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Continued31
uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
Safe Driving
■Proper use of seat belts
Follow these guidelines for proper use:
• All occupants should sit upright, well back in the seat, and remain in that position
for the duration of the trip. Slouching and leaning reduces the effectiveness of
the belt and can increase the chan ce of serious injury in a crash.
• Never place the shoulder part of a lap/shoulder seat belt under your arm or
behind your back. This could cause very serious injuries in a crash.
• Two people should never use the same seat belt. If they do, they could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not put any accessories on the seat belts. Devices intended to improve comfort
or reposition the shoulder part of a seat belt can reduce the protective capability
and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
Your vehicle monitors front seat belt use. If
the ignition switch is turned to ON
(w before
the driver's seat belt is fastened, a beeper will
sound and the indicator will blink. If the driver
does not fasten the belt before the beeper
stops, the indicator will remain on.
The beeper will also periodically sound and
the indicator will blink while driving until the
driver's and front passenger’s seat belts are
fastened.
■Seat Belt Reminder
1 About Your Seat Belts
If a rear seat passenge r moves around and extends
the seat belt, the lockable retractor may activate. If
this happens, release the re tractor by unfastening the
seat belt and allow the be lt to retract completely.
Then refasten the belt.
1 Seat Belt Reminder
The indicator will also come on if a front passenger
does not fasten their seat be lt within 6 seconds after
the ignition switch is turned to ON
(w.
When no one is sitting in the front passenger's seat,
or a child or small adult is riding there, the indicator
will not come on.
This is because the weight sensors in the seat cannot
detect their presence.*
* Not available on all models
Page 34 of 368
uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
32
Safe DrivingThe front seats are equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners to enhance safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten the front seat belts during a moderate-to-
severe frontal collision, so metimes even if the collisio n is not severe enough to
inflate the front airbags.
■Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners1 Automatic 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.
During a moderate-to-se vere side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle also activates.
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33
uuSeat Belts uFastening a Seat Belt
Continued
Safe Driving
Fastening a Seat Belt
After adjusting a front seat to the proper position, and while sitting upright and well
back in the seat:
2 Adjusting the Seats P. 127
1.Pull the seat belt out slowly.
2. Insert the latch plate into the buckle, then
tug on the belt to make sure the buckle is
secure.
u Make sure that the belt is not twisted or
caught on anything.
1Fastening a Seat Belt
No one should sit in a seat with an inoperative seat
belt or one that does not appear to be working
correctly. Using a seat belt that is not working
properly may not protect the occupant in a crash.
Have a dealer check the belt as soon as possible.
Never insert any foreign objects into the buckle or
retractor mechanism.
Pull out slowly.
Correct
Seated
Posture.
Latch
Plate
Buckle
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uuSeat Belts uFastening a Seat Belt
34
Safe Driving
3. Position the lap part of the belt as low as
possible across your hips, then pull up on
the shoulder part of th e belt so the lap part
fits snugly. This lets your strong pelvic
bones take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.
4. If necessary, pull up on the belt again to
remove any slack, then check that the belt
rests across the center of your chest and
over your shoulder. Th is spreads the forces
of a crash over the strongest bones in your
upper body.
The front seats have adjustable shoulder anchors to acco mmodate taller and shorter
occupants.
1.Move the anchor up and down while
holding the release button.
2. Position the anchor so that the belt rests
across the center of your chest and over
your shoulder.1Fastening a Seat Belt
To release the belt, push the red PRESS button then
guide the belt by hand until it has retracted
completely.
When exiting the vehicle, be sure the belt is out of
the way and will not get caught by closing the door.
3WARNING
Improperly positioning the seat belts can
cause serious injury or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are properly
positioned before driving.Lap belt
as low as
possible
■Adjusting the Shoulder Anchor1 Adjusting the Shoulder Anchor
The shoulder anchor height can be adjusted to four
levels. If the belt contacts your neck, lower the height
one level at a time.
After an adjustment, make sure that the shoulder
anchor position is secure.
Push
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35
uuSeat Belts uFastening a Seat Belt
Safe DrivingIf you are pregnant, the best way to protect yourself and your unborn child when
driving or riding in a vehicle is to always w ear a seat belt and keep the lap part of the
belt as low as possible across the hips.
■Advice for Pregnant Women1 Advice 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 front 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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36
uuSeat Belts uSeat Belt Inspection
Safe Driving
Seat Belt Inspection
Regularly check the condition of your seat belts as follows:
• Pull each belt out fully, and look for frays, cuts, burns, and wear.
• Check that the latches work smoot hly and the belts retract easily.
u If a belt does not retract easily, cleanin g the belt may correct the problem. Only
use a mild soap and warm water. Do not use bleach or cleaning solvents. Make
sure the belt is completely dry before allowing it to retract.
Any belt that is not in good condition or working properly will not provide proper
protection and should be re placed as soon as possible.
A belt that has been worn during a cr ash may not provide the same level of
protection in a subsequent crash. Have yo ur seat belts inspected by a dealer after
any collision.1 Seat Belt Inspection
3WARNING
Not checking or maintaining seat belts can
result in serious injury or death if the seat
belts do not work properly when needed.
Check your seat belts regularly and have
any problem corrected as soon as possible.
Page 39 of 368
37Continued
Safe Driving
Airbags
Airbag System Components
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38
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, front side, and side curtain
airbags are deployed according to the
direction and severity of impact. Both side
curtain airbags are deployed in a rollover.
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
front passenger's airbag is stored in the
dashboard. Both are marked SRS
AIRBAG.
bTwo side airbags, on e for the driver and
one for a front passen ger. 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 front
passenger seat belt use when the ignition
switch is in ON
(w.
eAutomatic front seat belt tensioners. The
driver's and front 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 front passenger's
seat. The front 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 front passenger's front
airbag has been turned off.
jAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
kA rollover sensor that detects whether
the vehicle is about to roll over.