Wearing Seat Belts
Using seat belts and child safety seats is the most
effective way to protect occupants if a collision occurs.
Therefore, wearing a seat belt is required by law in most
jurisdictions.
Both the driver and passenger seats are equipped with
three-point inertia reel seat belts. Inertia reel belts are
automatically tensioned to allow occupants to move
comfortably during normal driving conditions. To
securely hold child safety seats, all passenger seating
positions are equipped with an automatic locking
retractor (ALR) feature that, by fully extracting the seat
belt (beyond the length needed for a typical adult
occupant), locks the belt into place until the seat belt is
unbuckled.
The seat belt reel automatically locks to prevent
movement of occupants if Model S experiences a force
associated with hard acceleration, braking, cornering, or
an impact in a collision.
Seat Belt Reminders
The seat belt reminder on the instrument
panel alerts you if a seat belt for an
occupied driver or passenger seat is
unbuckled. If the belt remains unbuckled,
the reminder flashes and an intermittent
chime sounds. If all occupants are buckled
up and the reminder stays on, re-buckle
seat belts to ensure they are correctly
latched. Also remove any heavy objects
(such as a briefcase) from an unoccupied
seat. If the reminder light continues to stay
on, contact Tesla.
You can temporarily mute a seat belt reminder
associated with a rear seating position. This is useful
when you are carrying an object in a rear seat that
triggers the seat belt reminder alert. To mute the
reminder, touch the associated seat on the seat belt
reminder popup message that displays on the
touchscreen when a seat belt reminder is active. When a
reminder is muted, the seat belt reminder icon is
replaced by a seat icon. Touch the seat again to unmute
the reminder. The reminder is disabled for the current
drive only.
WARNING:
Seat belts must be worn by passengers
in all seating positions. Do not disable a seat belt
reminder when the seating position is occupied by
a passenger.
To Fasten a Belt
1. Ensure correct positioning of the seat (see
).
2. Draw the belt out smoothly, ensuring the belt lays flat
across the pelvis, chest and mid-point of your collar
bone, between the neck and shoulder.
3. Insert the latch plate into the buckle and press
together until you hear a click indicating it is locked
in place.
4. Pull the belt to check that it is securely fastened.
5. Pull the diagonal part of the belt toward the reel to
remove excess slack.
To Release a Belt
Hold the belt near the buckle to prevent the belt from
retracting too quickly, then press the button on the
buckle. The belt retracts automatically. Ensure there is
no obstruction that prevents the belt from fully
retracting. The belt should not hang loose. If a seat belt
does not fully retract, contact Tesla.
Wearing Seat Belts When Pregnant
Do not put the lap or shoulder sections of the seat belt
over the abdominal area. Wear the lap section of the
belt as low as possible across the hips, not the waist.
Position the shoulder portion of the belt between the
breasts and to the side of the abdomen. Consult your
doctor for specific guidance.
Seat Belts
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Seating and Safety Restraints