Occupant safety using seat belts
1. Putting on a seat belt: Draw the belt out smoothly, ensure that the belt height, the seat and your position on the seat, are correct.
WARNING: Seatbelts 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: No modifications or additions should be made by the user which will either prevent the seat belt adjusting devices from operating to remove slack, or prevent the seat belt assembly from being adjusted to remove slack.
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.
Belts should not be worn with the
straps twisted.
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.
The occupants of the front seats
should not travel with the seat
back at more than 30 degrees from
the upright. Doing so will reduce
the protection afforded by the seat
belt.
Never place anything between you
and the seat belt. It can be
dangerous and reduce the
effectiveness of the seat belt in
preventing injury.
2. Fastening a seat belt: With the seat belt correctly positioned, place the metal tongue into the buckle nearest to you. Press it in until a click is heard.
To release the seat belt, press the red button.
Note: When releasing the seat belt it is advisable to hold the belt before pressing the release button. This will prevent the belt from retracting too quickly.
3. Seat belt use during pregnancy: Position the lap strap comfortably across the hips beneath the abdomen. Place the diagonal part of the seat belt between the breasts and to the side of the abdomen.
Position the seat belt
correctly for
the safety of the mother and
unborn child. Never wear just the
lap strap, and never sit on the lap
strap whilst using just the
shoulder strap. Both of these
actions are extremely dangerous,
and may increase your risk of
serious injury in the event of an
accident or during emergency
braking.
Never place anything between you
and the seat belt in an attempt to
cushion the impact in the event of
an accident. It can be dangerous,
and will reduce the effectiveness
of the seat belt in preventing
injury.
Ensure that the seat belt is not
slack or twisted.
4. Seat belt height adjustment: Press to release the catch.
With the catch depressed move the mechanism slide up or down to the required height. Ensure that the locking mechanism has engaged.
When correctly positioned the seat belt should cross the collar bone at the mid-point between the neck and end of your shoulder.
Where possible, rear seat passengers should adjust their seating position to achieve the same seat belt position.
Ensure that the height is
correctly
adjusted and the mechanism is
locked in place before driving.
The use of comfort clips or devices
that would create slack in the seat
belt system, is not advised.
5. Child safety locks: If children are to be carried in the rear seat positions, it is recommended that the rear door interior handles are disabled.
To change the child lock settings:
- Open the door to access the child
safety lock.
- Insert the key blade into the slot and rotate a quarter of a turn to enable or disable the interior door handle as required.