Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This section of the manual describes how to use safety belts properly. It also describes some things not to do with safety belts.
WARNING:
Do not let anyone ride where a safety belt cannot be worn properly. In a crash, if you or your passenger(s) are not wearing safety belts, the injuries can be much worse. You can hit things inside the vehicle harder or be ejected from the vehicle. You and your passenger(s) can be seriously injured or killed. In the same crash, you might not be, if you are buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passenger(s) are restrained properly too.
WARNING:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly.
This vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle the safety belts. See Safety Belt Reminders for additional information.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up, a person would not survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without safety belts, they could have been badly hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels.
Put someone on it.
Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop.
The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
or the instrument panel...
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if I am wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety belt or not. But your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are upside down.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they work with safety belts — not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants still have to buckle up to get the most protection.
That is true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions.
Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in a crash — even one that is not your fault — you and your passenger(s) can be hurt. Being a good driver does not protect you from things beyond your control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of home. And the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This section is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about safety belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller children and infants. If a child will be riding in the vehicle, see Older Children or Infants and Young Children. Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants to buckle up.
Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety belt, there is important information you should know.
Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the floor in front of you. The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones and you would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force on your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.
The shoulder belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash.
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give as much protection this way.
WARNING:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should fit snugly against your body.
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The lap belt is too loose. It will not give nearly as much protection this way.
WARNING:
You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt is too loose. In a crash, you could slide under the lap belt and apply force on your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The lap belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs.
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong buckle.
WARNING:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not on the pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is over an armrest.
WARNING:
You can be seriously injured if your belt goes over an armrest like this. The belt would be much too high. In a crash, you can slide under the belt. The belt force would then be applied on the abdomen, not on the pelvic bones, and that could cause serious or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes under the armrests.
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should be worn over the shoulder at all times.
WARNING:
You can be seriously injured if you wear the shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your body would move too far forward, which would increase the chance of head and neck injury. Also, the belt would apply too much force to the ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder bones. You could also severely injure internal organs like your liver or spleen. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest.
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is behind the body.
WARNING:
You can be seriously injured by not wearing the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, you would not be restrained by the shoulder belt. Your body could move too far forward increasing the chance of head and neck injury. You might also slide under the lap belt. The belt force would then be applied right on the abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest.
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
WARNING:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a crash, you would not have the full width of the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted, make it straight so it can work properly, or ask your dealer/retailer to fix it.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle have a lap-shoulder except for the center front passenger position (if equipped), which has a lap belt. See Lap Belt for more information.
The following instructions explain how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a passenger belt is pulled out all the way, the child restraint locking feature may be engaged. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and start again.
Engaging the child restraint locking feature in the right front seating position may affect the passenger sensing system. See Passenger Sensing System for more information.
3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If the latch plate will not go fully into the buckle, check if the correct buckle is being used.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender.
Position the release button on the buckle so that the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the height that is right for you. See “Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in this section for instructions on use and important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.
To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle. The belt should return to its stowed position. Slide the latch plate up the safety belt webbing when the safety belt is not in use. The latch plate should rest on the stitching near the guide loop on the side wall.
Before a door is closed, be sure the safety belt is out of the way. If a door is slammed against a safety belt, damage can occur to both the belt and the vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the driver and right front passenger seating positions.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is centered on the shoulder. The belt should be away from the face and neck, but not falling off the shoulder.
Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
Press the release button (A) and move the height adjuster to the desired position. The adjuster can be moved up by pushing up on the shoulder belt guide.
After the adjuster is set to the desired position, try to move it down without pressing the release button to make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front outboard occupants. Although the safety belt pretensioners cannot be seen, they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a moderate to severe frontal or near frontal crash if the threshold conditions for pretensioner activation are met. And, if your vehicle has side impact airbags, safety belt pretensioners can help tighten the safety belts in a side crash.
Pretensioners work only once. If the pretensioners activate in a crash, they will need to be replaced, and probably other new parts for the vehicle’s safety belt system. See Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
This vehicle may have rear shoulder belt comfort guides for each outside passenger position in the rear seat. If not, they are available through your dealer/retailer. The guides may provide added safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown booster seats and for some adults. When installed the comfort guide positions the shoulder belt away from the neck and head.
Here is how to install a comfort guide to the safety belt:
1. Remove the guide from its storage pocket on the rear side of the seatback.
2. Place the guide over the belt, and insert the two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.
3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.
The elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide on top.
WARNING:
A safety belt that is not properly worn may not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.
4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt as described earlier in this section. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guide, squeeze the belt edges together so that the safety belt can be removed from the guide. Slide the guide into its storage pocket on the side of the seatback.
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Lap Belt
This part is only for the lap belt. To learn how to wear a lap-shoulder belt, see Lap-Shoulder Belt.
You vehicle may have a center seating position.
When you sit in the center front seating position, you have a lap safety belt, which has no retractor.
To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt.
Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap part of a lap-shoulder belt.
To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until the belt is snug.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender .
Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if necessary.
If you find that the latch plate will not go fully into the buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle. Be sure that the latch plate clicks when inserted into the buckle.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer/retailer will order you an extender. When you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender will be long enough for you. To help avoid personal injury, do not let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat it is made to fit. The extender has been designed for adults. Never use it for securing child seats. To wear it, attach it to the regular safety belt. For more information, see the instruction sheet that comes with the extender.
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