OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Some of the most important safety features in your vehicle
are the restraint systems:
Occupant Restraint Systems Features
•Seat Belt Systems
• Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Air Bags
• Child Restraints
Some of the safety features described in this section may be
standard equipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask your autho-
rized dealer.
Important Safety Precautions
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.
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 vehicle with a rear seat. 2. If a child from 2 to 12 years old (not in a rear-facing child
restraint) 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.”)
3. Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat belt properly (Refer to Child Restraints) should be
secured in a vehicle with a rear seat in child restraints or
belt-positioning booster seats. Older children who do
not use child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats
should ride properly buckled up in a vehicle with a rear
seat.
4. Never allow children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
5. You should read the instructions provided with your child restraint to make sure that you are using it
properly.
6. All occupants should always wear their lap and shoul- der belts properly.
7. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved back as far as practical to allow the front air bags room
to inflate.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
The seat belt webbing retractor will lock only during very
sudden stops or collisions. This feature allows the shoulder
part of the seat belt to move freely with you under normal
conditions. However, in a collision the seat belt will lock
and reduce your risk of striking the inside of the vehicle or
being thrown out of the vehicle.
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 belt even though you have air bags.
• In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buckled
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.
• 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)
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. Occupants, including the
driver, should always wear their seat belts whether
or not an air bag is also provided at their seating
position to minimize the risk of severe injury or
death in the event of a crash.
• Wearing your seat belt incorrectly could make your
injuries in a collision much worse. You might suffer
internal injuries, or you could even slide out of the
seat 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 an-
other in a collision, hurting one another badly. Never
use a lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for more than one
person, no matter what their size.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45
5. Position the shoulder belt across the shoulder and chestwith minimal, if any slack so that it is comfortable and
not resting on your neck. The retractor will withdraw
any slack in the shoulder belt.
6. To release the seat belt, push the red button on the buckle. The seat belt will automatically retract to its
stowed position. If necessary, slide the latch plate down
the webbing to allow the seat belt to retract fully.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure
Use the following procedure to untwist a twisted lap/
shoulder belt.
1. Position the latch plate as close as possible to the anchorpoint.
2. At about 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) above the latch plate, grasp and twist the seat belt webbing 180 degrees
to create a fold that begins immediately above the latch
plate.
3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded webbing. The folded webbing must enter the slot at the top of the
latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the folded webbing and the seat belt is no longer twisted.
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the driver and front passenger seats, the top of the
shoulder belt can be adjusted upward or downward to
position the seat belt away from your neck. Push or
squeeze the anchorage button to release the anchorage, and
move it up or down to the position that serves you best.
Positioning The Lap Belt
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
First Row Center Seat Belt Operating Instructions
(Regular Cab Only)
The first row center seat belt (Regular Cab only) features a
seat belt with a mini-latch plate and buckle, which allows
the seat belt to detach from the lower anchor when the seat
is folded. The latch plate and regular latch plate can then be
stored out of the way in the seat for added convenience to
open up utilization of the storage areas behind the front
seats when the seat is not occupied.
1. Remove the mini-latch plate and regular latch platefrom its stowed position on the seat.
2. Grasp the mini-latch plate and pull the seat belt over theseat.
3. Route the shoulder belt to the inside of the right head restraint.
4. When the seat belt is long enough to fit, insert the mini-latch plate into the mini-buckle until you hear a
“click.”
5. Sit back in seat. Slide the regular latch plate up the webbing as far as necessary to allow the seat belt to go
around your lap.
Inserting Latch Plate
In Use Position
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
3. Allow the seat belt to retract. As the seat belt retracts,you will hear a clicking sound. This indicates the seat
belt is now in the Automatic Locking Mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it to
retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking Mode
and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode.
WARNING!
• The seat belt assembly must be replaced if the
switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) fea-
ture or any other seat belt function is not working
properly when checked according to the procedures
in the Service Manual.
• Failure to replace the seat belt assembly could in-
crease the risk of injury in collisions.
• Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode to restrain
occupants who are wearing the seat belt or children
who are using booster seats. The locked mode is only
used to install rear-facing or forward-facing child
restraints that have a harness for restraining the
child.
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS)
Some of the safety features described in this section may be
standard equipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask your autho-
rized dealer.
The air bag system must be ready to protect you in a
collision. The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) moni-
tors the internal circuits and interconnecting wiring asso-
ciated with the electrical Air Bag System Components.
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following Air Bag
System Components:
Air Bag System Components
• Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors — If Equipped
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Supplemental Side Air Bags
Your vehicle is equipped with two types of side air bags:
1.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SABs): Lo-
cated in the outboard side of the front seats. The SABs are
marked with a “SRS AIRBAG” or “AIRBAG” label sewn
into the outboard side of the seats.
The SABs may help to reduce the risk of occupant injury
during certain side impacts and/or vehicle rollover events,
in addition to the injury reduction potential provided by
the seat belts and body structure.
When the SAB deploys, it opens the seam on the outboard
side of the seatback’s trim cover. The inflating SAB deploys
through the seat seam into the space between the occupant
and the door. The SAB moves at a very high speed and
with such a high force that it could injure occupants if they
are not seated properly, or if items are positioned in the
area where the SAB inflates. Children are at an even greater
risk of injury from a deploying air bag.
WARNING!
Do not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the Side Air Bags; the performance
could be adversely affected and/or objects could be
pushed into you, causing serious injury.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bag Label
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61
The SABICs and SABs (Side Air Bags) are designed to
activate in certain side impacts and certain rollover events.
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
whether the deployment of the Side Air Bags in a particular
side impact or rollover event is appropriate, based on the
severity and type of collision. Vehicle damage by itself is
not a good indicator of whether or not Side Air Bags should
have deployed.
Side Air Bags are a supplement to the seat belt restraint
system. Side Air Bags deploy in less time than it takes to
blink your eyes.
WARNING!
•Occupants, including children, who are up against or
very close to Side Air Bags can be seriously injured or
killed. Occupants, including children, should never
lean on or sleep against the door, side windows, or area
where the side air bags inflate, even if they are in an
infant or child restraint.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Seat belts (and child restraints where appropriate) are
necessary for your protection in all collisions. They
also help keep you in position, away from an inflating
Side Air Bag. To get the best protection from the Side
Air Bags, occupants must wear their seat belts properly
and sit upright with their backs against the seats.
Children must be properly restrained in a child re-
straint or booster seat that is appropriate for the size of
the child.
WARNING!
• Side Air Bags need room to inflate. Do not lean
against the door or window. Sit upright in the center
of the seat.
•
Being too close to the Side Air Bags during deploy-
ment could cause you to be severely injured or killed.
• Relying on the Side Air Bags alone could lead to
more severe injuries in a collision. The Side Air Bags
work with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, Side Air Bags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belt even though you have
Side Air Bags.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States, and every Canadian province, requires that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years or younger should ride properly buckled
up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in the rear
seats rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child can become a
projectile inside the vehicle. The force required to hold
even an infant on your lap could become so great that
you could not hold the child, no matter how strong you
are. The child and others could be badly injured. Any
child riding in your vehicle should be in a proper
restraint for the child’s size.There are different sizes and types of restraints for children
from newborn size to the child almost large enough for an
adult safety belt. Always check the child seat Owner ’s
Manual to make sure you have the correct seat for your
child. Carefully read and follow all the instructions and
warnings in the child restraint Owner ’s Manual and on all
the labels attached to the child restraint.
Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it has a
label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety Stan-
dards. You should also make sure that you can install it in
the vehicle where you will use it.
NOTE:
•
For additional information, refer to www.safercar.gov/
parents/index.htm or call: 1–888–327–4236
•
Canadian residents should refer to Transport Canada’s
website for additional information: www.tc.gc.ca/eng/
motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
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