2014 Ram Cargo Van Owner's Manual

Gas props support the liftgate in the open position.
However, because the gas pressure drops with tempera-
ture, it may be necessary to assist the props when
opening the liftgate in cold weather.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating
positions
• Advanced Front Air Bags for driver and front passen-
ger
• Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint)
• Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag
• Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB) •
An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
• Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
• Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners that may
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event
• The front passenger seat includes an Automatic Lock-
ing Retractor (ALR) which locks the seat belt webbing
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
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

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.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
1. Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
WARNING!
•Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an
air bag. A deploying Passenger Advanced Front Air
Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child 12
years or younger, including a child in a rearward
facing infant seat.
• Only use a rearward-facing child restraint in a
vehicle with a rear seat. Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly (see section on Child Restraints) should be
secured in child restraints or belt-positioning booster
seats. Older children who do not use child restraints or
belt-positioning booster seats should ride properly buck-
led up in the passenger seat. Never allow children to
slide the shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
If a child from 2 to 12 years old (not in a rear facing child
seat) must ride in the front passenger seat, move the seat
as far back as possible and use the proper child restraint.
(Refer to “Child Restraints”).
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2.
All occupants should always wear their lap and
shoulder belts properly.
3. The driver and front passenger seats should be
moved back as far as practical to allow the Advanced
Front Air Bags room to inflate.
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

4.Do not lean against the door or window. If your
vehicle has side air bags, and deployment occurs, the
side air bags will inflate forcefully into the space
between you and the door.
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.
• 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.
• 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.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57

WARNING!(Continued)
•Being too close to the 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 seats in your vehicle are equipped with lap/shoulder
belts.
The belt webbing in the 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.
WARNING!
• It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in
these areas are more likely to be seriously injured
or killed.
(Continued)
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
•Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
• Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
• Wearing a seat belt incorrectly is dangerous. Seat
belts are designed to go around the large bones of
your body. These are the strongest parts of your
body and can take the forces of a collision the best.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Wearing your belt in the wrong place could make
your injuries in a collision much worse. You might
suffer internal injuries, or you could even slide out
of part of the belt. Follow these instructions to wear
your seat belt safely and to keep your passengers
safe, too.
• Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in a collision, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their size.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and adjust the seat.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59

2. The seat belt latch plate is near the seatback of thefront seats and next to your arm in the rear seats.
Grasp the latch plate and pull out the belt. Slide the
latch plate up the webbing as far as necessary to allow
the belt to go around your lap.WARNING!
•A belt that is worn under your arm is dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in a collision, increasing head and neck
injury. A belt worn under the arm can cause inter-
nal injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as shoulder
bones. Wear the belt over your shoulder so that
your strongest bones will take the force in a colli-
sion.
• A shoulder belt placed behind you will not protect
you from injury during a collision. You are more
likely to hit your head in a collision if you do not
wear your shoulder belt. The lap and shoulder belt
are meant to be used together.
3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click”.
Pulling Out Belt And Latch Plate
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•A belt that is buckled into the wrong buckle will
not protect you properly. The lap portion could ride
too high on your body, possibly causing internal
injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle
nearest you.
• A belt that is too loose will not protect you prop-
erly. In a sudden stop you could move too far
forward, increasing the possibility of injury. Wear
your seat belt snugly.
Inserting Latch Plate Into Buckle
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61

4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below yourabdomen. To remove slack in the lap belt portion, pull
up on the shoulder belt. To loosen the lap belt if it is
too tight, tilt the latch plate and pull on the lap belt. A
snug belt reduces the risk of sliding under the belt in
a collision.WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in a collision. The belt forces won’t
be at the strong hip and pelvic bones, but across
your abdomen. Always wear the lap belt as low as
possible and keep it snug.
• A twisted belt may not protect you properly. In a
collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure the belt
is straight. If you can’t straighten a belt in your
vehicle, take it to your authorized dealer immedi-
ately and have it fixed.
5. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retrac-
tor will withdraw any slack in the belt.
Removing Slack From Belt
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE