belt Lexus ES350 2008 Safety information

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1
Before driving
1-7. Safety information
Correct driving posture
Drive in a good posture as follows:
Sit upright and well back in
the seat. (→P. 4 3 )
Adjust the position of the seat
forward or backward to
ensure the pedals can be
reached and easily
depressed to the extent
required. (→P. 4 3 )
Adjust the seatback so that
the controls are easily opera-
ble.
Adjust the tilt and telescopic
positions of the steering
wheel downward so the air-
bag is facing your chest.
(→P. 56)
Lock the head restraint in
place with the center of the
head restraint closest to the
top of your ears. (→P. 4 9 )
Wear the seat belt correctly.
(→P. 50)

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1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■While driving
●Do not adjust the position of the driver’s seat while driving.
Doing so could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
●Do not place a cushion between the driver or passenger and the seatback.
A cushion may prevent correct posture from being achieved, and reduce the
effectiveness of the seat belt and head restraint, increasing the risk of death or
serious injury to the driver or passenger.
●Do not place anything under the front seats.
Objects placed under the front seats may become jammed in the seat tracks and
stop the seat from locking in place. This may lead to an accident. The adjustment
mechanism may also be damaged.
■Adjusting the seat position:
●Take care when adjusting the seat position to ensure that other passengers are
not injured by the moving seat.
●Do not put your hands under the seat or near the moving parts to avoid injury.
Fingers or hands may become jammed in the seat mechanism.

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1-7. Safety information
Before driving
SRS airbags
The SRS airbags inflate when the vehicle is subjected to certain types of
severe impacts that may cause significant injury to the occupants. They
work together with the seat belts to help reduce the risk of death or serious
injury.
Front airbags
Driver airbag/front passenger airbag
Can help protect the head and chest of the driver and front passen-
ger from impact with interior components.
Knee airbags
Can help provide driver and front passenger protection.
Side and curtain shield airbags
Side airbags
Can help protect the torso of the front seat occupants and rear seat
outside occupants (if equipped).
Curtain shield airbags
Can help protect primarily the head of outside occupants.

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1-7. Safety information
Airbag system components
Your vehicle is equipped with ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed based
on US motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS208). The airbag system
controls airbag deployment power for the driver and front passenger. The
driver airbag system consists of the driver seat’s position sensor etc. The
front passenger’s airbag system consists of the front passenger occupant
classification sensor etc.Front passenger airbag
Curtain shield airbags
AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG
OFF indicator lights
Side airbags for the front pas-
sengers
Side and curtain shield airbag
sensors
Curtain shield airbag sensors
Side airbags for the rear out-
side passengers (if equipped)SRS warning light
Driver airbag
Driver's seat position sensor
Knee airbags
Driver's seat belt buckle switch
Front passenger’s seat belt
buckle switch
Airbag sensor assembly
Occupant detection system
(ECU and sensors)
Front airbag sensors

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1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
The main SRS airbag system components are shown above. The SRS air-
bag system is controlled by the airbag sensor assembly. The airbag sen-
sor assembly consists of a safing sensor and an airbag sensor.
In certain types of severe frontal or side impacts, the SRS airbag system
triggers the airbag inflators. A chemical reaction in the inflators quickly
fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to help restrain the motion of the occu-
pants.
■If the SRS airbags deploy (inflate)
●Bruising and slight abrasions may result from contact with a deploying (inflating)
SRS airbag.
●A loud noise and white powder will be emitted.
●Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, airbag cover and inflator) as
well as the seats, and parts of the front pillar, rear pillar and roof side rail, may be
hot for several minutes. The airbag itself may also be hot.
●The front windshield may crack.
■Operating conditions (front airbags)
●The SRS front airbags will deploy if the severity of the frontal impact is above the
designed threshold level, comparable to an approximate 15 mph (25 km/h) col-
lision when the vehicle impacts straight into a fixed barrier that does not move
or deform.
However, this threshold velocity will be considerably higher if the vehicle strikes
an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign pole, which can move or deform on
impact, or if the vehicle is involved in an underride collision (e.g. a collision in
which the front of the vehicle “underrides”, or goes under, the bed of a truck, etc.).
●It is possible that in some collisions where the forward deceleration of the vehi-
cle is very close to the designed threshold level, the SRS front airbags and the
seat belt pretensioners may not activate together.
●The SRS front passenger airbag will not activate if there is no passenger sitting
in the front passenger seat. However, the front passenger airbag may deploy if
luggage is put in the seat, or the seat belt is fastened, even if the seat is unoccu-
pied. (→P. 88)

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1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the airbags.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
●The driver and all passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental devices to be used with the seat belts.
●The SRS driver airbag deploys with considerable force, and can cause death or
serious injury especially if the driver is very close to the airbag. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag is the first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm) of inflation,
placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) from your driver airbag provides you with a
clear margin of safety. This distance is measured from the center of the steering
wheel to your breastbone. If you sit less than 10 in. (250 mm) away now, you can
change your driving position in several ways:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the pedals
comfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of the seat. Although vehicle designs vary, many driv-
ers can achieve the 10 in. (250 mm) distance, even with the driver seat all the
way forward, simply by reclining the back of the seat somewhat. If reclining
the back of your seat makes it hard to see the road, raise yourself by using a
firm, non-slippery cushion, or raise the seat if your vehicle has that feature.
• If your steering wheel is adjustable, tilt it downward. This points the airbag
toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, while still main-
taining control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view of the instrument
panel controls.

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1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●The SRS front passenger airbag also deploys with considerable force, and can
cause death or serious injury especially if the front passenger is very close to the
airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far from the airbag as possible with
the seatback adjusted, so the front passenger sits upright.
●Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children can be killed or seri-
ously injured by a deploying airbag. An infant or child who is too small to use a
seat belt should be properly secured using a child restraint system. Lexus strongly
recommends that all infants and children be placed in the rear seats of the vehicle
and properly restrained. The rear seats are the safest for infants and children.
(→P. 9 3 )
●If the seat belt extender has been con-
nected to the driver's seat belt buckle but
the seat belt extender has not also been
fastened to the latch plate of the driver's
seat belt, the SRS driver's airbag system
will judge that the driver is wearing the seat
belt even though the seat belt has not been
connected. In this case, the driver's airbag
may not activate correctly in a collision,
resulting in death or serious injury in the
event of collision. Be sure to wear the seat
belt with the seat belt extender.

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1-7. Safety information
Front passenger occupant classification system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classification sys-
tem. This system detects the conditions of the front passenger seat and
activates or deactivates the devices for front passenger.
SRS warning light
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
AIR BAG OFF indicator light
AIR BAG ON indicator light
With navigation system
Without navigation system

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1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant classification system
■Adult*1
■Child *3 or child restraint system*4
Indicator/
warning light
AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF indicator
lightsAIR BAG ON
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Activated Side airbag on the right side
passenger seatsCurtain shield airbag in the front passenger side
Front passenger knee airbag
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light
AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF indicator
lightsAIR BAG
OFF*5
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the right side
passenger seatsCurtain shield airbag in the front passenger sideActivated
Front passenger knee airbag Deactivated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Activated

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1-7. Safety information
■Unoccupied
■There is a malfunction in the system
*1: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller
adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/
her as a child depending on his/her physique and posture.
*2: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.
*3: When a larger child who has outgrown a child restraint system sits in
the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her as an
adult depending on his/her physique or posture.
Indicator/
warning light
AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF indicator
lightsNot illuminated
SRS warning light
Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the right side
passenger seats
Curtain shield airbag in the front passenger sideActivated
Front passenger knee airbag
Deactivated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light
AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF indicator
lightsAIR BAG OFF
SRS warning light On
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Off
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the right side
passenger seats
Curtain shield airbag in the front passenger sideActivated
Front passenger knee airbag Deactivated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Activated