2012 TOYOTA MATRIX light

80 1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the airbags.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
●The driver and all passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts
properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental devices to be used with the seat belts.
● The SRS driver airbag deploys with considerable force, and can cause
death or serious injury especially if the driver is very close to the airbag.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) advises:
Since the risk zone for the driver’s airbag is the first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm)
of inflation, placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) from your driver airbag pro-
vides you with a clear margin of safety. This distance is measured from the
center of the steering wheel to your breastbone. If you sit less than 10 in.
(250 mm) away now, you can change your driving position in several
ways:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the pedals comfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of the seat. Although vehicle designs vary, many drivers can achieve the 10 in.
(250 mm) distance, even with the driver seat all the way forward, sim-
ply by reclining the back of the seat somewhat. If reclining the back of
your seat makes it hard to see the road, raise yourself by using a firm,
non-slippery cushion, or raise the seat if your vehicle has that feature\
.
• If your steering wheel is adjustable, tilt it downward. This points the air- bag toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, while
still maintaining control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view of
the instrument panel controls.

85
1
1-7. Safety information
Before driving
Front passenger occupant classification system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classifica-
tion system. This system detects the conditions of the front passen-
ger seat and activates or deactiv ates the devices for the front
passenger.
SRS warning light
“AIR BAG OFF” indicator light
“AIR BAG ON” indicator light
Front passenger's seat belt reminder light

86 1-7. Safety information
Conditions and operation of the front passenger occupant classification system
■Adult*1
■Child*3 or child restraint system*4
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
lights“AIR BAG ON”
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
Devices Front passenger airbag
Activated
Side airbag on the front
passenger seats
Curtain shield airbag in the front passenger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
lights“AIR BAG OFF”*5
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
Devices Front passenger airbag Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seats
Activated
Curtain shield airbag in the front
passenger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
■
Unoccupied
■ There is a malfunction in the system
*1: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a
smaller adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may rec-
ognize him/her as a child depending on his/her physique and pos-
ture.
*2: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.
*3: When a larger child who has outgrown a child restraint systemsits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/
her as an adult depending on his/her physique or posture.
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
lights Not illuminated
SRS warning light
Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
Devices Front passenger airbag Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seats Activated
Curtain shield airbag in the front
passenger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Deactivated
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
lights“AIR BAG OFF”
SRS warning light On
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Off
Devices Front passenger airbag Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seats
Activated
Curtain shield airbag in the front
passenger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

88 1-7. Safety information
*4: Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front pas-senger seat. A forward-facing ch ild restraint system should only
be installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable.
(  P. 90)
*5: In case the indicator is not illumi nated, consult this manual as for
installing the child restraint system properly. ( P. 94)
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant cl assification system precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the front passenger occupant
classification system.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
● Wear the seat belt properly.
● Make sure the front passenger’s seat belt tab has not been left inserted
into the buckle before someone sits in the front passenger seat.
● Make sure the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is not illuminated when using
the seat belt extender for the front passenger seat. If the “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator light is illuminated, disconnect the extender tongue from the seat
belt buckle, then reconnect the seat belt. Reconnect the seat belt extender
after making sure the “AIR BAG ON” indicator light is illuminated. If you
use the seat belt extender while the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is illumi-
nated, the SRS airbags for the passenger may not activate correctly,
which could cause death or serious injury in the event of a collision.
● Do not apply a heavy load to the front passenger seat.
● Do not put weight on the front passenger seat by putting your hands or
feet on the front passenger seat seatback from the rear passenger seat.
● Do not let a rear passenger lift the front passenger seat with their feet or
press on the seatback with their legs.
● Do not put objects under the front passenger seat.

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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■
Front passenger occupant cl assification system precautions
● Do not recline the front passenger seatback so far that it touches a rear
seat. This may cause the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light to be illuminated,
which indicates that the passenger’s airbags will not deploy in the event of
a severe accident. If the seatback touches the rear seat, return the seat-
back to a position where it does not touch the rear seat. Keep the front\
passenger seatback as upright as possible when the vehicle is moving.
Reclining the seatback excessively may lessen the effectiveness of the
seat belt system.
● If an adult sits in the front passenger seat, the “AIR BAG ON” indicator
light is illuminated. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator is illuminated, ask the
passenger to sit up straight, well back in the seat, feet on the floor, and
with the seat belt worn correctly. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator still
remains illuminated, either ask the passenger to move to the rear seat, or
if that is not possible, move the front passenger seat fully rearward.
● When it is unavoidable to install the forward-facing child restraint system
on the front passenger seat, install the child restraint system on the front
passenger seat in the proper order. ( P. 94)
● Do not modify or remove the front seats.
● Do not kick the front passenger seat or subject it to severe impact. Other-
wise, the SRS warning light may come on to indicate a malfunction of the
detection system. In this case, contact your Toyota dealer immediately.
● Child restraint systems installed on the rear seat should not contact the
front seatbacks.
● Do not use a seat accessory, such as a cushion or seat cover, that covers
the seat cushion surface.
● Do not modify or replace the upholstery of the front seat.

92 1-7. Safety information
■Selecting an appropriat e child restraint system
● Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child until the child
becomes large enough to properly w ear the vehicle’s seat belt.
● If a child is too large for a child restraint system, sit the child on a rear
seat and use the vehicle's seat belt. ( P. 48)
CAUTION
■Child restraint precautions
●For effective protection in automobile accidents and sudden stops, a child
must be properly restrained, using a seat belt or child restraint system
depending on the age and size of the child. Holding a child in your arms is
not a substitute for a child restraint system. In an accident, the child can be
crushed against the windshield, or between you and the vehicle's interior.
● Toyota strongly urges the use of a proper child restraint system that con-
forms to the size of the child, installed on the rear seat. According to acci-
dent statistics, the child is safer when properly restrained in the rear seat
than in the front seat.
● Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front passenger
seat even if the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is illuminated. In the event
of an accident, the force of the rapid inflation of the front passenger airbag
can cause death or serious injury to the child if the rear-facing child
restraint system is installed on the front passenger seat.
● A forward-facing child restraint system may be allowed to be installed on
the front passenger seat only when it is unavoidable. A child restraint sys-
tem that requires a top tether strap should not be used in the front passen-
ger seat since there is no top tether strap anchor for the front passenger
seat. Adjust the seatback as uprights as possible and always move the
seat as far back as possible even if the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is
illuminated, because the front passenger airbag could inflate with consid-
erable speed and force. Otherwise, the child may be killed or seriously
injured.

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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
Installation with LATCH system
Type A Widen the gap between
the seat cushion and
seatback slightly.
Latch the hooks of the
lower straps onto the
LATCH anchors.
If the child restraint has a
top tether strap, the top
tether strap should be
latched onto the top
tether strap anchors.
For owners in Canada:
A symbol on a child restraint sys-
tem indicates the presence of a
lower connector system.
Canada only
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3