2018 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Owner's Manual

based on vehicle speed until the driver and occupied
outboard front seat passenger seat belts are buckled.
The driver should instruct all occupants to buckle their
seat belts.
Change of Status
If the driver or outboard front seat passenger (if
equipped with outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert)
unbuckles their seat belt while the vehicle is traveling,
the BeltAlert warning sequence will begin until the seat
belts are buckled again.
The outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert is not active
when the outboard front passenger seat is unoccupied.
BeltAlert may be triggered when an animal or other
items are placed on the outboard front passenger seat or
when the seat is folded flat (if equipped). It is recom-
mended that pets be restrained in the rear seat (if
equipped) in pet harnesses or pet carriers that are
secured by seat belts, and cargo is properly stowed.
BeltAlert can be activated or deactivated by your au-
thorized dealer. FCA US LLC does not recommend
deactivating BeltAlert.NOTE:
If BeltAlert has been deactivated and the driver
or outboard front seat passenger (if equipped with
outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert) is unbuckled
the Seat Belt Reminder Light will turn on and remain on
until the driver and outboard front seat passenger seat
belts are buckled.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
lap/shoulder belts.
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.
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SAFETY 103

WARNING!(Continued)
•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.
• 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
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
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 another 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.
WARNING!
• A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
injury in a collision. The seat belt forces won’t be
at the strong hip and pelvic bones, but across your
abdomen. Always wear the lap part of your seat
belt as low as possible and keep it snug.
• A twisted seat belt may not protect you properly.
In a collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure
the seat belt is flat against your body, without
twists. If you can’t straighten a seat belt in your
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WARNING!(Continued)
vehicle, take it to your authorized dealer immedi-
ately and have it fixed.
• A seat belt that is buckled into the wrong buckle
will not protect you properly. The lap portion
could ride too high on your body, possibly caus-
ing internal injuries. Always buckle your seat belt
into the buckle nearest you.
• A seat belt that is too loose will not protect you
properly. In a sudden stop, you could move too far
forward, increasing the possibility of injury. Wear
your seat belt snugly.
• A seat belt that is worn under your arm is dan-
gerous. Your body could strike the inside surfaces
of the vehicle in a collision, increasing head and
neck injury. A seat belt worn under the arm can
cause internal injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as
shoulder bones. Wear the seat belt over your
shoulder so that your strongest bones will take
the force in a collision.
• A shoulder belt placed behind you will not pro-
tect you from injury during a collision. You are
more likely to hit your head in a collision if you
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
do not wear your shoulder belt. The lap and
shoulder belt are meant to be used together.
• A frayed or torn seat belt could rip apart in a
collision and leave you with no protection. In-
spect the seat belt system periodically, checking
for cuts, frays, or loose parts. Damaged parts must
be replaced immediately. Do not disassemble or
modify the seat belt system. Seat belt assemblies
must be replaced after a collision.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and adjust the seat.
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SAFETY 105

2. The seat belt latch plate is above the back of the frontseat, and next to your arm in the rear seat (for
vehicles equipped with a rear seat). Grasp the latch
plate and pull out the seat belt. Slide the latch plate
up the webbing as far as necessary to allow the seat
belt to go around your lap.
3. When the seat belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.” 4. Position the lap belt so that it is snug and lies low
across your hips, below your abdomen. 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 seat belt
reduces the risk of sliding under the seat belt in a
collision.
Pulling Out The Latch Plate
Inserting Latch Plate Into Buckle
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5. Position the shoulder belt across the shoulder andchest with minimal, if any slack so that it is comfort-
able 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 theanchor point.
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 web- bing. 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.
Positioning The Lap Belt
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SAFETY 107

Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
Seat belts must be worn by all occupants including
pregnant women: the risk of injury in the event of an
accident is reduced for the mother and the unborn child
if they are wearing a seat belt.
Position the lap belt snug and low below the abdomen
and across the strong bones of the hips. Place the
shoulder belt across the chest and away from the neck.
Never place the shoulder belt behind the back or under
the arm.
Seat Belt Pretensioner
The front seat belt system is equipped with pretension-
ing devices that are designed to remove slack from the
seat belt in the event of a collision. These devices may
improve the performance of the seat belt by removing
slack from the seat belt early in a collision. Pretension-
ers work for all size occupants, including those in child
restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper
seat belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still
must be worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the air bags, the preten-
sioners are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or
a deployed air bag must be replaced immediately.
Energy Management Feature
The front seat belt system is equipped with an Energy
Management feature that may help further reduce the
risk of injury in the event of a collision. The seat belt
system has a retractor assembly that is designed to
release webbing in a controlled manner.
Pregnant Women And Seat Belts
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Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
The seat belt in the passenger seating position is
equipped with a Switchable Automatic Locking Retrac-
tor (ALR) which is used to secure a child restraint
system. For additional information, refer to “Installing
Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat Belt” under the
“Child Restraints” section of this manual. The figure
below illustrates the locking feature for each seating
position.If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage, only pull the
seat belt webbing out far enough to comfortably wrap
around the occupant’s mid-section so as to not activate
the ALR. If the ALR is activated, you will hear a clicking
sound as the seat belt retracts. Allow the webbing to
retract completely in this case and then carefully pull
out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupant’s mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear a
click.
In Automatic Locking Mode, the shoulder belt is auto-
matically pre-locked. The seat belt will still retract to
remove any slack in the shoulder belt. Use the Auto-
matic Locking Mode anytime a child restraint is in-
stalled in a seating position that has a seat belt with this
feature. Children 12 years old and under should always
be properly restrained in a vehicle with a rear seat.
ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
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SAFETY 109

WARNING!
•Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of
an air bag. A deploying passenger front air bag
can cause death or serious injury to a child 12
years or younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.
• Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until the entire seat belt is extracted.
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 (emer-
gency) locking mode.
WARNING!
• The seat belt assembly must be replaced if the
switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
feature 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
increase the risk of injury in collisions.
• Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode to re-
strain 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 har-
ness 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 authorized dealer.
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