2013 Ram 1500 Side curtain

•Advanced Front Air Bags for driver and front
passenger
• Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
— if equipped
• Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
• An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
• Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
• All seat belt systems (except driver ’s, front center and
second row center position) include Automatic Lock-
ing Retractors (ALRs), which lock the seat belt web-
bing 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 Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren (LATCH).
NOTE:
The Advanced Front Air Bags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the air bag to have different
rates of inflation based on several factors, including the
severity and type of collision.
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
under If You Need 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)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during Advanced Front Air Bag deployment
could cause serious injury, including death. Air
Bags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably
extending your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
• Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC) and Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
also need room to inflate. Do not lean against the
door or window. Sit upright in the center of the
seat.
(Continued)
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
•In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buck-
led up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or
other passengers, or you can be thrown out of the
vehicle. Always be sure you and others in your
vehicle are buckled up properly.
• Being too close to the Supplemental Side Air Bag
Inflatable Curtain (SABIC) and/or Seat-Mounted
Side Air Bag (SAB) during deployment could cause
you to be severely injured or killed.
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility of
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 seating positions except the Quad Cab®, Mega Cab®
and Crew Cab front center seating position have combi-
nation lap/shoulder belts. The belt webbing retractor is
designed to lock during very sudden stops or collisions.
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51

The Advanced Front Air Bags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the air bag to have different rates of
inflation based on several factors, including the severity
and type of collision.
This vehicle may be equipped with a driver and/or front
passenger seat belt buckle switch that detects whether
the driver or front passenger seat belt is fastened. The
seat belt buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Air Bags.
This vehicle may also be equipped with Supplemental
Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC) to protect the
driver, front, and rear passengers sitting next to a win-
dow. If the vehicle is equipped with SABIC air bags, they
are located above the side windows and their covers are
also labeled: SRS AIRBAG.
This vehicle may also be equipped with Supplemental
Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB) to provide enhanced
protection for an occupant during a side impact. If thevehicle is equipped with Supplemental Seat-Mounted
Side Air Bags they are located in 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 collision, 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
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 67

•Knee Impact Bolster
• Driver Advanced Front Air Bag
• Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
• Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB) — if
equipped
• Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
— if equipped
• Front and Side Impact Sensors
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
• Seat Belt Pretensioners
Advanced Front Air Bag Features
The Advanced Front Air Bag system has multistage
driver and front passenger air bags. This system provides
output appropriate to the severity and type of collision as determined by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC),
which may receive information from the front impact
sensors (if equipped).
The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires air bag deployment. This low output
is used in less severe collisions. A higher energy output is
used for more severe collisions.
WARNING!
•
No objects should be placed over or near the air
bag on the instrument panel, because any such
objects could cause harm if the vehicle is in a
collision severe enough to cause the air bag to
inflate.
(Continued)
68 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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) — If Equipped
SABIC air bags 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 curtains deploy downward,
covering both windows on the impact side.NOTE:
•Air Bag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim,
but they will open during air bag deployment.
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain (SABIC)
Label Location
70 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•Being too close to the SAB and SABIC air bags during
deployment could cause you to be severely injured or
killed.
• Should a vehicle rollover occur, the pretensioners (if
equipped) and/or SAB and SABIC air bags on both
sides of the vehicle may deploy.
The system includes side impact sensors (if equipped)
that are calibrated to deploy the side air bags during
impacts that require air bag occupant protection.WARNING!
• If your vehicle is equipped with left and right
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC), do not stack luggage or other cargo up
high enough to block the location of the SABIC.
The area where the SABIC is located should remain
free from any obstructions.
• Do not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the side air bags; the performance
could be adversely affected and/or objects could be
pushed into you, causing serious injury.
• If your vehicle is equipped with SABIC air bags,
do not have any accessory items installed which
will alter the roof, including adding a sunroof to
your vehicle. Do not add roof racks that require
permanent attachments (bolts or screws) for instal-
lation on the vehicle roof. Do not drill into the roof
of the vehicle for any reason.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71

are possible, based on several factors, including the
collision type and severity. The steering wheel hub trim
cover and the upper right side of the instrument panel
separate and fold out of the way as the air bags inflate to
their full size. The air bags fully inflate in about 50 to 70
milliseconds. This is about half of the time it takes to
blink your eyes. The air bags then quickly deflate while
helping to restrain the driver and front passenger.
The Advanced Front Air Bag gas is vented through the
vent holes in the sides of the air bag. In this way, the air
bags do not interfere with your control of the vehicle.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bag (SAB)
Inflator Units — If Equipped
The Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags are de-
signed to activate only in certain side collisions.The ORC determines if a side collision requires the side
air bags to inflate, based on the severity and type of
collision.
Based on the severity and type of collision, the side air
bag inflator on the crash side of the vehicle may be
triggered, releasing a quantity of non-toxic gas. The
inflating SAB exits through the seat seam into the space
between the occupant and the door. The SAB fully inflate
in about 10 milliseconds. The side air bag moves at a very
high speed and with such a high force that it could injure
you if you are not seated properly, or if items are
positioned in the area where the side air bag inflates. This
especially applies to children.Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC) Inflator Units — If Equipped
During collisions where the impact is confined to a
particular area of the side of the vehicle, the ORC may
deploy the SABIC air bags, depending on the severity
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 75