3. Seats & Safety System
3
Important Safety Precautions ....................................................................... 3-2Always Wear Your Seat Belt ........................................................................\
............. 3-2
Restrain All Children ........................................................................\
......................... 3-2
Air Bag Hazards ........................................................................\
................................ 3-2
Driver Distraction ........................................................................\
............................. 3-2
Control Your Speed ........................................................................\
.......................... 3-2
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe Condition ....................................................................... 3-2
Seats .....................................................................\
.......................................... 3-3Safety Precautions ........................................................................\
........................... 3-4
Front Seats ........................................................................\
........................................ 3-5
Rear Seats ........................................................................\
........................................3-10
Head Restraints ........................................................................\
................................3-11
Seat Warmers ........................................................................\
.................................. 3-15
Air Ventilation Seat ........................................................................\
.......................... 3-17
Seat Belts ........................................................................\
...............................3-18Seat Belt Safety Precautions ........................................................................\
..........3-18
Seat Belt Warning Light ........................................................................\
..................3-19
Seat Belt Restraint System .....................................................................\
................3-19
Additional Seat Belt Safety Precautions ............................................................... 3-24
Care of Seat Belts ........................................................................\
........................... 3-26
Child Restraint System (CRS) ...................................................................... 3-27Children Always in the Rear ........................................................................\
............3-27
Selecting a Child Restraint System (CRS) ............................................................. 3-28
Installing a Child Restraint System (CRS) ............................................................. 3-29
Air Bag - Advanced Supplemental Restraint System ................................ 3-36Where Are the Air Bags? ........................................................................\
................ 3-38
How Does the Air Bag System Operate? ................................................................3-41
What to Expect After an Air Bag Inflates .............................................................. 3-44
Occupant Classification System (OCS) ................................................................. 3-45
Why Didn’t My Air Bag Go Off in a Collision? ........................................................ 3-51
SRS Care ........................................................................\
......................................... 3-55
Additional Safety Precautions ........................................................................\
....... 3-56
Air Bag Warning Labels ........................................................................\
.................. 3-56
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.
Seats & Safety System3-2
You will find many safety precautions
and recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
The safety precautions in this section 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 properly restrained. Infants,
young children, and shorter adults are at
the greatest risk of being injured by an
inflating air bag. Follow all instructions
and warnings in this manual.
Driver Distraction
Driver distraction presents a serious and
potentially deadly danger, especially 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 driving. To
reduce your risk of distraction or getting
into an accident:
[
ALWAYS set up your mobile devices
(for example, 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.
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 conditions, 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 problems,
check your tire pressures and condition
frequently, and perform all regularly
scheduled maintenance.
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Seats & Safety System3-4
Safety Precautions
Adjusting the seats so that you are sitting
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.
WARNING
Do not use a cushion that reduces
friction between the seat and the
passenger. The passenger’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.
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.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury or
death from an inflating air bag, take the
following precautions:
[ Adjust the driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible while maintaining
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 your hands at the 9 o’clock and
3 o’clock positions to minimize the
risk of injuries to your hands and
arms. [
NEVER place anything or anyone
between the steering wheel and the
air bag.
[ Do not allow the front passenger to
place feet or legs on the dashboard
to minimize the risk of leg injuries.
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.
WARNING
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 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.
03
3-21
OHI038142
To release your seat belt:
Press the release button (1) in the locking
buckle.
When it is r
eleased, the belt should
automatically draw back into the
retractor. If this does not happen, check
the belt to be sure it is not twisted, then
try again.
Rear Seat Belt – Passenger’s 3-point
system with convertible locking
retractor
This type of seat belt combines the
features of both an emergency locking
retractor seat belt and an automatic
locking retractor seat belt. Convertible
retractor type seat belts are installed
in the rear seat positions to help
accommodate the installation of child
restraint systems. Although a convertible
retractor is also installed in the front
passenger seat position, NEVER place
any infant/child restraint system in the
front seat of the vehicle.
To fasten your seat belt:
Pull the seat belt out of the retractor
and insert the me
tal tab into the buckle.
There will be an audible “click” when
the tab locks into the buckle. When
not securing a child restraint, the seat
belt operates in the same way as the
driver’s seat belt (Emergency Locking
Retractor Type). It automatically adjusts
to the proper length only after the lap
belt portion of the seat belt is adjusted
manually so that it fits snugly across your
hips.
When the seat belt is fully extended from
the retractor to allow the installation of
a child restraint system, the seat belt
operation changes to allow the belt to
retract, but not to extend (Automatic
Locking Retractor Type). Refer to the
“Using a Child Restraint System” section
in this chapter.
NOTICE
Although the seat belt retractor
provides the same level of protection
for seated passengers in either
emergency or automatic locking
modes, the emergency locking mode
allows seated passengers to move
freely in their seat while keeping
some tension on the belt. During a
collision or sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
To deactivate the automatic locking
mode, unbuckle the seat belt and allow
the belt to fully retract.