2012 INFINITI M Owners Manual

1-14Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
SSS0016
SSS0014
PREGNANT WOMEN
INFINITI recommends that pregnant women
use seat belts. The seat belt should be
worn snug, and always position the lap
belt as low as possible around the hips,
not the waist, and place the shoulder belt
over your shoulder and across your chest.
Never run the lap/shoulder belt over your
abdominal area. Contact your doctor for
specific recommendations.
INJURED PERSONS
INFINITI recommends that injured persons
use seat belts, depending on the injury.
Check with your doctor for specific recom-
mendations.
PRE-CRASH SEAT BELTS WITH COM-
FORT FUNCTION (front seats) (if so
equipped)
The pre-crash seat belt tightens the seat
belt with a motor to help restrain front seat
occupants. This helps reduce the risk of
injury in a collision.
The motor retracts the seat belt under the
following emergency conditions:
. During emergency braking
. During sudden steering maneuvers .
Activation of the Intelligent Brake Assist
(IBA) system. (See “Intelligent Brake
Assist (IBA) system” in the“5. Starting
and driving ”section.)
The pre-crash seat belt will not be active
when:
. the seat belt is not fastened
. the vehicle speed is under 10 MPH (15
km/h) during emergency braking
. the vehicle speed is under 16 MPH (30
km/h) during sudden steering maneu-
vers.
The pre-crash seat belt will not be active
when the brake pedal is not depressed
except when sudden steering maneuvers
occur and the Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA)
system activates.
The motor also retracts the seat belt when
the seat belt is fastened or unfastened.
When the seat belt is fastened, the motor
tightens the seat belt for a snug fit. When
the seat belt is unfastened, the motor
retracts the seat belt. If the seat belt is not
fully retracted, the motor retracts the seat
belt when the door is opened.
Always wear your seat belt correctly and sit
upright and well back.
If the motor cannot retract the seat belt

when the seat belt is fastened or unfas-
tened, it may indicate the pre-crash seat
belt system has a malfunction. Have your
INFINITI retailer check and repair the
system.
When the seat belt is retracted repeatedly
in a short period of time, the motor may
not be able to retract the seat belt. After 30
seconds, the motor reactivates and retracts
the seat belt. If the seat belt still cannot be
retracted by the motor, the pre-crash seat
belt system has a malfunction. Have your
INFINITI retailer check and repair the
system.
THREE-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WARNING
.Every person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should use a seat belt at all
times.
. Do not ride in a moving vehicle when the
seatback is reclined. This can be danger-
ous. The shoulder belt will not be
against your body. In an accident, you
could be thrown into it and receive neck
or other serious injuries. You could also
slide under the lap belt and receive serious internal injuries.
. For the most effective protection when
the vehicle is in motion, the seat should
be upright. Always sit well back in the
seat with both feet on the floor and
adjust the seat belt properly.
SSS0292
Fastening the seat belts
1. Adjust the seat. (See “Seats ”earlier in
this section.)
2. Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retractor and insert the tongue into the
buckle until you hear and feel the latch
engage.
.The retractor is designed to lockduring a sudden stop or on impact.
A slow pulling motion permits the
belt to move, and allows you some
freedom of movement in the seat.
.If the seat belt cannot be pulled
from its fully retracted position,
Safety —Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-15

1-16Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
firmly pull the belt and release it.
Then smoothly pull the belt out of
the retractor.
SSS0290
3. Position the lap belt portion low and
snug on the hips as shown.
4. Pull the shoulder belt portion toward the retractor to take up extra slack. Be
sure the shoulder belt is routed over
your shoulder and across your chest.
The three-point type seat belts have two
modes of operation:
. Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
. Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
The Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
mode allows the seat belt to extend and
retract to allow the driver and passengers
some freedom of movement in the seat. The ELR locks the seat belt when the
vehicle slows down rapidly or during
impacts.
The Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
mode (child restraint mode) locks the seat
belt for child restraint installation.
When the ALR mode is activated the seat
belt cannot be extended again until the
seat belt tongue is detached from the
buckle and fully retracted. The seat belt
returns to the ELR mode after the seat belt
fully retracts. For additional information,
see
“Child restraints” later in this section.
The ALR mode should be used only for
child restraint installation. During normal
seat belt use by an occupant, the ALR
mode should not be activated. If it is
activated, it may cause uncomfortable seat
belt tension.
WARNING
When fastening the seat belts, be certain
that seatbacks are completely secured in
the latched position. If they are not com-
pletely secured, passengers may be injured
in an accident or sudden stop.

SSS0326
Unfastening the seat belts
To unfasten the seat belt, push the button
on the buckle. The seat belt automatically
retracts.
Checking seat belt operation
Seat belt retractors are designed to lock
seat belt movement by two separate
methods:
.When the belt is pulled quickly from the
retractor.
. When the vehicle slows down rapidly.
To increase your confidence in the seat
belts, check the operation as follows: .
Grasp the shoulder belt and pull
forward quickly. The retractor should
lock and restrict further belt movement.
If the retractor does not lock during this
check or if you have any question about
seat belt operation, see an INFINITI retailer.
SSS1084
Center of rear seat
Selecting correct set of seat belts:
The center seat belt buckle is identified by
the CENTER mark
*A. The center seat belt
tongue can be fastened onlyinto the center
seat belt buckle.
Safety —Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-17

1-18Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
SSS0294A
Shoulder belt height adjustment
(front seats)
The shoulder belt anchor height should be
adjusted to the position best for you. (See
“Precautions on seat belt usage ”earlier in
this section.)
To adjust, push the button
*A, and then
move the shoulder belt anchor to the
desired position, so that the belt passes
over the center of the shoulder. The belt
should be away from your face and neck,
but not falling off of your shoulder. Release
the adjustment button to lock the shoulder
belt anchor into position.
WARNING
. After adjustment, release the adjustment
button and try to move the shoulder belt
anchor up and down to make sure it is
securely fixed in position.
. The shoulder belt anchor height should
be adjusted to the position best for you.
Failure to do so may reduce the effec-
tiveness of the entire restraint system
and increase the chance or severity of
injury in an accident.
SEAT BELT EXTENDERS
If, because of body size or driving position,
it is not possible to properly fit the lap-
shoulder belt and fasten it, an extender
that is compatible with the installed seat
belts is available that can be purchased.
The extender adds approximately 8 in (200
mm) of length and may be used for either
the driver or front passenger seating
position. See an INFINITI retailer for assis-
tance with purchasing an extender if an
extender is required.
WARNING
.Only INFINITI seat belt extenders, made
by the same company which made the
original equipment seat belts, should be
used with the INFINITI seat belts.
. Adults and children who can use the
standard seat belt should not use an
extender. Such unnecessary use could
result in serious personal injury in the
event of an accident.
. Never use seat belt extenders to install
child restraints. If the child restraint is
not secured properly, the child could be
seriously injured in a collision or a
sudden stop.
SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
.To clean the seat belt webbing, apply a
mild soap solution or any solution
recommended for cleaning upholstery
or carpets. Then, wipe with a cloth and
allow the seat belts to dry in the shade.
Do not allow the seat belts to retract
until they are completely dry.
. If dirt builds up in the shoulder belt
guide of the seat belt anchors, the seat

belts may retract slowly. Wipe the
shoulder belt guide with a clean, dry
cloth.
. Periodically check to see that the seat
belt and the metal components such as
buckles, tongues, retractors, flexible
wires and anchors work properly. If
loose parts, deterioration, cuts or other
damage on the webbing is found, the
entire seat belt assembly should be
replaced. Children need adults to help protect them.
They need to be properly restrained.
In addition to the general information in
this manual, child safety information is
available from many other sources, includ-
ing doctors, teachers, government traffic
safety offices, and community organiza-
tions. Every child is different, so be sure to
learn the best way to transport your child.
There are three basic types of child
restraint systems:
.
Rear-facing child restraint
. Forward-facing child restraint
. Booster seat
The proper restraint depends on the child’ s
size. Generally, infants up to about 1 year
and less than 20 lbs (9 kg) should be
placed in rear-facing child restraints. For-
ward-facing child restraints are available
for children who outgrow rear-facing child
restraints and are at least 1 year old.
Booster seats are used to help position a
vehicle lap/shoulder belt on a child who
can no longer use a forward-facing child
restraint.
WARNING
Infants and children need special protection.
The vehicle ’s seat belts may not fit them
properly. The shoulder belt may come too
close to the face or neck. The lap belt may
not fit over their small hip bones. In an
accident, an improperly fitting seat belt
could cause serious or fatal injury. Always
use appropriate child restraints.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or
territories require the use of approved
child restraints for infants and small
children. See “Child restraints ”later in
this section.
A child restraint may be secured in the
vehicle by using either the LATCH (Lower
Anchor and Tethers for CHildren) system or
with the vehicle seat belt. See “Child
restraints” later in this section for more
information.
INFINITI recommends that all pre-teens
and children be restrained in the rear seat.
Studies show that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than in
the front seat.
Safety —Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-19
CHILD SAFETY

1-20Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
This is especially important because your
vehicle has a supplemental restraint sys-
tem (Air bag system) for the front passen-
ger. See “Supplemental restraint system ”
later in this section.
INFANTS
Infants up to at least 1 year old should be
placed in a rear-facing child restraint.
INFINITI recommends that infants be placed
in child restraints that comply with Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or Cana-
dian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. You
should choose a child restraint that fits
your vehicle and always follow the manu-
facturer ’s instructions for installation and
use.
SMALL CHILDREN
Children that are over 1 year old and weigh
at least 20 lbs (9 kg) should remain in a
rear-facing child restraint as long as
possible up to the height or weight limit
of the child restraint. Forward-facing child
restraints are available for children who
outgrow rear facing child restraints and are
at least 1 year old. Refer to the manufac-
turer’ s instructions for minimum and max-
imum weight and height
recommendations. INFINITI recommends that small children be placed in child
restraints that comply with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards or Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. You
should choose a child restraint that fits
your vehicle and always follow the manu-
facturer
’s instructions for installation and
use.
LARGER CHILDREN
Children who are too large for child
restraints should be seated and restrained
by the seat belts which are provided. The
seat belt may not fit properly if the child is
less than 4 ft 9 in (142.5 cm) tall and
weighs between 40 lbs (18 kg) and 80 lbs
(36 kg). A booster seat should be used to
obtain proper seat belt fit.
INFINITI recommends that a child be placed
in a commercially available booster seat if
the shoulder belt fits close to the face or
neck or if the lap portion of the seat belt
goes across the abdomen. The booster seat
should raise the child so that the shoulder
belt is properly positioned across the top,
middle portion of the shoulder and the lap
belt is low on the hips. A booster seat can
only be used in seating positions that have
a three-point type seat belt. The booster
seat should fit the vehicle seat and have a label certifying that it complies with
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Once the child has grown so the shoulder
belt is no longer on or near the face and
neck, use the shoulder belt without the
booster seat.
WARNING
Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat
and do not allow a child in the cargo area.
The child could be seriously injured or killed
in a sudden stop or collision.

SSS0099
SSS0100
PRECAUTIONS ON CHILD RE-
STRAINTS
WARNING
.Failure to follow the warnings and
instructions for proper use and installa-
tion of child restraints could result in
serious injury or death of a child or other
passengers in a sudden stop or collision:
—The child restraint must be used and
installed properly. Always follow all
of the child restraint manufacturer ’s
instructions for installation and use.
—Infants and children should never be held on anyone ’slap.Eventhe
strongest adult cannot resist the
forces of a collision.
—Do not put a seat belt around both a child and another passenger.
—INFINITI recommends that all childrestraints be installed in the rear
seat. Studies show that children are
safer when properly restrained in
the rear seat than in the front seat.
If you must install a forward-facing
child restraint in the front seat, see “
Forward-facing child restraint in-
stallation using the seat belts ”later
in this section.
—Even with the INFINITI Advanced Air Bag System, never install a rear-
facing child restraint in the front
seat. An inflating air bag could
seriously injure or kill a child. A
rear-facing child restraint must only
be used in the rear seat.
—Be sure to purchase a child restraintthat will fit the child and vehicle.
Some child restraints may not fit
properly in your vehicle.
—Child restraint anchor points aredesigned to withstand loads from
child restraints that are properly
fitted.
—Never use the anchor points foradult seat belts or harnesses.
—A child restraint with a top tetherstrap should not be used in the
front passenger seat.
—Keep seatbacks as upright as pos-sible after fitting the child restraint.
—Infants and children should alwaysbe placed in an appropriate child
Safety —Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-21
CHILD RESTRAINTS