Driving  safety 
The head restraints  must  be correctly  adjusted  to 
achieve the  best  protection. 
.,. Adjust  the  head restraint  so the  upper  edge  is 
as even as possible  with  the  top  of  your  head. 
If 
that  is not  possible,  try  to  adjust  the  head  re
straint  so that  it  is as close to  this  position  as 
possible 
c:::> fig.  145. Move the  head restraint  so 
that  it  is as close to  the  back of  the  head as 
possible. 
.,.  If  there  is a passenger on the  rear center  seat
ing  position*,  slide  the  center  head  restraint* 
upward  at  least  to  the  next  notch. 
Adjusting  head restraints 
c:::> page  55. 
A WARNING 
All  seats are equipped  with  head restraints.  Driving  without  head  restraints or with  head 
restraints  that  are not  properly  adjusted  in
creases the  risk of  serious or  fatal  neck injury 
dramatically.  To help  reduce  the risk of  injury: 
- Always drive  with  the  head restraints  in 
place  and properly  adjusted. 
- Every  person in the  vehicle  must  have a 
properly  adjusted  head  restraint. 
-Always  make sure each person  in the  vehicle 
properly  adjusts  their head restraint.  Adjust 
the  head restraint  so the  upper  edge  is as 
even as  possible  with the top  of your  head. 
If  that  is not  possible,  try  to adjust  the  head 
restraint  so that  it  is as close to  this  position 
as possible.  Move the  head restraint  so that 
it  is as close to  the  back of  the  head as pos
sible. 
- Never attempt  to  adjust  head restraint  while  driving.  If  you  have driven  off  and 
must  adjust  the  driver  headrest  for  any rea
son, first  stop  the  vehicle  safely  before  at
tempting  to  adjust  the  head restraint. 
- Children  must  always be properly  restrained  in a child  restraint  that  is appropriate  for 
their  age and size 
c:::> page  167 . 
130 
-
Examples  of  improper  seating  positions 
The occupant  restraint  system  can only reduce 
the  risk of  injury if  vehicle occupants  are properly 
seated . 
Improper  seating  positions  can cause serious  in
jury  or  death.  Safety  belts  can only  work  when  they  are properly  positioned  on the  body . Im
proper  seating  positions  reduce the  effectiveness 
of  safety  belts  and will  even increase the  risk  of  injury  and  death  by moving  the  safety  belt  to  crit
ical  areas of  the  body.  Improper seating  positions 
also  increase the  risk of  serious  injury  and death 
when  an airbag  deploys  and  strikes  an occupant 
who  is not  in the  proper  seating  position.  A driver 
is  responsible  for  the  safety  of  all  vehicle  occu
pants  and especially  for  children.  Therefore: 
.,.  Never allow  anyone to  assume an incorrect 
seating  position  when  the  vehicle  is being  used 
c:::> A . 
The following  bulletins  list only  some  sample  po
sitions  that  will  increase the  risk of  serious  injury 
and  death . Our hope  is that  these  examples  will 
make you  more  aware of  seating  positions  that 
are dangerous. 
Therefore,  whenever  the  vehicle  is moving: 
-never  stand  up  in the  vehicle 
- never stand  on  the seats 
- never  kneel on the  seats 
- never  ride with  the  seatback  reclined 
- never  lie  down  on  the  rear seat 
- never  lean up against  the  instrument  panel 
- never sit  on the  edge of  the  seat 
- never  sit  sideways 
- never  lean out  the  window 
- never  put  your  feet  out  the window 
- never put  your  feet  on the  instrument  panel 
- never  rest your  feet  on the  seat cushion  or  back 
of  the  seat 
- never  ride  in  the  footwell 
- never  ride  in  the  cargo area