3 35
Knowing your vehicle
Proper use and care of the safety
belt system
To ensure that the safety belts provide
the maximum protection, please follow
these instructions:
• Use the belts at all times - even on
short trips.
• If the safety belt is twisted, straighten it
prior to use.
• Keep sharp edges and damaging
objects away from the belts.
• Periodically inspect belt webbing,
anchors, buckles and all other parts for
signs of wear and damage. Replace
damaged, excessively worn or ques-
tionable parts immediately.
• To clean the belt webbing, use a mild
soap solution recommended for clean-
ing upholstery or carpets. Follow the
instructions provided with the soap.
• Do not make modifications or additions
to the safety belt.
• After wearing a safety belt, make sure
it fully retracts to the stowed position.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in
the door when you close it.
Restraint of pregnant women
Pregnant women should wear lap/shoul-
der belt assemblies whenever possible
according to specific recommendations
by their doctors. The lap portion of the
belt should be worn AS SNUGLY AND
LOW AS POSSIBLE.
Restraint of infants and small
children
To increase their safety, infants and
young children should always be
restrained by a restraint system
approved for their age and size.
Never allow a child to stand or kneel on
the seat of a moving vehicle. Never allow
a safety belt to be placed around both a
child and an adult or around two children
at the same time.
It is best for children to be seated in the
rear seats.
Many companies manufacture child
restraint systems (often called child
seats) for infants and small children. An
acceptable child restraint system must
always satisfy U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards and your applicable
state laws. Make sure that any child-
restraint system you use in your vehicle
is labelled as complying with Federal
Safety Standards.
The child-restraint system should be
chosen to fit both the size of the child and
the size of the vehicle seat. Be sure to fol-
low any instructions provided by the
child-restraint system manufacturer
when installing the child-restraint system.
WARNING
- Pregnant
women
Pregnant women must never place
the lap portion of the safety belt
over the area of the abdomen where
the fetus is located or above the
abdomen where the belt could
crush the fetus during an impact.
WARNING
Do not bleach or dye the webbing
because this may weaken the web-
bing fibers and allow them to fail
when loaded in a collision.