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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:
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Safety system of your vehicle
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2-3
Safety system of your vehicle
• ALWAYS set up your mobile devices
(i.e., MP3 players, phones, naviga-
tion 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 passen-
gers 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.Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current condi-
tions, regardless of the maximum
speed posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe
Condition
Having a tire blowout or a mechanical
failure can be extremely hazardous. To
reduce the possibility of such prob-
lems, check your tire pressures and
condition frequently, and perform all
regularly scheduled maintenance.
2
Page 19 of 478
2-4
S SE
EA
AT
TS
S
Safety system of your vehicle
OOSEV038026N
Front seats
1. Forward and backward
2. Seatback angle
3. Seat cushion tilt (for power seat)* /
Seat cushion height*
4. Lumbar support (Driver's seat)*
5. Seat warmer* / Air ventilation seat *
6. Headrest
Rear seats
7. Armrest*
8. Seatback folding
9. Headrest
* : if equipped
[A] : Front seat, [B] : Rear seat
Page 20 of 478

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. 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
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Safety system of your vehicle
2
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2-6
Safety system of your vehicle
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.
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 in a passenger'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
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2-7
Safety system of your vehicle
Manual adjustment (if equipped)
The front seat can be adjusted by
using the levers located on the out-
side of the seat cushion. Before driv-
ing, adjust the seat to the proper
position so that you can easily con-
trol the steering wheel, foot pedals
and controls on the instrument
panel.
2
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.
CAUTIONUse extreme caution when
picking small objects trapped
under the seats or between
the seat and the center con-
sole. Your hands might be cut
or injured by the sharp edges
of the seat mechanism.
If there are occupants in the
rear seats, be careful while
adjusting the front seat posi-
tion.
Make sure that the seat is
locked in place after the
adjustment. If not, the seat
might move unexpectedly
resulting in an accident.
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2-8
Forward and rearward adjustment
To move the seat forward or rearward:
1. Pull up the seat slide adjustment
lever and hold it.
2. Slide the seat to the position you
desire.
3. Release the lever and make sure
the seat is locked in place. Move
forward and rearward without using
the lever. If the seat moves, it is not
locked properly.
Seatback angle
To recline the seatback:
1. Lean forward slightly and lift up the
seatback lever.
2. Carefully lean back on the seat
and adjust the seatback to the
position you desire.
3. Release the lever and make sure
the seatback is locked in place.
(The lever MUST return to its orig-
inal position for the seatback to
lock.)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.
Safety system of your vehicle
NEVER ride with a reclined
seatback when the vehicle is
moving.
Riding with a reclined seatback
increases your chance of seri-
ous or fatal injuries in the event
of a collision or sudden stop.
Drivers and passengers should
ALWAYS sit well back in their
seats, properly belted, and with
the seatbacks upright.
WARNING
OOS037003OOS037002
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2-9
Safety system of your vehicle
2
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.
Seat cushion height (for driver’s seat)
To change the height of the seat
cushion:
Push down on the lever several
times, to lower the seat cushion.
Pull up on the lever several times,
to raise the seat cushion.
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.
NEVER allow children in the
vehicle unattended. Children
might push the adjustment
switch accidently and get caught
in the seat mechanisms while the
seat is moving.
WARNING OOS037004