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uuFor Safe DrivinguYour Vehicle's Safety Features
Safe Driving
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
The following checklist will help you take an active role in protecting yourself and your passenger.
1Your Vehicle's Safety Features
Your vehicle is equipped with many features that
work together to help protect you and your
passenger during a crash.
Some features do not require any action on your part.
These include a strong steel framework that forms a
safety cage around the passenger compartment,
front and rear crush zones, a collapsible steering
column, and tensioners that tighten the seat belts in
a sufficient crash.
However, you and your passenger cannot take full
advantage of these features unless you remain seated
in the correct position and always wear your seat
belts. In fact, some safety features can contribute to
injuries if they are not used properly.
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Safety Cage
Crush Zones
Seats and Seat-Backs
Head Restraints
Collapsible Steering Column
Seat BeltsFront Airbags
Side Airbags
Side Curtain Airbags
Door Locks
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners Occupant Position Detection
System (OPDS) Sensor
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a b c d e fg h i j k l
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uuFor Safe DrivinguYour Vehicle's Safety Features
Safe Driving
For the safety of you and your passenger, make a habit of checking these items each
time before you drive.•After everyone has entered the vehicle, be sure both doors and the hatch are
closed and locked. Locking the doors and the hatch helps prevent an occupant
from being ejected and an outsider from unexpectedly opening a door or the
hatch. 2 Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Inside P. 102
• Adjust your seat to a position suitable for driving. Be sure the seats are adjusted
as far to the rear as possible while allowing the driver to control the vehicle.
Sitting too close to a front airbag can result in serious or fatal injury in a crash.
2 Adjusting the Seats P. 119
• Always wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly. Confirm that any
passenger is properly belted as well.
2 Fastening a Seat Belt P. 37
• If you choose to ignore our warnings and carry a child in this vehicle, make every
effort to protect them by properly using a seat belt or a child seat according to the
child’s age, height, and weight.
2 Child Safety P. 56
■Safety Checklist1Safety Checklist
If the door/hatch open indicator is on, a door and/or
the hatch is not completely closed. Close both doors
and the hatch tightly until the indicator goes off.
2 Door/Hatch Open Indicator P. 72
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Safe Driving
Seat Belts
About Your Seat Belts
Seat belts are the single most effective safety device because they keep you
connected to the vehicle so that you can take advantage of many built-in safety
features. They also help keep you from being thrown against the inside of the vehicle, against a passenger, or out of the vehicle. When worn properly, seat belts
also keep your body properly positioned in a crash so that you can take full
advantage of the additional protection provided by the airbags.
In addition, seat belts help protect you in almost every type of crash, including: - frontal impacts
- side impacts
- rear impacts
- rollovers
■ Lap/shoulder seat belts
Both seating positions are equipped with lap/shoulder seat belts with emergency
locking retractors. In normal driving the retractor lets you move freely while keeping
some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop the retractor locks to
restrain your body. The passenger’s seat belt has a lockable retractor that must be
properly activated when using a forward-facing child seat, should you choose to
disregard our recommendations and install one. 2 Installing a Child Seat P. 60
1About Your Seat Belts
Seat belts cannot completely protect you in every
crash. But in most cases, seat belts can reduce your risk of serious injury.
Most states and all Canadian provinces and territories
require you to wear seat belts.
3WARNING
Not wearing a seat belt properly increases
the chance of serious injury or death in a
crash, even though your vehicle has
airbags.
Be sure you and your passenger always
wear seat belts and wear them properly.
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uuSeat BeltsuAbout Your Seat Belts
36
Safe Driving
The driver’s and passenger’s seats are equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners
to enhance safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten the seat belts during a moderate-to-severe
frontal collision, sometimes even if the collision is not severe enough to inflate the front airbags.
■Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners1Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The seat belt tensioners can only operate once. If a tensioner is activated, the SRS indicator will come
on. Have a dealer replace the tensioner and
thoroughly inspect the seat belt system as it may not
offer protection in a subsequent crash.
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uuSeat BeltsuFastening a Seat Belt
Safe Driving
If you are pregnant, the best way to protect yourself and your unborn child when
driving or riding in a vehicle is to always wear a seat belt and keep the lap part of the
belt as low as possible across the hips.
■Advice for Pregnant Women1Advice for Pregnant Women
Each time you have a checkup, ask your doctor if it is
okay for you to drive.
To reduce the risk of injuries to both you and your
unborn child that can be caused by an inflating front
airbag:• When driving, sit upright and adjust the seat as far
back as possible while allowing full control of the
vehicle.
• When sitting in the passenger's seat, adjust the
seat as far back as possible.
Wear the shoulder belt across the chest avoiding
the abdomen.
Wear the lap part of the
belt as low as possible across the hips.
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Continued
Safe Driving
Airbags
Airbag System Components
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uuAirbagsuAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, front side, and side curtain
airbags are deployed according to the
direction and severity of impact. The airbag
system includes:
aTwo SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
front airbags. The driver's airbag is stored
in the center of the steering wheel; the
passenger's airbag is stored in the
dashboard. Both are marked “SRS AIRBAG.”
bTwo side airbags, one for the driver and
one for a passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked “SIDE AIRBAG.”
cTwo side curtain airbags, one for each
side of the vehicle. The airbags are stored
in the ceiling, above the side windows.
The front and rear pillars are marked
“SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG.”
dAn electronic control unit that continually
monitors and records information about
the sensors, the airbag activators, the
seat belt tensioners, and driver and
passenger seat belt use when the ignition
switch is in ON
(w .
eAutomatic seat belt tensioners. The
driver's and passenger's seat belts
incorporate sensors that detect whether
or not they are fastened.
fA driver's seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force.
gWeight sensors in the passenger's seat.
The passenger's airbag will be turned off if the weight on the seat is 65 lbs (29 kg)
or less (the weight of an infant or small child).
hImpact sensors that can detect a
moderate-to-severe front or side
collision.
iAn indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the passenger's front airbag has
been turned off.
jSensors that can detect if a child or small
statured adult is in the deployment path
of the passenger's side airbag.
kAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
lAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you that the passenger's side
airbag has been turned off.
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uuAirbagsuAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
Airbags can pose serious hazards. To do their job, airbags must inflate with
tremendous force. So, while airbags help save lives, they can cause minor injuries,
sometimes even fatal ones if occupants are not wearing their seat belts properly and sitting correctly.
What you should do: Always wear your seat belt properly, and sit upright and as
far back from the steering wheel as possible while allowing full control of the
vehicle. A passenger should move their seat as far back from the dashboard as
possible.
Remember, however, that no safety system can prevent all injuries or deaths that
can occur in a severe crash, even when seat belts are properly worn and the airbags
deploy. Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a front airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp
object in your mouth, can result in injuries if your front airbag inflates.
Do not attach or place objects on the front airbag covers. Objects on the
covers marked “SRS AIRBAG” could interfere with the proper operation of the
airbags or be propelled inside the vehicle and hurt someone if the airbags inflate.
■Important Facts about Your Airbags1Important Facts about Your Airbags
Do not attempt to deactivate your airbags. Together,
airbags and seat belts provide the best protection.
When driving, keep hands and arms out of the
deployment path of the front airbag by holding each
side of the steering wheel. Do not cross an arm over
the airbag cover.
