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Safety features of your vehicle
Seat belts
Do not lie down
To reduce the chance of injuries in
the event of an accident and to
achieve maximum effectiveness of
the restraint system, all passengers
should be sitting up and the front
seats should be in an upright posi
-
tion when the car is moving. A seat
belt cannot provide proper protec
-
tion if the person is lying down in
the rear seat or if the front seat is
in a reclined position.
WARNING
Riding with a reclined seatback
increases your chance of serious or
fatal injuries in the event of a colli
-
sion or sudden stop. The protection
of your restraint system (seat belts
and air bags) is greatly reduced by
reclining your seat. Seat belts must
be snug against your hips and chest
to work properly. The more the
seatback is reclined, the greater the
chance that an occupant's hips will
slide under the lap belt causing seri
-
ous internal injuries or the occu
-
pant's neck could strike the shoulder
belt. Drivers and passengers should
always sit well back in their seats,
properly belted, and with the seat
-
backs upright.
Care of seat belts
Seat belt systems should never be
disassembled or modified. In addi
-
tion, care should be taken to assure
that seat belts and belt hardware
are not damaged by seat hinges,
doors or other abuse.
WARNING
䳜 When you return the rear seat
-
back to its upright position after
the rear seatback was folded
down, be careful not to damage
the seat belt webbing or buckle.
Be sure that the webbing or
buckle does not get caught or
pinched in the rear seat. A seat
belt with damaged webbing or
buckle will not be as strong and
could possibly fail during a colli
-
sion or sudden stop, resulting in
serious injury. If the webbing or
buckles are damaged, get them
replaced immediately.
䳜 Seat belts can become hot in a
vehicle that has been closed up in
sunny weather.
They could burn infants and chil
-
dren.
Periodic inspection
It is recommended that all seat belts
be inspected periodically for wear or
damage of any kind. Any damaged
parts should be replaced as soon as
possible.