2012 FIAT 500 GUCCI seats

•All seat belt systems (except the driver’s) include
Automatic Locking Retractors (ALRs), which lock the
seat belt webbing into position by extending the belt
all the way out and then adjusting the belt to the
desired length to restrain a child seat or secure a large
item in a seat — if equipped
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly, to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-sized
seat belts, the seat belts or the Lower Anchors and Tether
for CHildren (LATCH) feature also can be used to hold
infant and child restraint systems. For more information
on LATCH, refer to “LATCH — Child Seat Anchorage
System (Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren).” Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
1.
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 Ad-
vanced Front Air Bag. An air bag deployment can cause
severe injury or death to infants in that position.
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 should
26 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

ride properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow
children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under
their arm.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2.All occupants should always wear their lap and
shoulder belts properly.
3. The driver and front passenger seats should be
moved back as far as practical to allow the Advanced
Front Air Bags room to inflate.
4. Do not lean against the door or window. Your vehicle
has Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC) or Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags
(SAB), and when deployment occurs, the SABIC and
SAB air bags will inflate forcefully into the space
between you and the door. 5.
If the air bag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact
the Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided in
If You Need Consumer Assistance.
WARNING!
•Relying on the air bags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The air bags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the air bags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
air bags.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 27

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 the seating positions in your vehicle are equipped
with 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 a collision, the belt will
lock and reduce the risk of you striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
•It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, 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.
•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 a collision the best.(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 29

and rear passengers sitting next to a window. The SABIC
are located above the side windows. The trim covering
the SABIC is labeled SRS AIRBAG.
This vehicle is equipped with Supplemental Seat-
Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB). The SAB are marked with
an air bag label sewn into the outboard side of the front
seats.
NOTE:
•Air Bag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim,
but they will open during air bag deployment.
•After any accident, the vehicle should be taken to an
authorized dealer immediately.
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air bag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Air Bag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag
•Knee Impact Bolster
•Driver Advanced Front Air Bag
•Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
•Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC)
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Front Seat Belt Pretensioners, Seat Belt Buckle Switch,
and Seat Track Position Sensors
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB) provide
enhanced protection to help protect an occupant during a
side impact. The SAB are marked with an air bag label
sewn into the outboard side of the front seats.When the air bag deploys, it opens the seam between the
front and side of the seat’s trim cover. Each air bag
deploys independently; a left side impact deploys the left
air bag only and a right-side impact deploys the right air
bag only.
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC)
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
may offer side-impact protection to front and rear seat
outboard occupants in addition to that provided by the
body structure. Each air bag features inflated chambers,
placed adjacent to the head of each outboard occupant,
that reduce the potential for side-impact head injuries.
The SABIC deploy downward, covering both windows
on the impact side.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bag (SAB) Label
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times, 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 or younger should ride properly
buckled 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.
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 correct 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 could
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 two years old or until
they reach either the height or weight limit of their rear
facing child safety seat. Two types of child restraints can
be used rearward-facing: infant carriers and convertible
child seats.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children from birth until
they reach the weight or height limit of the infant carrier.
Convertible child 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 by children who have outgrown
their infant carrier but are still less than at least two years
old. Children should remain rearward-facing until they
reach the highest weight or height allowed by their
convertible child seat. Both types of child restraints are
held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the
LATCH child restraint anchor system. Refer to “Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)”.WARNING!
Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger air
bag. An air bag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have outgrown
their rear-facing convertible child seat can ride forward-
facing in the vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and
convertible child seats used in the forward-facing direc-
tion are for children who are over two years old or who
have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit of
their rear-facing convertible child seat. Children should
remain in a forward-facing child seat with a harness for
as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height
allowed by the child seat. These child seats are also held
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
Here are some tips on 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. FIAT Group Automobiles also recommends
that you make sure that you can install the child
restraint in the vehicle 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.
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
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE