Safety system of your vehicle
Important safety precautions...............................2-2
Always Wear Your Seat Belt ..........................................2-2
Restrain All Children .........................................................2-2
Air Bag Hazards .................................................................2-2
Driver Distraction ..............................................................2-2
Control Your Speed ...........................................................2-3
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe Condition ............................2-3
Seats ........................................................................2-4
Safety Precautions ...........................................................2-5
Front Seats .........................................................................2-6
Rear Seats.........................................................................2-11
Head Restraints ...............................................................2-14
Seat Warmers and Air Ventilation Seats ...................2-18
Seat belts ..............................................................2-21
Seat Belt Safety Precautions .......................................2-21
Seat Belt Warning Light ................................................2-22
Seat Belt Restraint System...........................................2-23
Additional Seat Belt Safety Precautions ...................2-30
Care of Seat Belts...........................................................2-33
Child restraint system (CRS) ..............................2-34
Children Always in the Rear .........................................2-34
Selecting a Child Restraint System (CRS) .................2-35
Installing a Child Restraint System (CRS)..................2-37
Air bag
- Advanced supplemental restraint system .....2-45
Where Are the Air Bags? ..............................................2-47
How Does the Air Bag System Operate?..................2-50
What to Expect After an Air Bag Inflates ................2-55
Occupant Classification System (OCS).......................2-56
Do Not Install a Child Restraint in the Front
passenger's Seat .............................................................2-60
Why Didn't My Air Bag Go Off in a Collision? ........2-61
SRS Care ............................................................................2-66
Additional Safety Precautions .....................................2-67
Air Bag Warning Labels .................................................2-67
This chapter provides you with important information about how to protect yourself and your passengers.
It explains how to properly use your seats and seat belts, and how your air bags work.
Additionally, this chapter explains how to properly restrain infants and children in your vehicle.
2
2-2
You will find many safety precautions
and recommendations throughout
this section, and throughout this man-
ual. The safety precautions in this sec-
tion are among the most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of accidents. Air bags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with air bags,
ALWAYS make sure you and your
passengers wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly.
Restrain All Children
All children under age 13 should ride
in your vehicle properly restrained in
a rear seat, not the front seat. Infants
and small children should be
restrained in an appropriate child
restraint. Larger children should use
a booster seat with the lap/shoulder
belt until they can use the seat belt
properly without a booster seat.
Air Bag Hazards
While air bags can save lives, they
can also cause serious or fatal
injuries to occupants who sit too
close to them, or who are not prop-
erly restrained. Infants, young chil-
dren, and shorter adults are at the
greatest risk of being injured by an
inflating air bag. Follow all instruc-
tions and warnings in this manual.
Driver Distraction
Driver distraction presents a serious
and potentially deadly danger, espe-
cially for inexperienced drivers.
Safety should be the first concern
when behind the wheel and drivers
need to be aware of the wide array of
potential distractions, such as
drowsiness, reaching for objects,
eating, personal grooming, other
passengers, and using cellular
phones.
Drivers can become distracted when
they take their eyes and attention off
the road or their hands off the wheel
to focus on activities other than driv-
ing. To reduce your risk of distraction
or getting into an accident:• ALWAYS set up your mobile
devices (i.e., MP3 players, phones,
navigation units, etc.) when your
vehicle is parked or safely stopped.
• ONLY use your mobile device
when allowed by laws and when
conditions permit safe use. NEVER
text or email while driving. Most
states have laws prohibiting drivers
from texting. Some states and
cities also prohibit drivers from
using handheld phones.
• NEVER let the use of a mobile
device distract you from driving.
You have a responsibility to your
passengers and others on the road
to always drive safely, with your
hands on the wheel as well as your
eyes and attention on the road.
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Safety system of your vehicle
2-5
Safety system of your vehicle
2
Safety Precautions
Adjusting the seats so that you are sit-
ting in a safe, comfortable position
plays an important role in driver and
passenger safety together with the
seat belts and air bags in an accident.
Air bags
You can take steps to reduce the risk
of being injured by an inflating air
bag. Sitting too close to an air bag
greatly increases the risk of injury in
the event the air bag inflates.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) recommends
that drivers allow at least 10 inches
(25 cm) between the center of the
steering wheel and their chest.
Seat belts
Always fasten your seat belt before
starting any trip.
At all times, passengers should sit
upright and be properly restrained.
Infants and small children must be
restrained in appropriate child restraint
systems. Adults and children who
have outgrown a booster seat must be
restrained using the seat belts. Do not use a cushion that
reduces friction between the seat
and the passenger. The passen-
ger's hips may slide under the
lap portion of the seat belt during
an accident or a sudden stop.
Serious or fatal internal injuries
could result because the seat
belt cannot operate properly.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death from an inflating
air bag, take the following pre-
cautions:
•Adjust the driver's seat as far to
the rear as possible while main-
taining the ability to maintain
full control of the vehicle.
•Adjust the front passenger seat
as far to the rear as possible.
•Hold the steering wheel by the
rim with hands at the 9 o'clock
and 3 o'clock positions to mini-
mize the risk of injuries to your
hands and arms.
•NEVER place anything or any-
one between the steering wheel
and the air bag.
•Do not allow the front passen-
ger to place feet or legs on the
dashboard to minimize the risk
of leg injuries.
WARNING
2-6
Safety system of your vehicle
Front Seats
Take the following precautions
when adjusting your seat belt:
•NEVER use one seat belt for
more than one occupant.
•Always position the seatback
upright with the lap portion of
the seat belt snug and low
across the hips.
•NEVER allow children or small
infants to ride on a passen-
ger's lap.
•Do not route the seat belt
across your neck, across sharp
edges, or reroute the shoulder
strap away from your body.
•Do not allow the seat belt to
become caught or jammed.
WARNING
Take the following precautions
when adjusting your seat:
•NEVER attempt to adjust the
seat while the vehicle is mov-
ing. The seat could respond
with unexpected movement
and may cause loss of vehicle
control resulting in an acci-
dent.
•Do not place anything under
the front seats. Loose objects
in the driver's foot area could
interfere with the operation of
the foot pedals, causing an
accident.
•Do not allow anything to inter-
fere with the normal position
and proper locking of the seat-
back.
•Do not place a cigarette lighter
on the floor or seat. When you
operate the seat, gas may exit
out of the lighter causing a fire.
WARNING
To prevent injury:
•Do not adjust your seat while
wearing your seat belt.
Moving the seat cushion for-
ward may cause strong pres-
sure on your abdomen.
•Do not allow your hands or
fingers to get caught in the
seat mechanisms while the
seat is moving.
CAUTION
•Use extreme caution when
picking up small objects
trapped under the seats or
between the seat and the cen-
ter console. Your hands might
be cut or injured by the sharp
edges of the seat mechanism.
2-7
Safety system of your vehicle
2
Power adjustment (if equipped)
The front seat can be adjusted by
using the control switches located on
the outside of the seat cushion. Before
driving, adjust the seat to the proper
position so that you can easily control
the steering wheel, foot pedals and
controls on the instrument panel.To prevent damage to the seats:
• Always stop adjusting the seats
when the seat has moved as far
forward or rearward as possible.
• Do not adjust the seats for
longer than necessary when the
vehicle is turned off. This may
result in unnecessary battery
drain.
• Do not operate two or more
seats at the same time. This may
result in an electrical malfunc-
tion.
Forward and rearward adjustment
To move the seat forward or rearward:
1. Push the control switch forward or
rearward.
2. Release the switch once the seat
reaches the desired position.
NOTICE
NEVER allow children in the
vehicle unattended. The power
seats are operable when the
vehicle is turned off.
WARNING
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2-8
Safety system of your vehicle
Seatback angle
To adjust the seatback:
1. Rotate the top of control switch
forward or rearward.
2. Release the switch once the seat-
back reaches the desired position.Reclining seatback
Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be dan-
gerous. Even when buckled up, the
protection of your restraint system
(seat belts and air bags) is greatly
reduced by reclining your seatback.Seat belts must be snug against your
hips and chest to work properly.
When the seatback is reclined, the
shoulder belt cannot do its job
because it will not be snug against
your chest. Instead, it will be in front
of you. During an accident, you could
be thrown into the seat belt, causing
neck or other injuries.
The more the seatback is reclined,
the greater chance the passenger’s
hips will slide under the lap belt or
the passenger's neck will strike the
shoulder belt. NEVER ride with a reclined seat-
back when the vehicle is moving.
Riding with a reclined seatback
increases your chance of serious
or fatal injuries in the event of a
collision or sudden stop.
Driver and passengers should
ALWAYS sit well back in their
seats, properly belted, and with
the seatbacks upright.
WARNING
OIK037004
2-10
Safety system of your vehicle
Seat back bolster adjustment
(for driver's seat, if equipped)
1. Turn the adjustment switch clock-
wise, the right and left seatback
bolsters will be adjusted inward.
Turn the switch counterclockwise,
the seatback bolster will be adjust-
ed outward.
2. To adjust the bolster height to its
maximum in the default state,
operate the switch for approxi-
mately 8 seconds. After that,
release the switch because there
is no change in height even if you
continue to operate the switch.
3. Once adjustment is done, release
the switch.
Front passenger seat control
(if equipped)
The rear seat passenger may use
the switches to control the front pas-
senger seat.
• Sliding forward or rearward:
To move the front passenger seat
forward, press the switch (1). To
move the front passenger seat
rearward, press the switch (2).
• Angle adjustment:
To recline the front passenger seat
forward, press the switch (3).
To recline the front passenger seat
rearward, press the switch (4).
Seatback pocket
The seatback pocket is provided on
the back of the driver's and front pas-
senger's seatback.
To prevent the Occupant
Classification System from mal-
functioning:
Do not hang onto the driver's
and front passenger's seatback.
WARNING
OIK037020
OIK037065OIK037021
2-11
Safety system of your vehicle
2
Rear Seats
Folding the rear seat
The rear seatbacks can be folded to
facilitate carrying long items or to
increase the luggage capacity of the
vehicle.To fold down the rear seatback:
1. Set the front seatback to the
upright position and if necessary,
slide the front seat forward.
2. Lower the rear head restraints to
the lowest position by pushing and
holding the release button (1) and
pushing down on the headrest (2).
•Never allow passengers to sit
on top of the folded down
seatback while the vehicle is
moving. This is not a proper
seating position and no seat
belts are available for use.
This could result in serious
injury or death in case of an
accident or sudden stop.
•Objects carried on the folded
down seatback should not
extend higher than the top of
the front seatbacks. This
could allow cargo to slide for-
ward and cause injury or dam-
age during sudden stops.
WARNING
Do not put heavy or sharp
objects in the seatback pockets.
In an accident they could come
loose from the pocket and
injure occupants.
CAUTION
OIK037025