2010 Lexus ES350 Safety Information

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Before driving
1-7. Safety information
Correct driving posture
Drive in a good posture as follows:
Sit upright and well back in
the seat. (→P. 4 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. 4 9)
Adjust the seatback so that
the controls are easily opera-
ble.
Adjust the tilt and telescopic
positions of the steering
wheel downward so the air
-
bag is facing your chest.
(→P. 6 4)
Lock the head restraint in
place with the center of the
head restraint closest to the
top of your ears. (→
P. 56)
Wear the seat belt correctly.
(→P. 58)

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1-7. Safety information
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 accident. The adjustment
mechanism may also be damaged.
■Adjusting the seat position:
●Take care when adjusting the seat position to ensure that other passengers 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.

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1-7. Safety information
Before driving
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 passen-
ger from impact with interior components.
Knee airbags
Can help provide driver and front passenger protection.
Side and curtain shield airbags
Side airbags
Can help protect the torso of the front seat occupants and rear seat
outside occupants.
Curtain shield airbags
Can help protect primarily the head of outside occupants.

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1-7. Safety information
Airbag system components
Your vehicle is equipped with ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed based
on US motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS208). The airbag system
controls airbag deployment power for the driver and front passenger. The
driver airbag system consists of the driver seat’s position sensor etc. The
front passenger’s airbag system consists of the front passenger occupant
classification sensor etc.
Front passenger airbag
Curtain shield airbags
AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG
OFF indicator lights
Side airbags for the front pas-
sengers
Side and curtain shield airbag
sensors
Curtain shield airbag sensors
Side airbags for the rear out-
side passengersSRS warning light
Driver airbag
Driver's seat position sensor
Knee airbags
Driver's seat belt buckle switch
Front passenger’s seat belt
buckle switch
Airbag sensor assembly
Occupant detection system
(ECU and sensors)
Front airbag sensors

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1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
The main SRS airbag system components are shown above. The SRS air-
bag system is controlled by the airbag sensor assembly. The airbag sen-
sor assembly consists of a safing sensor and an airbag sensor.
In certain types of severe frontal or side impacts, the SRS airbag system
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 occu
-
pants.
■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 seats, and parts of the front pillar, rear pillar and roof side rail, may be
hot for several minutes. The airbag itself may also be hot.
●The windshield may crack.
●For Safety Connect subscribers, if the SRS airbags deploy or in the event of a
severe rear-end collision, the system is designed to send an emergency call to
the response center, notifying them of the vehicle’s location (without needing to
push the “SOS” button) and an agent will attempt to speak with the occupants
to ascertain the level of emergency and assistance required. If the occupants
are unable to communicate, the agent automatically treats the call as an emer
-
gency and helps to dispatch the necessary emergency services. (→P. 3 4 7)
■SRS airbag deployment conditions (front airbags)
●The front SRS airbags will deploy in the event of an impact that exceeds the set
threshold level (the level of force corresponding to a 12 - 18 mph [20 - 30 km/h]
frontal collision with a fixed wall 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 vehi-
cle is very close to the designed threshold level, the SRS front airbags and the
seat belt pretensioners may not activate together.

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1-7. Safety information
■SRS airbag deployment conditions (side and curtain shield airbags)
The SRS side airbags will deploy in the event of an impact that exceeds the set
threshold level (the level of force corresponding to the impact force produced by a
1500 kg [3300 lb.] vehicle colliding with the vehicle cabin from a direction per-
pendicular to the vehicle orientation at a speed of 12 - 18 mph [20 - 30 km/h]).
■Conditions under which the SRS airbags may deploy (inflate), other than a colli-
sion
The SRS front airbags may also deploy if a serious impact occurs to the underside of
your vehicle. Some examples are shown in the illustration.
■Types of collisions that may not deploy the SRS airbag (front airbags)
The SRS front airbags are generally not designed to inflate if the vehicle is involved
in a side or rear collision, if it rolls over, or if it is involved in a low-speed frontal colli-
sion. But, whenever a collision of any type causes sufficient forward deceleration of
the vehicle, deployment of the SRS front airbags may occur.
●Hitting a curb, edge of pavement or hard
surface
●Falling into or jumping over a deep hole
●Landing hard or vehicle falling
●Collision from the rear
●Collision from the side
●Vehicle rollover

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1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
■Types of collisions that may not deploy the SRS airbag
(side and curtain shield airbags)
The SRS side airbag and curtain shield airbag system may not activate if the vehicle
is subjected to a collision from the side at certain angles, or a collision to the side of
the vehicle body other than the passenger compartment.
The SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags are not generally designed to
inflate if the vehicle is involved in a frontal or rear collision, if it rolls over, or if it is
involved in a low-speed side collision.
●Collision from the side to the vehicle body
other than the passenger compartment
●Collision from the side at an angle
●Collision from the rear
●Collision from the front
●Vehicle rollover

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1-7. Safety information
■When to contact your Lexus dealer
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer as soon as possible. Do not dis-
connect the battery cables before contacting your Lexus dealer.
●Any of the SRS airbags have been inflated.
●The front of the vehicle is damaged or
deformed, or was involved in an accident
that was not severe enough to cause the
SRS airbags to inflate.
●A portion of the doors is damaged or
deformed, or the vehicle was involved in an
accident that was not severe enough to
cause the SRS side airbags and curtain
shield airbags to inflate.
●The pad section of the steering wheel,
dashboard near the front passenger airbag
or lower portion of the instrument panel is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.
●The portion of the containing the side air-
bag is scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.
●The portion of the front pillars, rear pillars
or roof side rail garnishes (padding) con-
taining the curtain shield airbags inside is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.