- Children must always be properly re-
strained in a child restraint that is appro-
priate for their age and size
c:> page 130.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re-
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they are properly positioned on the
body. Improper seating positions reduce the
effectiveness of safety belts and will even in-
crease the risk of injury and death by moving
the safety belt to critical areas of the body.
Improper seating positions also increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an air-
bag deploys and strikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position. A driver is
responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu-
pants and especially for children. Therefore:
.,. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
c:> ,&..
The following bullets list only some sample
positions that wi ll increase the risk of serious
injury and death . Our hope is that these exam-
ples will make you more aware of seating po-
sitions that are dangerous.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
Driving Safely 95
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Sitting incorrectly places occupants at
risk of being critically injured if the air-
bags deploy and strike them.
- Before you start driving, seat yourself
properly and always maintain this seat-
ing position during the trip. Before each
trip, instruct your passengers to seat
themselves properly and to maintain this
seating position during the trip
c:> page 59, Seats and storage.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be-
tween yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by interfer-
ing with the way the airbag deploys or by
being pushed into you as the airbag de-
ploys.
- No persons (children) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas-
senger seat . If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried
in the footwell area in front of the driv-
er's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham-
per or prevent proper deployment of the
airbag. Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
and injure you or your passengers.
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