39
uu Airbags u Airbag System Components
Safe DrivingAirbags can pose serious hazards. To do their job, airbags must inflate with
tremendous force. So, while airbags help sa ve lives, they can cause burns, bruises,
and other minor injuries, and sometimes even fatal ones if occupants are not
wearing their seat belts properly and sitting correctly.
What you should do: Always wear your seat belt properly , and sit upright and as
far back from the steering wheel as possi ble while allowing full control of the
vehicle. A front passenger should move their seat as far back from the dashboard as
possible.
Remember, however, that no safety system ca n prevent all injuries or deaths that
can
occur in a severe crash, even when s eat belts are properly worn and the airbags
deploy.
Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a front airbag.
Car
rying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp
object in your mouth, can result in in juries if your front airbag inflates.
Do not attach or place objects on the front airbag covers. Obj
ects on the
covers marked SRS AIRBAG could interfere with the proper operation of the airbags
or be propelled inside the vehicle an d hurt someone if the airbags inflate.
■Important Facts About Your Airbags1Important Facts About Your Airbags
Do not attempt to deactivate your airbags. Together,
airbags and seat belts pr ovide the best protection.
When driving, keep hand s and arms out of the
deployment path of the front airbag by holding each
side of the steering wheel. Do not cross an arm over
the airbag cover.
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.
