Seat belts
3-3Seating and safety restraints
Seat belts
General information
WARNING: Seat belts should be
worn by all occupants, for every
journey no matter how short. Failure to do
so greatly increases the risk of death or
serious injury in the event of an accident. ▲
Both the driver and passenger seating
positions are equipped with three-point
inertia reel seat belts. Inertia reel belts are
tensioned automatically and allow
freedom of movement during normal
driving conditions.
The belt reel automatically locks,
preventing movement of occupant,
whenever your vehicle experiences the
force associated with hard acceleration,
braking, cornering or on impact in a
collision. The reel may also lock when
driving on steep hills or slopes.
The driver’s seat belt includes a buckle
sensor to detect when the buckle is
latched.
Seat belt safety instructions
WARNING: The airbag SRS is
designed to add to the overall
effectiveness of the seat belts. It does not
replace them. Seat belts must always be
worn. ▲
WARNING: Ensure that all seat belts
are worn correctly. An improperly
worn seat belt increases the risk of death
or serious injury in the event of a
collision. ▲
WARNING: Seat belts are designed
to bear upon the bony structure of
the body, and should be worn low across
the front of the pelvis or the pelvis, chest
and shoulders, as applicable; wearing the
lap section of the belt across the
abdominal area must be avoided. ▲
WARNING: Seat belts should be
adjusted as firmly as possible,
consistent with comfort, to provide the
protection for which they have been
designed, A slack belt will greatly reduce
the protection afforded to the wearer. ▲
WARNING: Do not wear seat belts
over hard, fragile or sharp items in
clothing, such as pens, keys, eyeglasses,
etc. In an impact, the pressure from the
seat belt on such items can cause them to
break, which in turn may cause serious
injury. ▲
WARNING: Each belt assembly must
only be used by one occupant; it is
dangerous to put a belt around a child
being carried on the occupant’s lap. ▲
WARNING: Belts should not be worn
with straps twisted.▲
WARNING: It is essential to replace
the entire assembly after it has been
worn in a severe impact even if damage to
the assembly is not obvious. ▲
WARNING: If a seat belt fails to
retract or latch into the buckle, it
must be replaced immediately. ▲
WARNING: Care should be taken to
avoid contamination of the webbing
with polishes, oils and chemicals and
particularly battery acid. Cleaning may be
safely carried out using mild soap and
water. The belt should be replaced if
webbing becomes frayed, contaminated
or damaged. ▲
WARNING: No modifications or
additions should be made that
prevent the seat belt mechanism from
taking up slack, or that prevent the seat
belt being adjusted to remove slack. A
slack belt greatly reduces the level of
occupant protection.▲
Seat belt reminder
The seat belt warning indicator in
the instrument panel illuminates
whenever the driver’s seat belt is
unbuckled. Also, an audible sound will be
heard for six seconds if the key is turned to
the ON position and the driver’s seat belt
is unbuckled.
Note: If the car is driven more than 160 m
(1/10 mile) with the driver’s seat belt
unbuckled, a warning tone will sound.