2020 Ram 1500 Latch

SAFETY 239
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and adjustthe 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
• A seat belt that is too loose will not protect you prop
-
erly. 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 injury.
A seat belt worn under the arm can cause internal inju -
ries. 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 immediately.
Do not disassemble or modify the seat belt system. Seat
belt assemblies must be replaced after a collision.WARNING! (Continued)
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240 SAFETY
3. When the seat belt is long enough to fit, insert the latchplate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
Inserting Latch Plate Into Buckle
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. Positioning The Lap Belt
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 posi -
tion. If necessary, slide the latch plate down the webbing
to allow the seat belt to retract fully.
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SAFETY 241
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 outboard 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. Adjustable Anchorage
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.
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242 SAFETY
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.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!
• 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 comfortable and
not resting on your neck. The retractor will withdraw
any slack in the shoulder belt.
• Misadjustment of the seat belt could reduce the effec -
tiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
• Always make all seat belt height adjustments when the vehicle is stationary.
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 colli -
sion. 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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244 SAFETY
(Continued)
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.Automatic Locking Retractor — (ALR) Locations 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 comfortably 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 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.
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268 SAFETY
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have outgrown their
rear-facing convertible child seat can ride forward-facing in
the vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible child
seats used in the forward-facing direction are for children
who are over two years old or who have outgrown the
rear-facing weight or height limit of their rear-facing
convertible child seat. Children should remain in a
forward-facing child seat with a harness for as long as
possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by the
child seat.
All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a belt-posi-
tioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belts fit properly.
If the child cannot sit with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat
cushion while the child’s back is against the seatback, they
should use a belt-positioning booster seat. The child and
belt-positioning booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
seat belt.WARNING!
• Improper installation can lead to failure of an infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a collision. The
child could be badly injured or killed. Follow the child
restraint manufacturer’s directions exactly when
installing an infant or child restraint.
• After a child restraint is installed in the vehicle, do not move the vehicle seat forward or rearward because it
can loosen the child restraint attachments. Remove the
child restraint before adjusting the vehicle seat posi -
tion. When the vehicle seat has been adjusted, reinstall
the child restraint.
• When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchorages, or
remove it from the vehicle. Do not leave it loose in the
vehicle. In a sudden stop or accident, it could strike the
occupants or seatbacks and cause serious personal
injury.
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SAFETY 269
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend over
the front of the seat when their back is against the seatback,
should use the seat belt in a rear seat. Use this simple 5-step
test to decide whether the child can use the vehicle’s seat belt
alone:
1. Can the child sit all the way back against the back of thevehicle seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front of the vehicle seat – while the child is still sitting all the way
back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching the child’s thighs and not the stomach?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip? If the answer to any of these questions was “no,” then the
child still needs to use a booster seat in this vehicle. If the
child is using the lap/shoulder belt, check seat belt fit peri
-
odically and make sure the seat belt buckle is latched. A
child’s squirming or slouching can move the belt out of posi -
tion. If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the center of the vehicle, or use a booster seat
to position the seat belt on the child correctly.
WARNING!
Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt under an
arm or behind their back. In a crash, the shoulder belt
will not protect a child properly, which may result in
serious injury or death. A child must always wear both
the lap and shoulder portions of the seat belt correctly.4
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270 SAFETY
Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren (LATCH)
Restraint System LATCH Label Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchorage
system called LATCH, which stands for Lower Anchors and
Tethers for CHildren. The LATCH system has three vehicle
anchor points for installing LATCH-equipped child seats.
There are two lower anchorages located at the back of the
seat cushion where it meets the seatback and one top tether
anchorage located behind the seating position. These anchor
-
ages are used to install LATCH-equipped child seats without
using the vehicle’s seat belts. Some seating positions may
Restraint Type
Combined Weight
of the Child +
Child Restraint Use Any Attachment Method Shown With An “X” Below
LATCH – Lower Anchors Only Seat Belt OnlyLATCH – Lower
Anchors + Top Tether Anchor Seat Belt + Top
Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
X
Rear-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
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