164 Driving Safel y
• Adjust the head restraints so the upper
edge is as even as possible with the top of
your head. If that is not possib le, try to ad
just the head restraint so that it is as close
to this position as possible
q fig. 183.
• If there are passengers in rear seat, fold the
head restraints up on the occupied seats or
s lide the center head restra int upward at
least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints
q page 76 .
A WARNING
-
Driv ing without head restraints or w ith
head restra ints that are not properly ad
justed increases the risk of serious o r fatal
neck injury dramatically. To help reduce
t he risk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- E very pe rson in the veh icle must have a
properly ad justed head restra int.
- Always make su re each pe rson in the ve
hicle properly adjusts the ir head re
straint. Ad just the head restraints so the
upper edge is as even as possib le with
the top of your head. If that is not possi
ble, try to adjust the head restraint so
that it is as close to this position as pos
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
wh ile driving. If you have driven
off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safe ly be
fore attempting to adjust the head re
st rain t.
- Children must always be properly re
strained in a ch ild restraint that is appro
pr iate for their age a nd s ize
q page 200.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they a re p roperly positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce the
effectiveness
of safety belts and will even in
c rease the risk o f injury and death by moving
the safety belt to crit ica l areas of the body.
Improper seating positions also increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an air
bag deploys and str ikes an occupant w ho is
not in the proper s eating position. A dr iver is
responsible for the safety of all veh icle o ccu
pants and espec ially for child ren. The re fo re:
• Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
Q & .
The following bulletins list o nly some sample
pos itions tha t w ill increase the r isk of serious
i njury and dea th. O ur hope is that t hese exam
ples will ma ke yo u more aware o f seat ing po
s itions tha t a re dangerous.
Th erefore , whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- neve r sta nd up i n the vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride wit h the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- neve r sit on the e dge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo a rea
A WARNING
Imp roper seating positions increase the
risk of ser ious persona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occ u-
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restrained whenever the
veh icle is being used.
