warning DODGE DAKOTA 2007 3.G User Guide

of ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
inside of the vehicle.Everyonein a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions except the front center seating
position (with full bench seat) have combination lap/
shoulder belts. The belt webbing retractor is designed to
lock during very sudden stops or collisions. This feature
allows the shoulder part of the belt to move freely with
you under normal conditions. But in a collision, the belt
will lock and reduce the risk of your striking the inside of
the vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed.
Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat belts.
Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
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WARNING!
•Wearing a seat belt incorrectly is dangerous. Seat
belts are designed to go around the large bones of
your body. These are the strongest parts of your
body and can take the forces of a collision the
best. Wearing your belt in the wrong place could
make your injuries in a collision much worse. You
might suffer internal injuries, or you could even
slide out of part of the belt. Follow these instruc-
tions to wear your seat belt safely and to keep
your passengers safe, too.
•Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in an accident, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for
more than one person, no matter what their size.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and
adjust the seat.
2. The seat belt latch plate is above the back of the front
seat, next to your arm in the rear seat. Grasp the latch
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

plate and pull out the belt. Slide the latch plate up the
webbing as far as necessary to allow the belt to go around
your lap.
3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”WARNING!
•A belt buckled into the wrong buckle will not protect
you properly. The lap portion could ride too high on your
body, possibly causing internal injuries. Always buckle
your belt into the buckle nearest you.
•A belt that is too loose will not protect you as well. In a
sudden stop you could move too far forward, increasing
the possibility of injury. Wear your seat belt snugly.
•A belt that is worn under your arm is very dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the vehicle in
a collision, increasing head and neck injury. And a belt
worn under the arm can cause internal injuries. Ribs aren’t
as strong as shoulder bones. Wear the belt over your
shoulder so that your strongest bones will take the force in
a collision.
•A shoulder belt placed behind will not protect you from
injury during a collision. You are more likely to hit your
head in a collision if you do not wear your shoulder belt.
The lap and shoulder belt are meant to be used together.
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4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap belt portion, pull up
on the shoulder belt. To loosen the lap belt if it is too tight,
tilt the latch plate and pull on the lap belt. A snug belt
reduces the risk of sliding under the belt in a collision.WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in a collision. The belt forces won’t
be at the strong hip and pelvic bones, but across your
abdomen. Always wear the lap belt as low as pos-
sible and keep it snug.
•A twisted belt can’t do its job as well. In a collision
it could even cut into you. Be sure the belt is straight.
If you can’t straighten a belt in your vehicle, take it
to your dealer and have it fixed.
5. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is
comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retractor
will withdraw any slack in the belt.
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6. To release the belt, push the red button on the buckle.
The belt will automatically retract to its stowed position.
If necessary, slide the latch plate down the webbing to
allow the belt to retract fully.
WARNING!
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a collision
and leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt
system periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or loose
parts. Damaged parts must be replaced immediately.
Do not disassemble or modify the system. Seat belt
assemblies must be replaced after a collision if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.).
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front row outboard seats, the shoulder belt can be
adjusted upward or downward to help position the belt
away from your neck. Push in on the anchorage release
button to release the anchorage, and then move it up or
down to the position that serves you best.
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loose end of the webbing. Wear the lap belt snug against
the hips. Sit back and erect in the seat, then adjust the belt
as tightly as is comfortable.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belts for front outboard seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove any slack from the seat belt system in the event of
a collision. These devices improve the performance of the
seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight about the
occupant early in a collision. Pretensioners work for all
size occupants, including those in child restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the airbags, the pretension-
ers are single use items. After a collision that is severe
enough to deploy the airbags and pretensioners, both
must be replaced.
Enhanced Driver Seat Belt Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
If the driver’s seat belt has not been buckled within 60
seconds of starting the vehicle and if the vehicle speed is
greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), the Enhanced Warning
System (BeltAlert) will alert the driver to buckle their seat
belt. The driver should also instruct all other occupants to
buckle their seat belts. Once the warning is triggered, the
Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will continue to
chime and flash the Seat Belt Warning Light for 96
seconds or until the driver’s seat belt is buckled. The
Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will be reactivated
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if the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled for more than 10
seconds and the vehicle speed is greater than 5 mph (8
km/h).
The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) can be en-
abled or disabled by your authorized dealer or by
following these steps:
NOTE:The following steps must occur within the first
60 seconds of the ignition switch being turned to the ON
or START position. DaimlerChrysler does not recom-
mend deactivating the Enhanced Warning System
(BeltAlert).
1. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position and
buckle the driver’s seat belt.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position and wait
for the Seat Belt Warning Light to turn off.3. Within 60 seconds of starting the vehicle, unbuckle
and then re-buckle the driver’s seat belt at least three
times within 10 seconds, ending with the seat belt
buckled.
4. Turn off the engine. A single chime will sound to
signify that you have successfully completed the pro-
gramming.
The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) can be reacti-
vated by repeating this procedure.
NOTE:Although the Enhanced Warning System
(BeltAlert) has been deactivated, the Seat Belt Warning
Light will continue to illuminate while the driver’s seat
belt remains unbuckled.
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Seat Belts and Pregnant Women
We recommend that pregnant women use seat belts
throughout their pregnancies. Keeping the mother safe is
the best way to keep the baby safe.
Pregnant women should wear the lap part of the belt
across the thighs and as snug against the hips as possible.
Keep the belt low so that it does not come across the
abdomen. That way the strong bones of the hips will take
the force if there is a collision.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is too short, even when fully extended, your
dealer can provide you with a seat belt extender. This
extender should be used only if the existing belt is not
long enough. When it is not required, remove the ex-
tender and store it.
WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in a collision. Only use the
seat belt extender when the lap belt is not long
enough when it is worn low and snug, and in the
recommended seating positions. Remove and store
the extender when not needed.
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WARNING!
•Do not put anything on or around the front airbag
covers or attempt to manually open them. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured be-
cause the airbags are no longer functional. These
protective covers for the airbag cushions are de-
signed to open only when the airbags are inflating.
•If your vehicle is equipped with window bags, do
not stack luggage or other cargo up high enough to
block the location of the window bag. The area
where the window bag is located should remain free
from any obstructions.
•If your vehicle is equipped with window bags, do
not have any accessory items installed which will
alter the roof, including adding a sunroof to your
vehicle. Do not add roof racks that require perma-
nent attachments (bolts or screws) for installation on
the vehicle roof. Do not drill into the roof of the
vehicle for any reason.
NOTE:Do not use a clothing bar mounted to the coat
hooks in this vehicle. A clothing bar will impede the
proper performance of the window bags.
Along with the seat belts, front airbags work with the
instrument panel knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Window
bags also work with seat belts to improve occupant
protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions.
If your vehicle is so equipped, the window bag on the
crash side of the vehicle is triggered in moderate to
severe side collisions. But even in collisions where the
airbags work, you need the seat belts to keep you in the
right position for the airbags to protect you properly.
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WARNING!
•Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions the airbags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you
have airbags.
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instru-
ment panel during airbag deployment could cause
serious injury. Airbags need room to inflate. Sit
back, comfortably extending your arms to reach
the steering wheel or instrument panel.
•If the vehicle has window bags, they also need
room to inflate. Do not lean against the door or
window. Sit upright in the center of the seat.
Air Bag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
•Occupant Restraint Controller
•Side Remote Acceleration Sensors – If Equipped
•Airbag Warning Light
•Driver Airbag
•Passenger Airbag
•Window Bags above Side Windows – If Equipped
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Interconnecting Wiring
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Front Acceleration Sensors
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