Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of an
accident. These devices may improve the performance of
the seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight about the
occupant early in an accident. Pretensioners work for all
size occupants, including those in child restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the airbags, the pretension-
ers are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or a
deployed airbag must be replaced immediately.
Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR)
These head restraints are passive, deployable compo-
nents, and vehicles with this equipment cannot be readily
identified by any markings, only through visual inspec-
tion of the head restraint. The head restraint will be split
in two halves, with the front half being soft foam and
trim, the back half being decorative plastic.
How the Active Head Restraints (AHR) Work
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
whether the severity, or type of rear impact will require
the Active Head Restraints (AHR) to deploy. If a rear
impact requires deployment, both the driver and front
passenger seat AHRs will be deployed.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbag (SAB)
Inflator Units
The Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags are de-
signed to activate only in certain side collisions.
The ORC determines if a side collision requires the side
airbags to inflate based on the severity and type of
collision.
Based on the severity and type of collision, the side
airbag inflator on the crash side of the vehicle may be
triggered, releasing a quantity of non-toxic gas. The
inflating SAB exits through the seat seam into the space
between the occupant and the door. The SAB fully inflate
in about 10 milliseconds. The side airbag moves at a very
high speed and with such a high force, that it could injure
you if you are not seated properly, or if items are
positioned in the area where the side airbag inflates. This
especially applies to children.
Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC) Inflator Units
During collisions where the impact is confined to a
particular area of the side of the vehicle, the ORC may
deploy the SABIC airbags, depending on the severity and
type of collision. In these events, the ORC will deploy the
SABIC only on the impact side of the vehicle.
A quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate the
SABIC. The inflating SABIC pushes the outside edge of
the headliner out of the way and covers the window. The
SABIC inflates in about 30 milliseconds (about one-
quarter of the time that it takes to blink your eyes) with
enough force to injure you if you are not belted and
seated properly, or if items are positioned in the area
where the SABIC inflates. This especially applies to
children. The SABIC is only about 3-1/2 in (9 cm) thick
when it is inflated.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 77
•Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts
were buckled/fastened;
•How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
•How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understanding of
the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a
non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data are recorded by
the EDR under normal driving conditions and no per-
sonal data (e.g. name, gender, age, and crash location) are
recorded. However, other parties, such as law enforce-
ment, could combine the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data routinely acquired during a
crash investigation. To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is
required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed.
In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties
such as law enforcement, that have the special equip-
ment, can read the information if they have access to the
vehicle or the EDR.
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States, and all Canadian provinces, require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and under should ride properly buck-
led up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats rather than in the front.
82 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner’s Manual to ensure you have the right seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a projectile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap can
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child’s
size.
Infants And Child Restraints
•
Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year old and weigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant
carriers and convertible child seats.
•The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg). Convertible child seats often
have a higher weight limit in the rearward-facing
direction than infant carriers do, so they can be used
rearward-facing by children who weigh more than
20 lbs (9 kg) but are less than one year old. Both types
of child restraints are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint an-
chorage system (Refer to LATCH — Child Seat An-
chorage System.)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 83
WARNING!
•Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger
airbag unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag
deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in this position.
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
•A rearward-facing infant restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward-facing infant re-
straint in the front seat may be struck by a deploy-
ing passenger airbag which may cause severe or
fatal injury to the infant.Here are some tips for getting the most out of your child
restraint:
•Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. Chrysler Group LLC also recommends that
you try a child restraint in the vehicle seats where you
will use it before you buy it.
•The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
•Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
•The second row seating positions are equipped with
Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR). To install child
restraint seats pull the belt from the retractor until
there is enough allowance to pass it through the child
84 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
restraint and slide the latch plate into the buckle. Then,
pull the shoulder belt until it is fully extended from the
retractor. Allow the belt to return into the retractor,
pulling on the excess webbing to tighten the lap
portion around the child restraint. For additional
information refer toAutomatic Locking Retractors
Mode earlier in the Occupant Restraints Section of the
owners’ manual.
•Buckle the child into the restraint exactly as the
manufacturer’s instructions tell you.
WARNING!
When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the
vehicle. Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a
sudden stop or accident, it could strike the occupants
or seatbacks and cause serious personal injury. NOTE: For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK. Cana-
dian residents, should refer to Transport Canada’s web-
site for additional information. http://www.tc.gc.ca/
roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg), and who are
older than one year, can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible child
seats used in the forward-facing direction are for children
who weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg), and who are older
than one year. These child seats are also held in the
vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH child
restraint anchorage system (Refer to LATCH — Child
Seat Anchorage System.)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 85
The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weighing
more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small to fit
the vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child cannot sit
with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat cushion while the
child’s back is against the seatback, they should use a
belt-positioning booster seat. The child and belt-
positioning booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seatback, should use the lap/shoulder belt in a rear seat.
•Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
•The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug
as possible.
•Check belt fit periodically. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position.
•If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the center of the vehicle. Never allow a
child to put the shoulder belt under an arm or behind
the back.
Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)
Your vehicle’s rear seat is equipped with the child
restraint anchorage system called LATCH. The LATCH
system provides for the installation of the child restraint
without using the vehicle’s seat belts, instead securing
the child restraint using lower anchorages and upper
tether straps from the child restraint to the vehicle
structure.
86 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
LATCH-compatible child restraint systems are now avail-
able. However, because the lower anchorages are to be
introduced over a period of years, child restraint systems
having attachments for those anchorages will continue to
also have features for installation using the vehicle’s seat
belts. Child restraints having tether straps and hooks for
connection to the top tether anchorages, have been
available for some time. For some older child restraints,
many child restraint manufacturers offer add-on tether
strap kits or retro-fit kits. You are urged to take advantage
of all the available attachments provided with your child
restraint in any vehicle.
NOTE:When using the LATCH attaching system to
install a child restraint, please ensure that all seat belts
not being used for occupant restraints are stowed and out
of reach of children. Remind all children in the vehicle
that the seat belts are not toys and should not be played
with, and never leave your child unattended in the
vehicle.The rear outboard seating positions have lower
anchorages capable of accommodating LATCH-
compatible child seats having flexible, webbing-
mounted lower attachments and child seats
with fixed lower attachments. The rear seat lower anchors
can be readily identified by the symbol located on the
seatback directly above the anchorages and are just visible
when you lean into the rear seat to install the child
restraint. You will easily feel them if you run your finger
along the intersection of the seatback and seat cushion
surfaces. The vehicle’s seat belt must be used for the center
position. Regardless of the specific type of lower attach-
ment, never install LATCH-compatible child seats such
that two seats share a common lower anchorage.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 87