belt DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2012 5.G Owners Manual

Sliding Side Door ...................... 41
▫ Power Sliding Side Door — If Equipped ..... 42
▫ Sliding Side Door Child Protection Lock ..... 46
 Liftgate ............................. 48
▫ Power Liftgate — If Equipped ............ 49
 Occupant Restraints ..................... 52
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts .................... 55
▫ Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions ..... 62
▫ Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) —
If Equipped ......................... 62
▫ Energy Management Feature ............. 63
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioners ................. 64
▫ Supplemental Active Head Restraints
(AHR) — If Equipped .................. 64 ▫
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ......................... 68
▫ Seat Belt Lock Out .................... 69
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women .......... 69
▫ Seat Belt Extender ..................... 70
▫ Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) — Air Bags ..................... 70
▫ Air Bag System Components ............. 72
▫ Advanced Front Air Bag Features .......... 73
▫ Air Bag Deployment Sensors And Controls . . . 76
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) .............. 84
▫ Child Restraints ...................... 85
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•If you are required to drive with the liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
climate control blower switch is set at high speed.
Do not use the recirculation mode.
Gas props support the liftgate in the open position.
However, because the gas pressure drops with tempera-
ture, it may be necessary to assist the props when
opening the liftgate in cold weather.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating
positions
•Advanced Front Air Bags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint) — if equipped
•Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag
•Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC) that span the front, second, and third row
seating for the driver and passengers seated next to a
window
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupant
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners that may
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•All seat belt systems (except the driver ’s and third row
center) include Automatic Locking Retractors (ALRs),
which lock the seat belt webbing into position by
extending the belt all the way out and then adjusting
the belt to the desired length to restrain a child seat or
secure a large item in a seat
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly, to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-sized
seat belts, the seat belts or the Lower Anchors and Tether
for CHildren (LATCH) feature also can be used to hold
infant and child restraint systems. For more information
on LATCH, refer to Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren (LATCH). NOTE:
The Advanced Front Air Bags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the air bag to have different
rates of inflation based on the severity and type of
collision.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
1. Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
WARNING!
Infants in rear facing child restraints should never
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
Advanced Front Air Bag. An air bag deployment can
cause severe injury or death to infants in that posi-
tion.
Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly (see section on Child Restraints) should be
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53

secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats. Older children who do not use
child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats should
ride properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow
children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under
their arm.
If a child from 1 to 12 years old (not in a rear facing child
seat) must ride in the front passenger seat, move the seat
as far back as possible and use the proper child restraint.
(Refer to “Child Restraints”)
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2.All occupants should always wear their lap and
shoulder belts properly.
3. The driver and front passenger seats should be
moved back as far as practical to allow the Advanced
Front Air Bags room to inflate. 4.
Do not lean against the door or window. If your
vehicle has side air bags, and deployment occurs, the
side air bags will inflate forcefully into the space
between you and the door.
5. If the air bag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact
the Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided
under If You Need Assistance.
WARNING!
•Relying on the air bags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The air bags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the air bags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
air bags.
(Continued)
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during Advanced Front Air Bag deployment
could cause serious injury, including death. Air
Bags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably
extending your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
•Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC) and Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
also need room to inflate. Do not lean against the
door or window. Sit upright in the center of the
seat.
•In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly
buckled up. You can strike the interior of your
vehicle or other passengers, or you can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Always be sure you and others
in your vehicle are buckled up properly.Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some
of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility of
ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
inside of the vehicle. Everyone in a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seats in your vehicle are equipped with lap/shoulder
belts.
The belt webbing in the retractor is designed to lock
during very sudden stops or accidents. This feature
allows the shoulder part of the belt to move freely with
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

you under normal conditions. However, in a collision the
belt will lock and reduce the risk of you striking the
inside of the vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
•It is 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.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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 instructions to
wear your seat belt safely and to keep your pas-
sengers safe, too.
•Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in a collision, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their size.
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 near the seatback of the
front seats and next to your arm in the rear seats. Grasp
the latch 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.
Pulling Out Belt and Latch Plate
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57

WARNING!
•A belt that is worn under your arm is dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in a collision, increasing head and neck
injury. 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 you 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.3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click”.
Inserting Latch Plate Into Buckle
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•A belt that is 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
properly. In a sudden stop you could move too far
forward, increasing the possibility of injury. Wear
your seat belt snugly.
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.
Removing Slack From Belt
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59

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 may not protect you properly. 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 authorized dealer immedi-
ately 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. 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.).
Third Row Center Shoulder Belt Instructions
The shoulder belt for the third row center seat is located
in the headliner slightly behind the third row seat.
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE