apply force on a
body area that is unprotected by
any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal
injuries. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during a
crash, young children should
always be secured in appropriate
child restraints.
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