Continued39
uuSeat Belts uFastening a Seat Belt
Safe Driving
3. Position the lap part of the belt as low as
possible across your hips, then pull up on
the shoulder part of the belt so the lap part
fits snugly. This lets your strong pelvic
bones take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.
4. If necessary, pull up on the belt again to
remove any slack, then check that the belt
rests across the center of your chest and
over your shoulder. This spreads the forces
of a crash over the strongest bones in your
upper body.
The front seats have adjustab le shoulder anchors to accommodate taller and shorter
occupants.
1.Move the anchor up and down while
holding the release buttons.
2. Position the anchor so that the belt rests
across the center of your chest and over
your shoulder.1 Fastening a Seat Belt
To release the belt, push the red PRESS button and
then guide the belt by hand until it has retracted
completely.
When exiting the vehicle, be sure the belt is properly
stowed so that it will not get caught in the closing
door.
3WARNING
Improperly positioning the seat belts can
cause serious injury or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are properly
positioned before driving.Lap belt
as low as
possible
■Adjusting the Shoulder Anchor1 Adjusting the Shoulder Anchor
After an adjustment, make sure that the shoulder
anchor position is secure.
The shoulder anchor height can be adjusted to four
levels. If the belt contacts your neck, lower the height
one level at a time.
Push
Push
45
uuAirbags uTypes of Airbags
Continued
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped wi th three types of airbags:
• Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats.
• Side airbags: Airbags in the driver’s and front passenger’s seat-backs.
• Side curtain airbags: Airbags above the side windows.
Each is discussed in the following pages.
Front Airbags (SRS)
The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate-to-severe frontal collision to help protect
the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indica tes that the airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them . Seat belts are the occupant’s primary
restraint system.
The front airbags are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and
in the dashboard for the front pass enger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.
■Housing Locations
1Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the power mode is
in ON.
After an airbag inflates in a crash, you may see a
small amount of smoke. This is from the combustion
process of the infl ator material and is not harmful.
People with respiratory pr oblems may experience
some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
1 Front Airbags (SRS)
During a frontal crash severe enough to cause one or
both front airbags to deploy, the airbags can inflate
at different rates, dependi ng on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the se at belts are latched, and/
or other factors. Frontal airbags are designed to
supplement the seat belts to help reduce the
likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal
crashes.
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
48
Safe DrivingThe airbags have advanced features to help reduce the likelihood of airbag related
injuries to smaller occupants.
The driver’s advanced airbag system includes a
seat position sensor.
Based on information from this sensor and the
severity of the impact, the advanced airbag
system determines the optimal deployment of
the driver’s airbag.
The front passenger’s advanced airbag system
has weight sensors.
We advise against allowing a child age 12 or
under to ride in the front passenger’s seat.
However, if you do allow a child age 12 or
under to ride in the front passenger’s
seat, note that the system will automatically
turn off the front pass enger’s airbag if the
sensors detect that the child is approximately
65 lbs (29 kg) or less.
■Advanced Airbags1 Advanced Airbags
If there is a problem with the driver’s seat position
sensor, the SRS indicator wi ll come on, and in the
event of a crash, the airbag will deploy (regardless of
the driver’s seating position) with a force
corresponding to the se verity of the impact.
For the advanced airbags to work properly:
•Do not spill any liquid on or under the seats.
•Do not put any object under the passenger’s seat.
•Make sure any objects are positioned properly on
the floor. Improperly pos itioned objects can
interfere with the advanced airbag sensors.
•All occupants should sit upr ight and wear their seat
belts properly.
•Do not cover the passenger ’s side dashboard with
a cloth, towel, cover, etc. 2Passenger Front Airbag Off Indicator
P. 53
Make sure the floor mat be hind the front passenger’s
seat is hooked to the floo r mat anchor. An improperly
placed mat can interfere with the advanced airbag
sensors. 2 Floor Mats P. 523
Driver’s
Seat
Position
Sensor
Passenger’s
Seat
Weight
Sensors
51
uuAirbags uSide Curtain Airbags
Continued
Safe Driving
Side Curtain Airbags
The side curtain airbags help protect the heads of the driver and passengers in the
outer seating positions during a moderate-to -severe side impact. The side curtain
airbags equipped in this vehicle are also de signed to help reduce the likelihood of
partial and complete ejection of vehicle occupants through side windows in crashes,
particularly rollover crashes.
The side curtain airbags are located in the
ceiling above the side windows on both sides
of the vehicle.
The side curtain airbag is designed to deploy
in a rollover or a moderate-to-severe side
impact.
■Housing Locations
1 Side Curtain Airbags
To get the best protecti on from the side curtain
airbags, occupants should wear their seat belts
properly and sit upr ight and well back in their seats.
Do not attach any objects to the side windows or roof
pillars as they can interfere with the proper operation
of the side curtain airbags.
If the impact is on the passenger’s side, the
passenger’s side curtain airbag deploys even if there
are no occupants on that side of the vehicle.
If the SRS control unit sens es that your vehicle is
about to rollover, it imme diately deploys both side
curtain airbags and activates both front seat belt
tensioners.
Side Curtain Airbag Storage
■Operation
Deployed Side Curtain Airbag
57
uuChild Safety uSafety of Infants and Small Children
Continued
Safe Driving
Safety of Infants and Small Children
An infant must be properly restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat until the
infant reaches the seat manufacturer’s weig ht or height limit for the seat, and the
infant is at least one year old.
■Positioning a rear-facing child seat
Child seats must be placed and secured in a
rear seating position.
When properly installed, a rear-facing chil d seat may prevent the driver or a front
passenger from moving their seat all the wa y back, or from locking their seat-back
in the desired position. Make sure that there is no contact between the child seat
and the seat in front of it.
It can also interfere with proper operation of the passenger’s advanced front airbag
system.
2 Airbags P. 42
If this occurs, we recommend that you insta ll the child seat directly behind the front
passenger’s seat, move the seat as far fo rward as needed, and leave it unoccupied.
Or, you may wish to get a smaller rear-facing child seat.
■Protecting Infants1 Protecting Infants
Many experts recommend us e of a rear-facing seat
for a child up to two years old if the child’s height and
weight are appropriate for a rear-facing seat.
Rear-facing child seats should never be installed in a
forward-facing position.
Always refer to the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions before installation.
Do not allow a front seat to rest against a child seat
installed in a rear seating position:
The weight sensor in the fr ont seat may not correctly
detect the actual weight of the occupant.
3WARNING
Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front
seat can result in serious injury or death
during a crash.
Always place a rear-fac ing child seat in the
rear seat, not the front.
Continued59
uuChild Safety uSafety of Infants and Small Children
Safe DrivingMost child seats are LATCH-compatible (L ower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren).
Some have a rigid-type connector while others have a flexible-type connector. Both
are equally easy to use. Some existing and previously owned child seats can only be
installed using the seat belt. Whichever type you choose, follow the child seat
manufacturer’s use and care instructions including recommended expiration dates
as well as the instructions in this manual . Proper installation is key to maximizing
your child’s safety.
In seating positions and vehicles not equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-compatible
child seat can be installed using the seat belt and a top tether for added security.
This is because all child seats are required to be designed so that they can be secured
with a lap belt or the lap part of a lap/shoulder belt. In addition, the child seat
manufacturer may advise that a seat belt be used to attach a LATCH-compatible seat
once a child reaches a specified weight. Pl ease read the child seat owner’s manual
for proper installation instructions.
■Important consideration when selecting a child seat
Make sure the child seat meets the following thr ee requirements:
• The child seat is the correct type and size for the child.
• The child seat is the correct type for the seating position.
• The child seat is compliant with Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
■Selecting a Child Seat1 Selecting a Child Seat
Installation of a LATCH-co mpatible child seat is
simple.
LATCH-compatible child s eats have been developed
to simplify the installati on process and reduce the
likelihood of injuries caused by incorrect installation.
uuChild Safety uSafety of Infants and Small Children
60
Safe DrivingA LATCH-compatible child seat can be inst alled in any of the three rear seating
position. A child seat is attached to the lowe r anchors with either the flexible or rigid
type of connectors. 1.Locate the lower anchors under the marks.
2. Make sure there are no objects near the
anchors that could prevent a secure
connection between the child seat and the
anchors.
3. Lower the head restra int to its lowest
position.
4. Lift the upper guide co ver, then route the
tether strap around the upper guide.
5. Route the tether strap downward properly,
then attach the strap hook to the center
tether anchor.
u Making sure the strap is not twisted.
■Installing a LATCH-Compatible Child Seat1Installing a LATCH-Compatible Child Seat
For your child’s safety, when using a child seat
installed using the LATCH system, make sure that the
child seat is properly secured to the vehicle. A child
seat that is not properly secured will not adequately
protect a child in a crash and may cause injury to the
child or other vehicle occupants.
3WARNING
Never attach two child seats to the same
anchor. In a collision, one anchor may not
be strong enough to hold two child seat
attachments and may break, causing
serious injury or death.
Marks
Upper Guide
Center Tether Anchorage Point
Center positionCenter position
Continued65
uuChild Safety uSafety of Infants and Small Children
Safe DrivingA tether anchorage poin t is provided at each
outside of the seat bottom and between the
lower anchors of the rear center seat. If you
have a child seat that comes with a tether but
can be installed with a seat belt, the tether
may be used for additional security.
■Adding Security with a Tether
Covers
Outer Tether
Anchorage PointsUpper Guides
Center Tether Anchorage Point
1 Adding Security with a Tether
Since a tether can provide additional security to the
lap/shoulder seat belt in stallation, we recommend
using a tether whenever one is available.
Always use a tether for forward-facing child seats
when using the seat be lt or lower anchors.