2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER belt

98 1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
CAUTION
●Do not recline the seat any more than necessary to achieve a proper seat-
ing position. The seat belt is most effective when the occupants are sitting
up straight and well back in the seats.
● Do not wear the shoulder belt under your arm.
● Always wear your seat belt low and snug across your hips.
■ Adjustable shoulder anchor
Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the center of your
shoulder. The belt should be kept away from your neck, but not falling off
your shoulder. Failure to do so could reduce the amount of protection in an
accident and cause death or serious injuries in a collision. ( →P. 95)
■ Seat belt pretensioners
●Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger's seat.
Doing so will disperse the passenger's weight, which prevents the sensor
from detecting the passenger's weight properly. As a result, the seat belt
pretensioner for the front passenger's seat may not activate in the event of
a collision.
● If the pretensioner has activated, the seat belt becomes locked: it cannot
be further extended, nor will it return to the stowed position. The seat belt
cannot be used again and must be replaced at your Toyota dealer.
■ Child restraint lock function belt precaution
Do not allow children to play with the child restraint lock function belt. If the
belt becomes twisted around a child’s neck, it will not be possible to pull the
belt out leading to choking or other serious injuries that could result in death.
If this occurs and the buckle cannot be unfastened, scissors should be used
to cut the belt.

99
1-3. Adjustable components (s
eats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■Seat belt damage and wear
●Do not damage the seat belts by allowing the belt, plate, or buckle to be
jammed in the door.
● Inspect the seat belt system periodically. Check for cuts, fraying, and loose
parts. Do not use a damaged seat belt until it is replaced. Damaged seat
belt cannot protect an occupant from death or serious injury.
● Ensure that the belt and tab are locked and the belt is not twisted.
If the seat belt does not function correctly, immediately contact your Toyota
dealer.
● Replace the seat assembly, including the belts, if your vehicle has been
involved in a serious accident, even if there is no obvious damage.
● Do not attempt to install, remove, modify, disassemble or dispose of the
seat belts. Have any necessary repairs carried out by your Toyota dealer.
Inappropriate handling of the pretensioner may prevent it from operating
properly resulting in death or serious injury.
■ Using a seat belt extender
●Do not wear the seat belt extender if you can fasten the seat belt without
the extender.
● Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a child restraint system
because the belt will not securely hold the child restraint system, increas-
ing the risk of death or serious injury in the event of an accident.
● The personalized extender may not be safe on another vehicle, when
used by another person, or at a different seating position other than the
one originally intended.
NOTICE
■When using a seat belt extender
When releasing the seat belt, press on the buckle release button on the
extender, not on the seat belt.
This helps prevent damage to the vehi cle interior and the extender itself.

126
1-7. Safety information
Correct driving posture
Drive in a good posture as follows:
Sit upright and well back in
the seat. (→P. 7 9 )
Adjust the position of the
seat forward or backward to
ensure the pedals can be
reached and easily
depressed to the extent
required. ( →P. 79)
Adjust the seatback so that
the controls are easily oper-
able.
Adjust the tilt and telescopic
positions of the steering
wheel downward so the air-
bag is facing your chest.
( → P. 100)
Lock the head restraint in
place with the center of the
head restraint closest to the
top of your ears. ( →P. 91)
Wear the seat belt correctly.
( → P. 94)

127
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■
While driving
●Do not adjust the position of the driver's seat while driving.
Doing so could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
● Do not place a cushion between the driver or passenger and the seatback.
A cushion may prevent correct posture from being achieved, and reduce
the effectiveness of the seat belt and head restraint, increasing the risk of
death or serious injury to the driver or passenger.
● Do not place anything under the front seats.
Objects placed under the front seats may become jammed in the seat
tracks and stop the seat from locking in place. This may lead to an acci-
dent. The adjustment mechanism may also be damaged.
■ Adjusting the seat position
●Take care when adjusting the seat position to ensure that other passen-
gers are not injured by the moving seat.
● Do not put your hands under the seat or near the moving parts to avoid
injury.
Fingers or hands may become jammed in the seat mechanism.

128
1-7. Safety information
SRS airbags
The SRS airbags inflate when the vehicle is subjected to certain
types of severe impacts that may cause significant injury to the
occupants. They work together with the seat belts to help reduce the
risk of death or serious injury.
Front airbags
Driver airbag/front passenger airbag
Can help protect the head and chest of the driver and front pas-
senger from impact with interior components.
Driver knee airbag
Can help provide driver protection.
Side and curtain shield airbags
Side airbags
Can help protect the torso of the front seat occupants.
Curtain shield airbags
Can help protect primarily the head of outside occupants.

129
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
Airbag system components
Your vehicle is equipped with ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed based
on US motor vehicle safety sta ndards (FMVSS208). The airbag sys-
tem controls airbag deployment power for the driver and front pas-
senger. The driver airbag system consists of the driver seat's position
sensor etc. The front passenger's ai rbag system consists of the front
passenger occupant classification sensor etc. Curtain shield airbags
Side airbags
Front passenger airbag
Side and curtain shield air-
bag sensors
Front airbag sensors
Front passenger’s seat belt
buckle switch
Curtain shield airbag sen-
sors
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR
BAG OFF” indicator lights
SRS warning light
Driver airbag
Driver’s seat position sen-
sor
Driver’s seat belt buckle
switch
Driver knee airbag
Airbag sensor assembly
Occupant detection system
(ECU and sensors)

130 1-7. Safety information
The main SRS airbag system components are shown above. The
SRS airbag system is controlled by the airbag sensor assembly. The
airbag sensor assembly consists of a safing sensor and an airbag
sensor.
In certain types of severe frontal or side impacts, the SRS airbag sys-
tem triggers the airbag inflators. A chemical reaction in the inflators
quickly fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to help restrain the motion
of the occupants.
■ SRS warning light
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor assembly, front airbag
sensors, side and curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies, curtain shield air-
bag sensor assemblies, driver's seat position sensor, driver's seat belt
buckle switch, front passenger occupant classification system, “AIR BAG
ON” and “AIR BAG OFF” indicator lights, front passenger’s seat belt buckle
switch, front seat belt pretensioner assemblies, inflators, interconnecting wir-
ing and power sources. ( →P. 511)
■ If the SRS airbags deploy (inflate)
●Bruising and slight abrasions may result from contact with a deploying
(inflating) SRS airbag.
● A loud noise and white powder will be emitted.
● Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, airbag cover and inflator)
as well as the front seats, and parts of the front and rear pillars and roof
side rail, may be hot for several minutes. The airbag itself may also be
hot.
● The windshield may crack.

131
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
■
Operating conditions (front airbags)
●The SRS front airbags will deploy if the severity of the frontal impact is
above the designed threshold level, comparable to an approximate 15
mph (25 km/h) collision when the vehicle impacts straight into a fixed bar-
rier that does not move or deform.
However, this threshold velocity will be considerably higher if the vehicle
strikes an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign pole, which can move or
deform on impact, or if the vehicle is involved in an underride collision (e.g.
a collision in which the front of the vehicle “underrides”, or goes under, the
bed of a truck, etc.).
● It is possible that in some collisions where the forward deceleration of the
vehicle is very close to the designed threshold level, the SRS front air-
bags and the seat belt pretensioners may not activate together.
● The SRS front passenger airbag will not activate if there is no passenger
sitting in the front passenger seat. However, the front passenger airbag
may deploy if luggage is put in the seat, or the seat belt is fastened, even
if the seat is unoccupied. ( →P. 140)
■ Operating conditions (side airbags)
●The SRS side airbags are designed to inflate when the passenger com-
partment is subjected to a severe impact from the side.
● The SRS side airbag on the passenger seat will not activate if there is no
passenger sitting in the front passenger seat. However, the side airbag
on the passenger seat may deploy if luggage is put in the seat, or the
seat belt is fastened, even if the seat is unoccupied. ( →P. 140)
■ Operating conditions (curtain shield airbags)
The SRS curtain shield airbags are designed to inflate when the passenger
compartment is subjected to a severe impact from the side or vehicle roll-
over.