2011 DODGE DAKOTA Owners Manual

Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions, have combination lap/shoulder
belts. The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock
during very sudden stops or accidents. This feature
allows the shoulder part of the belt to move freely with
you under normal conditions. However, in an accident
the belt will lock and reduce the risk of you striking the
inside of the vehicle or being thrown out.
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with an Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) to
secure a Child Restraint System (CRS). For additional
information on ALR, refer to “Automatic Locking Mode”
in this section. The following chart defines the seating
positions with this feature.Left Center Right
First Row CRS Lock
Second Row CRS Lock CRS Lock —If
Equipped CRS Lock
If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR the proper fastening procedure is as follows:
1. For Child Restraint System (CRS): Pull the seat belt all
the way out, then latch the buckle and allow the excess
webbing to retract. As the belt retracts, you will hear a
clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is now in the
Automatic Locking mode. This will secure the child
restraint tightly and properly.
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2. For regular occupants: Only pull the belt webbing out
far enough to comfortably wrap around the occupant’s
mid-section. If the belt is pulled fully out, allow the belt
to fully retract. As the belt retracts, you will hear a
clicking sound. Then, carefully pull out only the amount
of webbing necessary to latch the buckle.
WARNING!
•It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In an accident, 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.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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 an accident the
best. Wearing your belt in the wrong place could
make your injuries in an accident 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.
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and
adjust the seat.2. The seat belt latch plate is above the back of the front
seat, next to your arm in the rear seat. Grasp the latch
plate and pull out the belt. Slide the latch plate up the
webbing as far as necessary to allow the belt to go around
your lap.
Pulling Out Belt and Latch Plate
Latch Plate To Buckle
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3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
WARNING!
•A belt 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
properly. In a sudden stop you could move too far
forward, increasing the possibility of injury. Wear
your seat belt snugly.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•A belt that is worn under your arm is dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in an accident, 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 an accident. 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.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap belt portion, pull up
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 an accident.WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in an accident. 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 possible and keep it snug.
•A twisted belt will not protect you properly. 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
immediately and have it fixed.
Removing Slack From Belt
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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 an accident
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 an accident if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.).
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front and second row outboard seats, the shoulder
belt can be adjusted upward or downward to help
position the belt away from your neck. Press the release
button to release the anchorage, and then move it up or
down to the position that fits you best.
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage(Extended Cab)
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As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average,
you will prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it down to make sure that it is
locked in the desired position.NOTE:
The adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage is
equipped with an Easy Up feature. This feature allows
the shoulder belt anchorage to be adjusted in the upward
position without pushing the release button. To verify the
shoulder belt anchorage is latched, pull downward on
the shoulder belt anchorage until it is locked into
position.
Center Lap Belts
The front center seating position has a lap belt only. To
fasten the lap belt, slide the latch plate into the buckle
until you hear a “click.” To lengthen the lap belt, tilt the
latch plate and pull. To remove slack, pull the loose end
of the webbing. Wear the lap belt snug against the hips.
Sit back and erect in the seat, then adjust the belt as
tightly as is comfortable.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too loose or too high is dangerous.
•A belt worn too loose can allow you to slip down
and under the belt in a collision.
•A belt that is too loose or too high will apply crash
forces to the abdomen, not to the stronger hip
bones. In either case, the risk of internal injuries is
greater. Wear a lap belt low and snug.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure
Use the following procedure to untwist a twisted lap/
shoulder belt.
1. Position the latch plate as close as possible to the
anchor point.
2. At about 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm) above the latch plate,
grasp and twist the belt webbing 180 degrees to create a
fold that begins immediately above the latch plate.3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded webbing.
The folded webbing must enter the slot at the top of the
latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the
folded webbing.
Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with a cinching latch plate which are used to
secure a child restraint system. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Installing Child Restraints Using The
Vehicle Seat Belt” under the “Child Restraints” section.
The following chart defines the type of feature for each
seating position.
Left Center Right
First Row Cinch – if equippedCinch
Second Row Cinch Cinch – if equippedCinch
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