1. Insert the ignition key, turn the switchto OFF and hold in OFF while removingthe key.
2. When you switch the ignition on, thepassenger airbag off light illuminatesbriefly, momentarily shuts off and thenturns back on. This indicates that thepassenger airbag is deactivated.
Turning the Passenger Airbag Back On
WARNINGS
The seatbelts for the driver and rightfront passenger seating positions arespecifically designed to operatetogether with the airbags in certain typesof crashes. When you switch off yourairbag, you not only lose the protection ofthe airbag, you also may reduce theeffectiveness of your seatbelt system. Ifthe passenger does not meet therequirements stated in the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration orTransport Canada deactivation criteria,switching off the airbag can increase therisk of serious injury or death in a crash.
If your vehicle has rear seats, alwaystransport children who are 12 andyounger in the rear seat. Always useseatbelts and child restraints properly. Donot place a child in a rear facing infant seatin the front seat unless your vehicle isequipped with an airbag on and off switchand the passenger airbag is turned off. Thisis because the back of the infant seat istoo close to the inflating airbag and therisk of a fatal injury to the infant when theairbag inflates is substantial.
If the passenger airbag off light isilluminated when the passengerairbag switch is on and the ignitionis on, have the passenger airbag switchserviced immediately by a qualifiedtechnician.
The passenger airbag remains off until youturn it back on.
1. Insert the ignition key and turn theswitch to ON.
2. The passenger airbag off light willbriefly illuminate when you switch theignition on. This indicates that thepassenger airbag is operational.
The passenger side airbag should alwaysbe on (the passenger airbag off lightshould not be illuminated) unless thepassenger is a person who meets therequirements stated either in Category 1, 2or 3 of the National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration or Transport Canadadeactivation criteria which follows.
The vast majority of drivers and passengersare much safer with an airbag thanwithout. To do their job and reduce the riskof life threatening injuries, airbags mustopen with great force, and this force canpose a potentially deadly risk in somesituations, particularly when a front seatoccupant is not properly buckled up. Themost effective way to reduce the risk ofunnecessary airbag injuries withoutreducing the overall safety of the vehicleis to make sure all occupants are properlyrestrained in the vehicle, especially in the
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front seat. This provides the protection ofseatbelts and permits the airbags toprovide the additional protection they weredesigned to provide. If you choose todeactivate your airbag, you are losing thevery significant risk reducing benefits ofthe airbag and you are also reducing theeffectiveness of the seatbelts, becauseseatbelts in modern vehicles are designedto work as a safety system with theairbags.
National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration Deactivation Criteria(Excluding Canada)
WARNING
This vehicle has special energymanagement seatbelts for the driverand right front passenger. Theseparticular seatbelts are specificallydesigned to work with airbags to helpreduce the risk of injury in a crash. Theenergy management seatbelt gives orreleases additional seatbelt webbing insome accidents to reduce theconcentration of force on an occupant'schest and to reduce the risk of certain bonefractures and injuries to underlying organs.In a crash, if the airbag is off, this energymanagement seatbelt might permit thepassenger wearing the seatbelt to moveforward enough to have a serious or fatalinjury. The more severe the crash, and theheavier the occupant, the greater the risk.Make sure the airbag is on for anypassenger who does not qualify under theNational Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration deactivation criteria.
1.Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old)must ride in the front seat because:
•The vehicle has no rear seat;
•The vehicle has a rear seat too smallto accommodate a rear-facing infantseat; or
•The infant has a medical conditionwhich, according to the infant'sphysician, makes it necessary for theinfant to ride in the front so that thedriver can constantly monitor thechild's condition.
2.Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 mustride in the front seat because:
•The vehicle has no rear seat;
•Although children ages 1 to 12 ride inthe rear seat(s) whenever possible,children ages 1 to 12 sometimes mustride in the front because no space isavailable in the rear seat(s) of thevehicle; or
•The child has a medical conditionwhich, according to the child'sphysician, makes it necessary for thechild to ride in the front seat so that thedriver can constantly monitor thechild's condition.
3. Medical condition. A passenger has amedical condition which, according to hisor her physician:
•Causes the passenger airbag to posea special risk for the passenger;
•Makes the potential harm from thepassenger airbag in a crash greaterthan the potential harm from turningoff the airbag and allowing thepassenger, even if belted, to hit thedashboard or windshield in a crash.
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