2021 DODGE CHARGER Owners Manual

SAFETY207
(Continued)
Enhanced Accident Response System
In the event of an impact, if the communication
network remains intact, and the power remains
intact, depending on the nature of the event, the
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) will determine
whether to have the Enhanced Accident Response
System perform the following functions:
Cut off fuel to the engine (if equipped).
Cut off battery power to the electric motor
(if equipped).
Flash hazard lights as long as the battery has
power.
Turn on the interior lights, which remain on as
long as the battery has power or for 15 minutes
from the intervention of the Enhanced Accident
Response System.
Unlock the power door locks.
Your vehicle may also be designed to perform any
of these other functions in response to the
Enhanced Accident Response System:
Turn off the Fuel Filter Heater, Turn off the HVAC
Blower Motor, Close the HVAC Circulation Door
Cut off battery power to the:
Engine
Electric Motor (if equipped)
Electric power steering
Brake booster
Electric park brake
Automatic transmission gear selector
Horn
Front wiper
Headlamp washer pump
NOTE:
After an accident, remember to cycle the ignition to
the STOP (OFF/LOCK) position and remove the key
from the ignition switch to avoid draining the battery.
Carefully check the vehicle for fuel leaks in the
engine compartment and on the ground near the
engine compartment and fuel tank before resetting
the system and starting the engine. If there are no
fuel leaks or damage to the vehicle electrical devices
(e.g. headlights) after an accident, reset the system
by following the procedure described below. If you
have any doubt, contact an authorized dealer.

Enhanced Accident Response System
Reset Procedure

In order to reset the Enhanced Accident Response
System functions after an event, the ignition switch
must be changed from ignition START or ON/RUN to
ignition OFF. Carefully check the vehicle for fuel leaks in
the engine compartment and on the ground near the
engine compartment and fuel tank before resetting the
system and starting the engine. After an accident, if the vehicle will not start after
performing the reset procedure, the vehicle must be
towed to an authorized dealer to be inspected and to
have the Enhanced Accident Response System reset.

Maintaining Your Air Bag System
WARNING!
Modifications to any part of the air bag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You
could be injured if the air bag system is not
there to protect you. Do not modify the compo
-
nents or wiring, including adding any kind of
badges or stickers to the steering wheel hub
trim cover or the upper passenger side of the
instrument panel. Do not modify the front
fascia/bumper, vehicle body structure, or add
aftermarket side steps or running boards.
It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the
air bag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone
who works on your vehicle that it has an air
bag system.
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208SAFETY
Event Data Recorder (EDR)

This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder
(EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in
certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as
an air bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle,
data that will assist in understanding how a vehicle’s
systems performed. The EDR is designed to record
data related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems
for a short period of time, typically 30 seconds or
less. The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as:

How various systems in your vehicle were oper -
ating;
Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened;
How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances in which
crashes and injuries occur.
NOTE:EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a
non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data are
recorded by the EDR under normal driving condi -
tions and no personal data (e.g., name, gender,
age, and crash location) are recorded. However,
other parties, such as law enforcement, could
combine the EDR data with the type of personally
identifying data routinely acquired during a crash
investigation.

To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment
is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is
needed. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer,
other parties, such as law enforcement, that have
the special equipment, can read the information if
they have access to the vehicle or the EDR.

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.
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 Standards. You should also make sure that
you can install it in the vehicle where you will use it.

Do not attempt to modify any part of your air bag
system. The air bag may inflate accidentally or may
not function properly if modifications are made.
Take your vehicle to an authorized dealer for any air
bag system service. If your seat, including your trim
cover and cushion, needs to be serviced in any way
(including removal or loosening/tightening of seat
attachment bolts), take the vehicle to an authorized
dealer. Only manufacturer approved seat accesso
-
ries may be used. If it is necessary to modify the air
bag system for persons with disabilities, contact an
authorized dealer.

WARNING!
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 or killed. Any child riding
in your vehicle should be in a proper restraint for
the child’s size.

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SAFETY209
NOTE:
For additional information, refer to http://www.nhtsa.gov/parents-and-caregivers or call: 1–888–327–4236
Canadian residents should refer to Transport Canada’s website for additional information: http://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/
child-car-seat-safety.html
Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
Child Size, Height, Weight Or Age Recommended Type Of Child Restraint
Infants and ToddlersChildren who are two years old or younger and who
have not reached the height or weight limits of their
child restraint Either an Infant Carrier or a Convertible Child
Restraint, facing rearward in a rear seat of the vehicle
Small Children Children who are at least two years old or who have
outgrown the height or weight limit of their rear-facing
child restraint Forward-Facing Child Restraint with a five-point
Harness, facing forward in a rear seat of the vehicle
Larger Children Children who have outgrown their forward-facing child
restraint, but are too small to properly fit the vehicle’s
seat belt Belt Positioning Booster Seat and the vehicle seat
belt, seated in a rear seat of the vehicle
Children Too Large for Child Restraints Children 12 years old or younger, who have outgrown
the height or weight limit of their booster seat Vehicle Seat Belt, seated in a rear seat of the vehicle
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210SAFETY
Infant And Child Restraints
Safety experts recommend that children ride
rear-facing in the vehicle until they are two years
old or until they reach either the height or weight
limit of their rear-facing child restraint. Two types of
child restraints can be used rear-facing: infant
carriers and convertible child seats.
The infant carrier is only used rear-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children from birth
until they reach the weight or height limit of the
infant carrier. Convertible child seats can be used
either rear-facing or forward-facing in the vehicle.
Convertible child seats often have a higher weight
limit in the rear-facing direction than infant carriers
do, so they can be used rear-facing by children who
have outgrown their infant carrier but are still less
than at least two years old. Children should remain
rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or
height allowed by their convertible child seat.
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-positioning 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!
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.
Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the
front seat of a vehicle. Only use a rear-facing
child restraint in the rear seat. If the vehicle
does not have a rear seat, do not transport a
rear-facing child restraint in that vehicle.

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SAFETY211
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 the vehicle 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 periodically and make sure the
seat belt buckle is latched. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position. 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!
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 manufac
-
turer’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
position. 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 anchor-
ages, 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.

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.
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212SAFETY
Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Restraint Type Combined Weight of
the Child + Child Restraint Use Any Attachment Method Shown With An “X” Below
LATCH – Lower Anchors Only Seat Belt Only LATCH – Lower
Anchors + Top Tether Anchor Seat Belt + Top Tether
Anchor
Rear-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs (29.5 kg)
XX
Rear-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs (29.5 kg)
XX
Forward-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X

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SAFETY213
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
anchorages are used to install LATCH-equipped child
seats without using the vehicle’s seat belts. Some
seating positions may have a top tether anchorage but
no lower anchorages. In these seating positions, the
seat belt must be used with the top tether anchorage to
install the child restraint. Please see the following table
for more information.

LATCH Positions For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle

LATCH Positions For Installing Child Restraints In This
Vehicle

Lower Anchorage Symbol
(2 Anchorages Per Seating Position)
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol6

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214SAFETY
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
What is the weight limit (child’s weight + weight of
the child restraint) for using the LATCH anchorage system to attach the child restraint? 65 lbs (29.5 kg)Use the LATCH anchorage system until the combined weight of the child and
the child restraint is 65 lbs (29.5 kg). Use the seat belt and tether anchor instead of the LATCH system once the combined weight is more than 65 lbs (29.5 kg).
Can the LATCH anchorages and the seat belt be used together to attach a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint? NoDo not use the seat belt when you use the LATCH anchorage system to
attach a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint.
Booster seats may be attached to the LATCH anchorages if allowed by the
booster seat manufacturer. See your booster seat owner’s manual for more information.
Can two child restraints be attached using a common lower LATCH anchorage? NoNever “share” a LATCH anchorage with two or more child restraints. If the
center position does not have dedicated LATCH lower anchorages, use the seat belt to install a child seat in the center position next to a child seat using the LATCH anchorages in an outboard position.
Can the rear-facing child restraint touch the back of the front passenger seat? YesThe child seat may touch the back of the front passenger seat if the child
restraint manufacturer also allows contact. See your child restraint owner’s manual for more information.
Can the rear head restraints be removed? No

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