warning DODGE JOURNEY 2010 1.G User Guide

WARNING!
•Driving with the liftgate open can allow poison-
ous exhaust gases into your vehicle. These fumes
could injure you and your passengers. Keep the
liftgate closed when you are operating the vehicle.
•If you are required to drive with the liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
blower switch on the climate control is set at high
speed. DO NOT use the recirculation mode.
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 Airbags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint)
•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
that span the front, second, and third row seating for
the driver and passengers seated next to a window —
if equipped
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (SAB) — if
equipped
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners to enhance
occupant protection by managing occupant energy
during an impact event — if equipped
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39

•All seat belt systems (except the driver ’s) 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 — if equipped
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, see Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren
(LATCH).
NOTE: The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the airbag to have different
rates of inflation based on the severity and type of
collision. 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.
WARNING!
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.
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
combination lap/shoulder belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during
very sudden stops or impacts. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However, in a collision, the belt will
lock and reduce your risk of 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.
•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 best.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41

WARNING! (Continued)
•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 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 front seat.2. The seat belt latch plate is along side the pillar near the
back of your seat. Grasp the latch plate and pull out the
belt. Slide the latch plate up the webbing as far as
necessary to make the belt go around your lap.Pulling Out Lap/Shoulder Belt
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”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.(Continued)
Connecting Latch Plate To Buckle
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

WARNING! (Continued)
•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.
4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap belt portion, pull up
a bit 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
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
possible and keep it snug.
•A twisted belt can’t do its job 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
immediately 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.).
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the driver’s seat and front passenger’s seat, the shoul-
der belt can be adjusted upward or downward to posi-
tion the belt away from your neck. Push and fully
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
If the driver ’s or front passenger ’s (if equipped with belt
alert) 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 or front passenger to
buckle the seat belt. The driver should also instruct all
other occupants to buckle their seat belts. Once the
warning is triggered, BeltAlertwill continue to chime
and flash the Seat Belt Reminder Light for 96 seconds or
until the driver ’s or front passenger ’s seat belt is buckled.
BeltAlert will be reactivated if the driver ’s or passen-
ger ’s seat belt is unbuckled for more than 10 seconds and
the vehicle speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h).
For front passenger seats equipped with BeltAlert, your
vehicle is equipped to detect when it is occupied. The
BeltAlert warning system is not activated when the front passenger seat is unoccupied. The BeltAlert
warn-
ing system may be triggered when an animal or heavy
object is on the front passenger seat or when the seat is
folded flat (if equipped). It is recommended that pets be
restrained in the rear seat in pet harnesses or pet carriers
that are secured by seat belts and cargo is properly
stowed.
BeltAlert Programming
The BeltAlert can be enabled or disabled by your
authorized dealer or by performing the following steps:
NOTE: The following steps must occur within the first
60 seconds of the ignition switch being turned to the ON
or START position. Chrysler Group LLC does not recom-
mend deactivating BeltAlert.
1. With all doors closed, and the ignition switch in any
position except ON or START, buckle the driver’s seat
belt.
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
when the seat belt is not long enough when it is worn
low and snug and in the recommended seating posi-
tions. Remove and store the extender when not
needed.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) — Airbags
This vehicle has Advanced Front Airbags for both the
driver and front passenger as a supplement to the seat
belt restraint systems. The driver’s Advanced Front Air-
bag is mounted in the center of the steering wheel. The
passenger’s Advanced Front Airbag is mounted in the
instrument panel, above the glove compartment. Thewords SRS AIRBAG are embossed on the airbag covers.
NOTE:
These airbags are certified to the new Federal
regulations for Advanced Airbags.Front Airbag Components
1 — Driver Advanced Front Airbag
2 — Passenger Advanced Front Airbag
3 — Knee Bolsters
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation based on the severity and type of collision.
This vehicle may be equipped with driver and/or front
passenger seat track position sensors that may adjust the
inflation rate of the Advanced Front Airbags based upon
seat position.
This vehicle may be equipped with a driver and/or front
passenger seat belt buckle switch that detects whether
the driver or front passenger seat belt is fastened. The
seat belt buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Airbags.
This vehicle may also be equipped with Supplemental
Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC) to protect the
driver, front, and rear passengers sitting next to a win-
dow. If the vehicle is equipped with SABIC airbags, they
are located above the side windows and their covers are
also labeled: SRS AIRBAG.This vehicle may also be equipped with Supplemental
Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (SAB). If the vehicle is
equipped with Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
they are marked with an airbag label sewn into the
outboard side of the front seats.
NOTE:
•Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim;
but they will open during airbag deployment.
•After any collision, the vehicle should be taken to an
authorized dealer immediately.
Airbag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following airbag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Airbag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
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