2018 DODGE CHARGER Owners Manual

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 buck-
led 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 recommended 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 an authorized
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.
• 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.
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WARNING!(Continued)
•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 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.
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 vehicle, take it to
an authorized dealer immediately 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 causing 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 dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in a collision, increasing head and neck
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176 SAFETY

WARNING!(Continued)
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 protect
you from injury during a collision. You are more
likely to hit your head in a collision if you 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. Inspect the seat
belt system periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or
loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced imme-
diately. 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.
2. The seat belt latch plate is above the back of the front seat, 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.
Pulling Out The Latch Plate
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SAFETY 177

3. When the seat belt is long enough to fit, insert the latchplate 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. 5. Position the shoulder belt across the shoulder and chest
with 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.
Inserting Latch Plate Into Buckle
Positioning The Lap Belt
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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. As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will prefer
the shoulder belt anchorage in a lower position, and if you
are taller than average, you will prefer the shoulder belt
anchorage in a higher position. After you release the
anchorage button, try to move it up or down to make sure
that it is locked in position.
Adjustable Anchorage
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NOTE:The adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage is
equipped with an Easy Up feature. This feature allows the
shoulder belt anchorage to be adjusted in the upward
position without pushing or squeezing the release button.
To verify the shoulder belt anchorage is latched, pull
downward on the shoulder belt anchorage until it is locked
into position.
WARNING!
• 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.
• Position the shoulder belt across the shoulder and
chest 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.
• Misadjustment of the seat belt could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is not long enough to fit properly, even when
the webbing is fully extended and the adjustable upper
shoulder belt anchorage (if equipped) is in its lowest
position, an authorized dealer can provide you with a Seat
Belt Extender. The Seat Belt Extender should be used only
if the existing seat belt is not long enough. When the Seat
Belt Extender is not required for a different occupant, it
must be removed.
WARNING!
•ONLY use a Seat Belt Extender if it is physically
required in order to properly fit the original seat belt
system. DO NOT USE the Seat Belt Extender if,
when worn, the distance between the front edge of
the Seat Belt Extender buckle and the center of the
occupant’s body is LESS than 6 inches.
• Using a Seat Belt Extender when not needed can
increase the risk of serious injury or death in a
collision. Only use the Seat Belt Extender when the
lap belt is not long enough and only use in the
recommended seating positions. Remove and store
the Seat Belt Extender when not needed.
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Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
Seat belts must be worn by all occupants including preg-
nant 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 pretensioning
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. Pretensioners 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 Restraint
Controller (ORC). Like the air bags, the pretensioners 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 Retractors (ALR)
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with a Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
(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 theALR 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 comfortably wrap around the occu-
pant’s mid-section. Slide the latch plate into the buckle
until you hear a
click.
In Automatic Locking Mode, the shoulder belt is automati-
cally pre-locked. The seat belt will still retract to remove
any slack in the shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking
Mode anytime a child restraint is installed in a seating
position that has a seat belt with this feature. Children 12
years old and under should always be properly restrained
in the rear seat of a vehicle with a rear seat.
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 the rear seat
of a vehicle with a rear seat.
ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
182 SAFETY