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For Safe Driving
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
25Safe Driving
Safety CheckList
For the safety of you and your passengers, make a habit of checking these items
each time before you drive.
After everyone has entered the vehicle, be sure all doors are closed and locked. t
Locking the doors helps prevent an occupant from being ejected and an
outsider from unexpectedly opening a door.
Locking/Unlocking the Doors from Inside
P. 9 3
Adjust your seat to a position suitable for driving. Be sure the front seats are t
adjusted as far to the rear as possible while allowing the driver to control the
vehicle. Sitting too close to a front airbag can result in serious or fatal injury in a
crash.
Adjusting the Seats
P.11 6
Adjust head restraints to the proper position. Head restraints are most effective t
when the center of the head restraint aligns with the center of your head. Taller
persons should adjust their head restraint to the highest position.
Adjusting the Head Restraints
P.11 8
Always wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly. Confirm that t
any passengers are properly belted as well.
Fastening a Seat Belt
P. 2 9
Protect children by using seat belts or child seats according to a child’s age, t
height and weight.
Child Safety
P. 4 8
Safety CheckList
If the door and trunk open indicator is on, a door
and/or the trunk is not completely closed. Close all
doors and the trunk tightly until the indicator goes
off.
Door and Trunk Open indicator
P. 6 8
Page 27 of 324

Seat Belts
26Safe Driving
About Your Seat BeltsSeat belts are the single most effective safety device because they keep you
connected to the vehicle so that you can take advantage of many built-in safety
features. They also help keep you from being thrown against the inside of the
vehicle, against other passengers, or out of the vehicle. When worn properly, seat
belts also keep your body properly positioned in a crash so that you can take full
advantage of the additional protection provided by the airbags.
In addition, seat belts help protect you in almost every type of crash, including:
- frontal impacts
- side impacts
- rear impacts
- rollovers
Lap/shoulder seat belts
All five seating positions are equipped with lap/shoulder seat belts with emergency
locking retractors. In normal driving the retractor lets you move freely while
keeping some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop the retractor
locks to restrain your body. The rear seat belts also have a lockable retractor for
use with child seats.
Installing a Child Seat using the Lockable Retractor Seat Belt
P. 5 5
About Your Seat Belts
Seat belts cannot completely protect you in every
crash. But in most cases, seat belts can reduce your
risk of serious injury.
Most states and all Canadian provinces and
territories require you to wear seat belts.
WARNING
Not wearing a seat belt properly increases
the chance of serious injury or death in
a crash, even though your vehicle has
airbags.
Be sure you and your passengers always
wear seat belts and wear them properly.
Page 29 of 324
Seat Belts
About Your Seat Belts
28Safe Driving
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The front seats are equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners to enhance
safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten the front seat belts during a moderate-to-
severe frontal collision, sometimes even if the collision is not severe enough to
inflate the front airbags.
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The seat belt tensioners can only operate once.
If a tensioner is activated, the SRS indicator will
come on. Have a dealer replace the tensioner and
thoroughly inspect the seat belt system as it may
not offer protection in a subsequent crash.
During a moderate-to-severe side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle also activates.
Page 32 of 324
Seat Belts
Fastening a Seat Belt
31Safe Driving
Advice for Pregnant Women
If you are pregnant, the best way to protect yourself and your unborn child when
driving or riding in a vehicle is to always wear a seat belt and keep the lap part of
the belt as low as possible across the hips.
Advice for Pregnant Women
Each time you have a checkup, ask your doctor if it
is okay for you to drive.
To reduce the risk of injuries to both you and your
unborn child that can be caused by an inflating
front airbag:
When driving, sit upright and adjust the seat as tfar back as possible while allowing full control of
the vehicle.
When sitting in the front passenger's seat, adjust tthe seat as far back as possible.
Wear the shoulder belt
across the chest avoiding
the abdomen.
Wear the lap part of the
belt as low as possible
across the hips.
Page 34 of 324
33
Airbags
Continued
Safe Driving
Airbag System Components
Page 35 of 324

34Safe Driving
Airbags
Airbag System Components
The front, front side, and side curtain
airbags are deployed according to the
direction and severity of impact. The airbag
system includes:
Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System) front airbags. The driver's airbag
is stored in the center of the steering
wheel; the front passenger's airbag
is stored in the dashboard. Both are
marked "SRS AIRBAG". Two side airbags, one for the driver and
one for a front passenger. The airbags
are stored in the outer edges of the
seat-backs. Both are marked "SIDE
AIRBAG." Two side curtain airbags, one for each
side of the vehicle. The airbags are
stored in the ceiling, above the side
windows. The front and rear pillars are
marked "SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG."
An electronic control unit that
continually monitors and records
information about the sensors, the
airbag activators, the seat belt
tensioners, and driver and front
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition switch is in ON
II
.
Automatic front seat belt tensioners. The
driver's and front passenger's seat belts
incorporate sensors that detect whether
or not they are fastened. A driver's seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force. Weight sensors in the front passenger's
seat. The front passenger's airbag will
be turned off if the weight on the seat
is 65 lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight of an
infant or small child).
Impact sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe front or side
collision. An indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the front passenger's
front airbag has been turned off. Sensors that can detect if a child or small
statured adult is in the deployment path
of the front passenger's side airbag. An indicator on the instrument panel
that alerts you to a possible problem
with your airbag system or seat belt
tensioners. An indicator on the instrument panel
that alerts you that the front passenger's
side airbag has been turned off. Safing Sensor
Page 36 of 324

35Safe Driving
Airbags
Airbag System Components
Important Facts About Your Airbags
Airbags can pose serious hazards. To do their job, airbags must inflate with
tremendous force. So, while airbags help save lives, they can cause minor injuries,
sometimes even fatal ones if occupants are not properly wearing their seat belts
properly and sitting correctly.
What you should do: Always wear your seat belt properly, and sit upright and
as far back from the steering wheel as possible while allowing full control of the
vehicle. A front passenger should move their seat as far back from the dashboard
as possible.
Remember, however, that no safety system can prevent all injuries or deaths
that can occur in a severe crash, even when seat belts are properly worn and the
airbags deploy.
Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a front airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp
object in your mouth, can result in injuries if your front airbag inflates.
Do not attach or place objects on the front airbag covers. Objects on the
covers marked ”SRS AIRBAG” could interfere with the proper operation of the
airbags or be propelled inside the vehicle and hurt someone if the airbags inflate.
Important facts about your airbags
Do not attempt to deactivate your airbags.
Together, airbags and seat belts provide the best
protection.
When driving, keep hands and arms out of the
deployment path of the front airbag by holding
each side of the steering wheel. Do not cross an
arm over the airbag cover.
Page 37 of 324

Airbags
Types of Airbags
36Safe Driving
Front Airbags (SRS)The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate to severe frontal collision to help protect
the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indicates that the airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. Seat belts are the occupant's primary
restraint system.
Housing Locations
The front airbags are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and
in the dashboard for the front passenger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG. Types of AirbagsYour vehicle is equipped with three types of airbags:
Front airbags: tAirbags in front of the driver's and front passenger's seats.
Side airbags: t Airbags in the driver's and front passenger's seat-backs.
Side curtain airbags: tAirbags above the side windows.
Each is discussed in the following pages.
Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the ignition switch
is in ON
II.
Front Airbags (SRS)
Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags
(SRS)
Your vehicle is equipped with dual-stage, multiple-
threshold front airbags (SRS).
During a frontal crash severe enough to cause
one or both front airbags to deploy, the airbags
can inflate at different rates, depending on the
severity of the crash, whether or not the seat belts
are latched, and/or other factors. Frontal airbags
are designed to supplement the seat belts to help
reduce the likelihood of head and chest injuries in
frontal crashes.