- Safety belts
___ .:,__ _____________________________________ _
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is equipped with an automatic belt retractor on the
shoulder bel t . This featu re locks the bel t when the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an accident. The belt may also lock
when you drive up or down a steep hill or through a sharp curve.
During normal driving the bel t lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped with a belt pretension er that helps to
tighten the safety belt and remove slack when the pretensioner is
activated. The function of the pretensioner is monitored by a
warning light:::::, page
20, "Airbag system @;".
Switchable locking feature
Every safe ty belt except the one on the driver seat is equipped with
a switchable locking feature that must be used when the safety belt
is used to attach a child seat . Be sure to read the important informa-
tion about this feature :::::, page
200.
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious injury in an
accident :::::,
page 164, "Safety belt position" .
• Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat back
is upright and belts are properly positioned on the body.
• Never attach the safety belt to the buckle for another seat.
Attaching the belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause serious personal injury.
• A passenger who is not properly restrained can be seriously
injured by the safety belt itself when it moves from the stronger
parts of the body into critical areas like the abdomen.
• Always lock the convertible locking retractor when you are
securing a child seat in the vehicle :::::, page 202. •
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maximum
protection from safety belts.
Fig. 168 Head restraint
and safety belt posi-
tion as seen from the
side
Use the height adjustmen t to change the position of the shoulder
straps of the front seat belts.
in. WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal
injury in an accident .
• The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned
over the middle of the occupant's shoulder and never across the
neck or throat.
• The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's upper
body
:::::> fig. 168. Pull on the belt to tighten if necessary.
• The lap belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned as
low as possible across pelvis and never over the abdomen. Make
sure the belt lies flat and snug :::::, fig. 168. Pull on the belt to
tighten if necessary.
• A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious injuries by shifting
its position on your body from the strong bones to more vulner-
able, soft tissue and cause serious injury. ..,.
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