Page 37 of 488
36
uu Seat Belts u Seat Belt Inspection
Safe Driving
Seat Belt Inspection
Regularly check the condition of your seat belts as follows:
• Pul
l each belt out fully, and look for frays, cuts, burns, and wear.
•Che
ck that the latches work smoothly and the belts retract easily.
u If a
belt does not retract eas ily, cleaning 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
protec
tion and should be replaced as soon as possible.
A belt that has been worn during a crash may not provide the same level of
protec
tion in a subsequent crash. Have your seat belts inspected by a dealer after
any collision.
1 Seat Belt Inspection
3 WARNING
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 49 of 488
48
uu Airbags u Airbag System Indicators
Safe Driving
Airbag System Indicators
If a problem occurs in the airbag syst em, the SRS indicator will come on and a
message appears on the multi-information display *.
■When the ignition switch is turned to
ON
(w
The indicator comes on for a few seconds,
then goes off. This tells you the system is
working properly.
If the indicator comes on at any other time, or does
not come on at all, have the
system checked by a dealer as soon as po ssible. If you don't, your airbags and seat
belt tensioners may not work properly when they are needed.
■SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator1 SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator
3 WARNING
Ignoring the SRS indicator can result in
serious injury or death if the airbag systems
or tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a dealer as
soon as possible if th e SRS indicator alerts
you to a possible problem.
* Not available on all models
Page 53 of 488
52
Safe Driving
Child Safety
Protecting Child Passengers
Each year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they are
either unrestrained or not properly restra ined. In fact, vehicle accidents are the
number one cause of death of children age 12 and under.
To reduce the number of child deaths and in jurie
s, every state, Canadian province
and territory requires that infants and childre n be properly restrained when they ride
in a vehicle.
Children should sit properly restrained
in a rear seat. This is because:
• An in
flating front or side airbag can injure
or kill a child sitti ng in the front seat.
• A ch
ild in the front seat is more likely to
interfere with the driver 's ability to safely
control the vehicle.
• Statistics show that
children of all sizes and
ages are safer when they are properly
restrained in a rear seat.
1 Protecting Child Passengers
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport Canada recommend
that all children age 12 and under be properly
restrained in a rear seat. Some states or provinces/
territories have laws rest ricting where children may
ride.
3 WARNING
Children who are unrestrained or
improperly restrained can be seriously
injured or killed in a crash.
Any child too small for a seat belt should be
properly restrained in a child seat. A larger
child should be properly restrained with a
seat belt, using a booster seat if necessary.
Page 54 of 488
53
uu Child Safety u Protecting Child Passengers
Safe Driving
• Any child who is too small to wear a seat belt correctly must be restrained in an
approved child seat that is properly secured to the vehicle using either the lap belt
portion of the lap/shoulder belt or the lower anchors of the LATCH system.
•Never hold a child on your lap because it is impossible to protect them in the
event of a collision.
• Never put a
seat belt over yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt would
likely press deep into the child and cause serious or fatal injuries.
• Never let
two children use the same seat belt. Both children could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not allow children
to operate the doors, windows or seat adjustments.
• Do not leav
e children in the vehicle unattended, especially in hot weather when
the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough to kill them. They could also activate
vehicle controls causing it to move unexpectedly.
1 Protecting Child Passengers
To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle
and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way.
To remind you of the pa ssenger's front airbag
hazards and child safety, y our vehicle warning came
with a label on the dashboard (U.S. models) and has
labels on the front visors. Pl ease read and follow the
instructions on these labels.
2 Safety Labels P. 66
3 WARNING
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or
wrap one around their neck can result in
serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat
belt and make sure any unused seat belt a
child can reach is buckled, fully retracted,
and locked.
Page 55 of 488
54
uu Child Safety u Safety of Infants and Small Children
Safe Driving
Safety of Infants and Small Children
An infant must be properly restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat until the
infant reaches the seat maker's weight or he ight limit for the seat, and the infant is
at least one year old.
■Positioning a rear-facing child seat
Child seats must be placed and secured in a
rear
seating position.
When properly installed, a rear-facing child seat m
ay prevent the driver or a front
passenger from moving their seat all the way back, or from locking their seat-back
in the desired position.
It can also interfere with pr op
er operation of the passenger's advanced front airbag
system.
2 Airbags P. 37
If this occurs, we recommend that you install the child seat directly behind the front
passenger's seat, move the seat as far fo rward as needed, and leave it unoccupied.
Or, you may wish to get a sm aller rear-facing child seat.
■Protecting Infants1Protecting Infants
Rear-facing child seats should never be installed in a
forward facing position.
Always refer to the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions before installation.
3 WARNING
Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front
seat can result in serious injury or death
during a crash.
Always place a rear-fac ing child seat in the
rear seat, not the front.
Page 56 of 488
Continued55
uu Child Safety u Safety of Infants and Small Children
Safe DrivingIf a child is at least one year old and within the weight range indicated by the child
seat manufacturer, the child should be properly restrained in a firmly secured
forward-facing child seat.
■Forward-facing child seat placement
We strongly recommend placing a forward-
fac
ing child seat in a rear seating position.
Placing a forward-facing child seat in th e
front seat can be hazardous, even with
advanced front airbags that automatically turn the passeng er's front airbag off. A
rear seat is the safest place for a child.
■Protecting Smaller Children1 Protecting Smaller Children
Educate yourself about th e laws and regulations
regarding child seat use wh ere you are driving, and
follow the child seat manufacturer's instructions.
Many experts recommend us e of a rear-facing seat
up to age two, if the chil d’s height and weight are
appropriate for a rear-facing seat.
3 WARNING
Placing a forward-facing child seat in the
front seat can result in serious injury or
death if the front airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-facing child
seat in front, move the vehicle seat as far
back as possible, and properly restrain the
child.
Page 64 of 488
63
uu Child Safety u Safety of Larger Children
Continued
Safe Driving
Safety of Larger Children
The following pages give instructions on ho w to check proper seat belt fit, what kind
of booster seat to use if one is needed, and important precautions for a child who
must sit in front.
When a child is too big for a child
seat, secure the child in a rear seat using the lap/
shoulder seat belt. Have the child sit upri ght and all the way back, then answer the
following questions.
■Checklist
• Do
the child's knees bend comfortably over
the edge of the seat?
• Does the shoulder belt cross between the
ch
ild's neck and arm?
• Is
the lap part of the seat belt as low as
possible, touching the child's thighs?
• Will the child be able to stay
seated like this
for the whole trip?
If you answer yes to all these questions, th e
child is ready to wear the lap/shoulder
seat belt correctly. If you answer no to any question, the child needs to ride on a
booster seat until the seat belt fits properly without a booster seat.
■Protecting Larger Children
■Checking Seat Belt Fit
1 Safety of Larger Children
3 WARNING
Allowing a child age 12 or under to sit in
front can result in injury or death if the
passenger's front airbag inflates.
If a larger child must ri de in front, move the
vehicle seat as far to the rear as possible,
have the child sit up properly and wear the
seat belt properly, using a booster seat if
needed.
Page 66 of 488
65
Safe Driving
Exhaust Gas Hazard
Carbon Monoxide Gas
The engine exhaust from this vehicle contains carbon monoxide, a colorless,
odorless, and highly toxic gas. As long as you properly maintain your vehicle, carbon
monoxide gas will not get into the interior.
■Have the exhaust system in spected for leaks whenever
• The exhaust
system is making an unusual noise.
• The exhaust
system may have been damaged.
• The vehicle
is raised for an oil change.
When you operate a vehicle with the tailga te op
en, airflow can pull exhaust gas into
the interior and create a hazardous conditio n. If you must drive with the tailgate
open, open all the windows and set the climate control system as shown below.
1. Select
the fresh air mode.
2.Select
the mode.
3. Set
the fan speed to high.
4.Set
the temperature control to a comfortable setting.
Adjust the climate control system in the s
ame manner if you sit in your parked
vehicle with the engine running.
1 Carbon Monoxide Gas
An enclosed area such as a garage can quickly fill up
with carbon monoxide gas.
Do not run the engine with the garage door closed.
Even when the garage door is open, drive out of the
garage immediat ely after starting the engine.
3 WARNING
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause unconsciousness and
even kill you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or activities that
expose you to carbon monoxide.
