2011 RAM CHASSIS CAB Owners Manual

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. 3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
Pulling Out Latch Plate And Webbing Latch Plate To Buckle40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 inju-
ries. 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 stron-
gest 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.
2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41

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 pos-
sible and keep it snug.
• A twisted belt can’t do its job properly. In a
collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure the belt
is straight. If you can’t straighten a belt in a vehicle,
take it to your authorized dealer immediately and
have it fixed.
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.Removing Slack From Belt42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.) or if the airbag deployed.
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.
Detaching Buckle With Seat Belt Tongue
2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

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”.
WARNING!• If the black latch and black buckle are not prop-
erly connected when the seat belt is used by an
occupant, the seat belt will not be able to provide
proper restraint and will increase the risk of injury
in an accident.
• When reattaching the black latch and black
buckle, ensure the seat belt webbing is not
twisted. If the webbing is twisted, follow the
preceding procedure to detach the black latch and
black buckle, untwist the webbing, and reattach
the black latch and black buckle. Inserting Latch Plate44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!• If the black latch and black buckle are not prop-
erly connected when the seat belt is used by an
occupant, the seat belt will not be able to provide
proper restraint and will increase the risk of injury
in an accident.
• When reattaching the black latch and black
buckle, ensure the seat belt webbing is not
twisted. If the webbing is twisted, follow the
preceding procedure to detach the black latch and
black buckle, untwist the webbing, and reattach
the black latch and black buckle.In Use Position
2 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. Press the button located on the
upper belt guide, 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 Crew Cab front seat
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 Belt46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Mode –
If Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt. When To Use The Automatic Locking Mode
Use the Automatic Locking Mode any time a child safety
seat is installed in a passenger seating position. Children
12 years old and under should be properly restrained in
the rear seat whenever possible.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap/shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will
hear a clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the Automatic Locking Mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it
to retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode. 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47