2016 Hyundai Sonata Owner's Manual

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Safety system of your vehicle
Rear center seat belt
When using the rear center seat belt,
the buckle with the “CENTER” mark
must be used.
Additional Seat Belt Safety
Precautions
Seat belt use during pregnancy
The seat belt should always be used
during pregnancy. The best way to
protect your unborn child is to protect
yourself by always wearing the seat
belt.
Pregnant women should always wear
a lap-shoulder seat belt. Place the
shoulder belt across your chest, rout-
ed between your breasts and away
from your neck. Place the shoulder
belt across the chest, routed away
from the neck. Place the lap belt below
the belt line so that it fits snugly and as
low as possible across the hips, not
across the abdomen.
Seat belt use and children
Infant and small children
All 50 states have child restraint laws
which require children to travel in
approved child restraint devices,
including booster seats. The age at
which seat belts can be used instead
of child restraints differs among
states, so you should be aware of the
specific requirements in your state,
and where you are travelling. Infant
and child restraints must be properly
placed and installed in a rear seat.
For more information refer to the
“Child Restraint Systems” section in
this chapter.
To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death to an unborn
child during an accident, preg-
nant women should NEVER
place the lap portion of the seat
belt above or over the area of
the abdomen where the unborn
child is located.
WARNING
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Safety system of your vehicle
2
Small children are best protected
from injury in an accident when prop-
erly restrained in the rear seat by a
child restraint system that meets the
requirements of the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards. Before
buying any child restraint system,
make sure that it has a label certify-
ing that it meets Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213. The
restraint must be appropriate for your
child's height and weight. Check the
label on the child restraint for this
information. Refer to the “Child
Restraint Systems”section in this
chapter.Larger children
Children under age 13 and who are
too large for a booster seat must
always occupy the rear seat and use
the available lap/shoulder belts. A
seat belt should lie across the upper
thighs and be snug across the shoul-
der and chest to restrain the child
safely. Check belt fit periodically.
Children are afforded the most safe-
ty in the event of an accident when
they are restrained by a proper
restraint system and/or seat belts in
the rear seat. Always have the
LATCH system inspected by your
authorized HYUNDAI dealer after an
accident. An accident can damage
the LATCH system and may not
properly secure the child restraint.
If a larger child over age 13 must be
seated in the front seat, the child
must be securely restrained by the
available lap/shoulder belt and the
seat should be placed in the rear-
most position.
ALWAYS properly restrain infants
and small children in a child
restraint appropriate for the
child’s height and weight.
To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death to a child and
other passengers, NEVER hold a
child in your lap or arms when
the vehicle is moving. The violent
forces created during an acci-
dent will tear the child from your
arms and throw the child against
the interior of the vehicle.WARNING

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Safety system of your vehicle
If the shoulder belt portion slightly
touches the child’s neck or face, try
placing the child closer to the center
of the vehicle. If the shoulder belt still
touches their face or neck they need
to be returned to an appropriate
booster seat in the rear seat.
Transporting an injured person
A seat belt should be used when an
injured person is being transported.
Consult a physician for specific rec-
ommendations.
One person per belt
Two people (including children) should
never attempt to use a single seat belt.
This could increase the severity of
injuries in case of an accident.
Do not lie down
Sitting in a reclined position when the
vehicle is in motion can be dangerous.
Even when buckled up, the protec-
tions of your restraint system (seat
belts and air bags) is greatly reduced
by reclining your seatback.
To reduce the chance of injuries in the
event of an accident and to achieve
the maximum effectiveness of the
restraint system, all passengers
should be sitting up and the front and
rear seats should be in an upright
position when the car is moving. A seat belt cannot provide proper
protection if the person is lying down
in the rear seat or if the front or rear
seats are in a reclined position.
NEVER ride with a reclined
seatback when the vehicle is
moving.
Riding with a reclined seatback
increases your chance of seri-
ous or fatal injuries in the event
of a collision or sudden stop.
Drivers and passengers should
always sit well back in their
seats, properly belted, and with
the seatbacks upright.
WARNING
Always make sure children
are wearing their seat belts
and that they are properly
adjusted before driving.
NEVER allow the shoulder
belt to contact the child’s
neck or face.
Do not allow more than one
child to use a single seat belt.
WARNING

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Safety system of your vehicle
2
Care of Seat Belts
Seat belt systems should never be
disassembled or modified. In addi-
tion, care should be taken to assure
that seat belts and belt hardware are
not damaged by seat hinges, doors
or other abuse.
Periodic inspection
All seat belts should be inspected
periodically for wear or damage of
any kind. Any damaged parts should
be replaced as soon as possible by
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Keep belts clean and dry
Seat belts should be kept clean and
dry. If belts become dirty, they can be
cleaned by using a mild soap solu-
tion and warm water. Bleach, dye,
strong detergents or abrasives
should not be used because they
may damage and weaken the fabric.
When to replace seat belts
The entire seat belt assembly or
assemblies should be replaced if the
vehicle has been involved in an acci-
dent. This should be done even if no
damage is visible. Additional ques-
tions concerning seat belt operation
should be directed to an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.

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Safety system of your vehicle
Children Always in the RearChildren under age 13 must always
ride in the rear seats and must
always be properly restrained to min-
imize the risk of injury in an accident,
sudden stop or sudden maneuver.
According to accident statistics, chil-
dren are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seats than in
the front seat.Even with air bags,
children can be seriously injured
or killed. Children too large for a
child restraint must use the seat belts
provided.
All 50 states have child restraint laws
which require children to travel in
approved child restraint devices. The
laws governing the age or
height/weight restrictions at which
seat belts can be used instead of
child restraints differs among states,
so you should be aware of the spe-
cific requirements in your state, and
where you are travelling. Child restraint systems must be
properly placed and installed in the
rear seat. You must use a commer-
cially available child restraint system
that meets the requirements of the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards (FMVSS).
Child restraint systems are generally
designed to be secured in a vehicle
seat by lap belt portion of a
lap/shoulder belt, or by a LATCH sys-
tem in the rear seats of the vehicle.
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Always properly restrain chil-
dren in the rear seats of the
vehicle.
Children of all ages are safer
when restrained in the rear seat.
A child riding in the front pas-
senger seat can be forcefully
struck by an inflating air bag
resulting in SERIOUS INJURY
or DEATH.
WARNING

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Safety system of your vehicle
2
Child restraint system (CRS)
Infants and younger children must be
restrained in an appropriate rear-fac-
ing or forward-facing CRS that has
first been properly secured to the
rear seat of the vehicle. Read and
comply with the instructions for
installation and use provided by the
manufacturer of the child restraint.
Selecting a Child Restraint
System (CRS)
When selecting a CRS for your child,
always:
Make sure the CRS has a labelcertifying that it meets applicable
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards (FMVSS 213).
Select a child restraint based on your child’s height and weight. The
required label or the instructions
for use typically provide this infor-
mation.
Select a child restraint that fits the vehicle seating position where it
will be used.
Read and comply with the warn- ings and instructions for installation
and use provided with the child
restraint system.
(Continued)Always follow the child
restraint system manufactur-
er’s instructions for installa-
tion and use.
Always properly restrain your
child in the child restraint.
Do not use an infant carrier or
a child safety seat that
“hooks” over a seatback, it
may not provide adequate
protection in an accident.
After an accident, have a
HYUNDAI dealer check the
child restraint system, seat
belts, tether anchors and
lower anchors.An improperly secured child
restraint can increase the risk
of SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH
in an accident. Always take the
following precautions when
using a child restraint system:
NEVER install a child or infant
restraint in the front passen-
ger’s seat.
Always properly secure the
child restraint to a rear seat of
the vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING

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Safety system of your vehicle
Child restraint system types
There are three main types of child
restraint systems: rear-facing seats,
forward-facing seats, and booster
seats. They are classified according
to the child’s age, height and weight.
Rear-facing child seats
A rear-facing child seat provides
restraint with the seating surface
against the back of the child. The har-
ness system holds the child in place,
and in an accident, acts to keep the
child positioned in the seat and
reduce the stress to the neck and
spinal cord.
All children under age one must
always ride in a rear-facing infant child
restraint.
Convertible and 3-in-1 child seats typ-
ically have higher height and weight
limits for the rear-facing position,
allowing you to keep your child rear-
facing for a longer period of time.Continue to use a rear-facing child
seat for as long as your child will fit
within the height and weight limits
allowed by the child seat manufactur-
er. It’s the best way to keep them
safe. Once your child has outgrown
the rear-facing child restraint, your
child is ready for a forward-facing
child restraint with a harness.
OLMB033041NEVER install a child or infant
restraint in the front passen-
ger’s seat.
Placing a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat can
result in SERIOUS INJURY or
DEATH if the child restraint is
struck by an inflating air bag.
WARNING

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Safety system of your vehicle
2
Forward-facing child restraints
A forward-facing child seat provides
restraint for the child’s body with a
harness. Keep children in a forward-
facing child seat with a harness until
they reach the top height or weight
limit allowed by your child restraint’s
manufacturer.
Once your child outgrows the forward-
facing child restraint, your child is
ready for a booster seat.
Booster seats
A booster seat is a restraint designed
to improve the fit of the vehicle’s seat
belt system. A booster seat positions
the seat belt so that it fits properly
over the lap of your child.
Keep your child in a booster seat until
they are big enough to sit in the seat
without a booster and still have the
seat belt fit properly. For a seat belt to
fit properly, the lap belt must lie snug-
ly across the upper thighs, not the
stomach. The shoulder belt should lie
snug across the shoulder and chest
and not across the neck or face.
Children under age 13 must always
ride in the rear seats and must always
be properly restrained to minimize the
risk of injury.
Installing a Child Restraint
System (CRS)
Before installing your child
restraint system always:
Read and follow the instruc-
tions provided by the manu-
facturer of the child restraint.
Read and follow the instruc-
tions regarding child restraint
systems in this manual.
Failure to follow all warnings
and instructions could increase
the risk of the SERIOUS INJURY
or DEATH if an accident occurs.
WARNING
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