Sa f e ty belts
Automatic safet y belt retractors
Every safety belt is equ ipped with an automa t ic
be lt retractor on the shoulder belt. This feature
locks the belt when the belt is pulled out fast,
during hard braking and in an accident. The belt
may a lso lock when you drive up or down a steep
hill or through a sharp curve. During normal driv-
ing the belt lets you
move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped with a belt preten-
sioner that helps to t ighten the safety belt and
remove slack when the pretensioner is activated.
The function of the pretensioner is mon itored by
a warning light
r:::')page 13.
Switchable locking feature
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a switchable locking fea-
ture that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child safety seat. Be sure to read
the impo rtant information about this feature
r=;,page 178 .
.&_ WARNING
Improperly pos itioned safety be lts can cause
ser ious injury in an accident
c:> page 144,
Safety belt position.
- Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upright and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
- Always make sure that the rear seat bac k-
rest to which the center rea r safety belt is
attached is secure ly latched whenever the
rear center safety belt is being used. If the
backrest is not securely latched, the passen-
ger will move forward with the backrest dur-
ing sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver
and especially in a crash.
- Never attach the safety belt to the buckle
for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effec-
t iveness and can cause serious persona l in-
jury.
- A passenger who is not properly restrained
can be seriously inj ured by the safety be lt it-
self when it moves from the stronger parts
144
of the body into critical areas like the abdo-
men.
- Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are securing a child safety seat in
the vehicle
c:> page 180.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi-
mum protection from safety belts .
Fig. 160 Safety belt pos it ion
-
"'
....
9
I
...
a,
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust
the position of the safety belt to match your body
size.
- belt height adjustment for the front seats,
- height-adjustab le front seats.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious pe rsonal injury in an acc ident .
- The shoulder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possible and
should fit well on the body. Hold the belt
above the latch tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest so that it s its as low as pos-
sible on the pe lvis and t here is no pressure
on the abdomen . The belt sho uld a lways f it
snug ly
r:::;, fig. 160. Pull on the belt to tig hten
if necessary .
- The lap be lt portion of the safety belt must
be positioned as low as possible across pel-
vis and never over the abdomen. Make sure
the belt lies flat and snug
c:> fig. 160. Pull on
the belt to tighten if necessary.
- A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious
injuries by sh ifting its position on your body ..,_
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