Page 114 of 772

114 1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
AVENSIS_EE (OM20B44E)
CAUTION
Seat belt pretensioners
Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger’s seat.
Doing so will disperse the passenger’s weight, which prevents the sensor
from detecting the passenger’s weight properly. As a result, the seat belt
pretensioner for the front passenger’s seat may not activate in the event of
a collision.
If the pretensioner has activated, the SRS warning light will come on. In
that case, the seat belt cannot be used again and must be replaced at any
authorized Toyota dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and
equipped professional.
Seat belt damage and wear
Do not damage the seat belts by allowing the belt, plate, or buckle to be
jammed in the door.
Inspect the seat belt system periodically. Check for cuts, fraying, and loose
parts. Do not use a damaged seat belt until it is replaced. Damaged seat
belt cannot protect an occupant from death or serious injury.
Ensure that the belt and tab are locked and the belt is not twisted.
If the seat belt does not function correctly, immediately contact any autho-
rized Toyota dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped pro-
fessional.
Replace the seat assembly, including the belts, if your vehicle has been
involved in a serious accident, even if there is no obvious damage.
Do not attempt to install, remove, modify, disassemble or dispose of the
seat belts. Have any necessary repairs carried out by any authorized
Toyota dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped
professional. Inappropriate handling of the pretensioner may prevent it
from operating properly resulting in death or serious injury.
Page 115 of 772
115 1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
AVENSIS_EE (OM20B44E)
CAUTION
Seat belt damage and wear
For sedan:
Always make sure the shoulder belt passes through the guide when using
the seat belt. Failure to properly position the belt may reduce the amount
of protection in an accident and could lead to serious injuries in a collision
or sudden stop.
Always make sure that the seat belt is not twisted, does not get caught in
the guide or the seatback and is arranged in the proper position.
When using the rear center seat belt (sedan)
Precaution for pre-crash seat belts
Do not rely on the pre-crash safety to avoid accidents. Always pay attention
to the surrounding conditions, and drive safely and responsibly.
Do not use the rear center seat belt with
either buckle released. Fastening only
one of the buckles may result in death or
serious injury in case of sudden braking
or a collision.
Page 154 of 772
154
AVENSIS_EE (OM20B44E)
1-7. Safety information
Correct driving posture
Drive with a good posture as follows:
Sit upright and well back in
the seat. (P. 9 8 )
Adjust the position of the
seat forward or backward to
ensure the pedals can be
reached and easily
depressed to the extent
required. (P. 98)
Adjust the seatback so that
the controls are easily oper-
able.
Adjust the tilt and telescopic
positions of the steering
wheel downward so the air-
bag is facing your chest.
(P. 116)
Lock the head restraint in
place with the center of the
head restraint closest to the
top of your ears. (P. 106)
Wear the seat belt correctly.
(P. 108)
Page 155 of 772

155 1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
AVENSIS_EE (OM20B44E)
CAUTION
While driving
Do not adjust the position of the driver’s seat.
Doing so could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Do not place a cushion between the driver or passenger and the seatback.
A cushion may prevent correct posture from being achieved, and reduce
the effectiveness of the seat belt and head restraint, increasing the risk of
death or serious injury to the driver or passenger.
Do not place anything under the front seats.
Objects placed under the front seats may become jammed in the seat
tracks and stop the seat from locking in place. This may lead to an acci-
dent. The adjustment mechanism may also be damaged.
Adjusting the seat position
Do not recline the seat more than necessary when the vehicle is in motion,
to reduce the risk of sliding under the lap belt.
If the seat is too reclined during an accident, the lap belt may slide past the
hips and apply restraint forces directly to the abdomen or your neck may
contact the shoulder belt, increasing the risk of death or serious injury.
Take care when adjusting the seat position to ensure that other passen-
gers are not injured by the moving seat.
Do not put your hands under the seat or near the moving parts to avoid
injury.
Fingers or hands may become jammed in the seat mechanism.
Page 156 of 772
156
1-7. Safety information
AVENSIS_EE (OM20B44E)
SRS airbags
The SRS airbags inflate when the vehicle is subjected to certain
types of severe impacts that may cause significant injury to the
occupants. They work together with the seat belts to help reduce the
risk of death or serious injury.
Front airbags
Driver airbag/front passenger airbag
Can help protect the head and chest of the driver and front pas-
senger from impact with interior components.
Knee airbag
Can help provide driver protection.
Page 157 of 772
157 1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
AVENSIS_EE (OM20B44E)
Airbag system components
Front airbag sensor
Airbag manual on-off switch
Front passenger airbag
Side and curtain shield air-
bag sensor
Side airbag
Curtain shield airbagDriver airbag
Driver’s seat belt buckle
switch
Knee airbag
SRS warning light
“PASSENGER AIRBAG”
indicator light
Airbag sensor assembly
Side and curtain shield airbags
Side airbags
Can help protect the torso of the front seat occupants.
Curtain shield airbags
Can help protect primarily the head of front seat occupants and
rear outboard seat occupants.
Page 158 of 772

158 1-7. Safety information
AVENSIS_EE (OM20B44E)The main SRS airbag system components are shown. The SRS air-
bag system is controlled by the airbag sensor assembly. The airbag
sensor assembly consists of a safing sensor and an airbag sensor.
In certain types of severe frontal or side impacts, the SRS airbag sys-
tem triggers the airbag inflators. A chemical reaction in the inflators
quickly fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to help restrain the motion
of the occupants.
If the SRS airbags deploy (inflate)
Bruising and slight abrasions may result from contact with a deploying
(inflating) SRS airbag.
A loud noise and white powder will be emitted.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, airbag cover and inflator)
as well as the front seats, front pillar and roof side rail, may be hot for
several minutes. The airbag itself may also be hot.
The windshield may crack.
Operating conditions (front airbags)
The SRS front airbag will deploy in the event of an impact that exceeds
the set threshold level (the level of force corresponding to an approxi-
mately 20 - 30 km/h [12 - 18 mph] frontal collision with a fixed wall that
does not move or deform).
However, this threshold velocity will be considerably higher if the vehicle
strikes an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign pole, which can move or
deform on impact, or if the vehicle is involved in an underride collision (e.g.
a collision in which the front of the vehicle “underrides”, or goes under, the
bed of a truck, etc.).
It is possible that in some collisions where the forward deceleration of the
vehicle is very close to the designed threshold level, the SRS front air-
bags and the seat belt pretensioners may not activate together.
Page 163 of 772

163 1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
AVENSIS_EE (OM20B44E)
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.
Since the risk zone for the driver’s airbag is the first 50 - 75 mm (2 - 3 in.)
of inflation, placing yourself 250 mm (10 in.) 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 250
mm (10 in.) 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 250 mm
(10 in.) distance, even with the driver seat all the way forward, simply
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 above, while still maintaining
control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view of the instrument
panel controls.