2011 Ram 2500 seats

of ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
inside of the vehicle. Everyone in a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions except the Quad Cab, Mega Cab
and Crew Cab front center seating position have combi-
nation 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.
WARNING!
•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 best.
•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.
•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.
(Continued)
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Regular Cab Front Center Three Point Belt
1. The front center seat belt on the Regular Cab may be
disconnected to open up utilization of the storage areas
behind the front seats. The black latch plate can be
detached from the black keyed seat belt buckle located on
the inboard side of the passenger seat. Insert the seat belt
tongue into the center red slot on the black buckle. The
black buckle latch plate can be removed when the seat
belt tongue is pressed into the buckle. Allow the retractor
to take up the extra webbing, and the buckles will hang
vertically from the cab back exit bezel, thus freeing up all
the area behind the front seats.
2. To reattach the seat belt to the front center seat, pull
the black buckle latch plate forward from the cab back
panel and insert it into the black keyed buckle until there
is an audible “click”. For proper seatbelt usage, refer
“Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions”.
Detaching Buckle With Seat Belt Tongue
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front row outboard seats, the shoulder belt can be
adjusted upward or downward to help position the belt
away from your neck. Squeeze the anchorage button located
on the upper belt guide to release the anchorage, and then
move it up or down to the position that fits you best.
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 up or down to make sure that
it is locked in position.
Center Lap Belts
The center seating position for the Quad Cab, Mega
Caband Crew Cab front seat has a lap belt only. To
fasten the lap belt, slide the latch plate into the buckle
until you hear aclick.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
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag:
Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
WARNING!
Infants in rear-facing child restraints should never
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
Advanced Front Airbag. An airbag deployment can
cause severe injury or death to infants in that posi-
tion.
Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly (see Section on Child Restraints) should be
secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats. Older children who do not use
child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats shouldride properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow
children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under
their arm.
If a child from 1 to 12 years old (not in a rear facing child
seat) must ride in the front passenger seat, move the seat
as far back as possible and use the proper child restraint.
(Refer to “Child Restraints”)
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
All occupants should always wear their lap and shoulder
belts properly.
The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the Advanced Front
Airbags room to inflate.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59

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.
WARNING!
In an 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.
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 childseat Owner’s Manual to ensure you have the right seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child.
Infants and Small Children
•
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 andconvertiblechild seats. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt.
•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).Convertiblechild seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. 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
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 69

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 anchorage system. Refer to the
“LATCH – Child Seat Anchorage System (Lower An-
chors and Tether for Children)”.
WARNING!
Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in
the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
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 forchildren 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 (Lower Anchors and
Tether for Children)”.
•The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weigh-
ing 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 seat back,
they should use a belt-positioning booster seat. The
child and booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt.
70 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
WARNING!
•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 child restraint should only be
used in a rear seat.
•A rearward-facing infant restraint in the front seat
may be struck by a deploying a passenger airbag
which may cause severe or fatal injury to the
infant.
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
their back.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71

WARNING!
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 exactly when installing
an infant or child restraint.
Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)
Each vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchor-
age system called LATCH, which stands for Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren. The LATCH system
provides for the installation of the child restraint without
using the vehicle seat belt, instead securing the child
restraint using lower anchorages and upper tether straps
from the child restraint to the vehicle structure. LATCH
child restraint anchorage systems are installed in the
Quad Cab, Mega Caband Crew Cab rear seat outboard
positions. LATCH equipped seating positions featureboth lower anchor bars, located at the back of the seat
cushion, and tether strap anchorages, located behind the
seat back (refer to “Child Restraint Tether Anchor”).
Child restraint systems having attachments designed to
connect to the lower anchorages are now available. Child
Quad Cab/Mega Cab/Crew Cab Rear Outboard Seats
Driver Side
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73