NISSAN LEAF 2012 Owners Manual

WARNING
.Every person who drives or rides in
this vehicle should use a seat belt at
all times. Children should be prop-
erly restrained in the rear seat and,
if appropriate, in a child restraint.
. The seat belt should be properly
adjusted to a snug fit. Failure to do
so may reduce the effectiveness of
the entire restraint system and in-
crease the chance or severity of
injury in an accident. Serious injury
or death can occur if the seat belt is
not worn properly.
. Always route the shoulder belt over
your shoulder and across your
chest. Never put the belt behind
your back, under your arm or across
your neck. The belt should be away
from your face and neck, but not
falling off your shoulder.
. Position the lap belt as low and
snug as possible AROUND THE
HIPS, NOT THE WAIST. A lap belt
worn too high could increase the
risk of internal injuries in an acci-
dent. .
Be sure the seat belt tongue is
securely fastened to the proper
buckle.
. Do not wear the seat belt inside out
or twisted. Doing so may reduce its
effectiveness.
. Do not allow more than one person
to use the same seat belt.
. Never carry more people in the
vehicle than there are seat belts.
. If the seat belt warning light glows
continuously while the power switch
is turned ON with all doors closed
and all seat belts fastened, it may
indicate a malfunction in the sys-
tem. Have the system checked by a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer.
. No changes should be made to the
seat belt system. For example, do
not modify the seat belt, add mate-
rial, or install devices that may
change the seat belt routing or
tension. Doing so may affect the
operation of the seat belt system.
Modifying or tampering with the
seat belt system may result in
serious personal injury.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-11

.Once a seat belt pretensioner has
activated, it cannot be reused and
must be replaced together with the
retractor. See a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer.
. Removal and installation of the
pretensioner system components
should be done by a NISSAN certi-
fied LEAF dealer.
. All seat belt assemblies, including
retractors and attaching hardware,
should be inspected after any colli-
sion by a NISSAN certified LEAF
dealer. NISSAN recommends that
all seat belt assemblies in use
during a collision be replaced un-
less the collision was minor and the
belts show no damage and continue
to operate properly. Seat belt as-
semblies not in use during a colli-
sion should also be inspected and
replaced if either damage or impro-
per operation is noted.
. All child restraints and attaching
hardware should be inspected after
any collision. Always follow the
restraint manufacturer’s inspection
instructions and replacement re- commendations. The child restraints
should be replaced if they are
damaged.
PREGNANT WOMEN
NISSAN recommends that pregnant women use
seat belts. The seat belt should be worn snug,
and always position the lap belt as low as
possible around the hips, not the waist. Place
the shoulder belt over your shoulder and across
your chest. Never put the lap/shoulder belt over
your abdominal area. Contact your doctor for
specific recommendations.
INJURED PERSONS
NISSAN recommends that injured persons use
seat belts, depending on the injury. Check with
your doctor for specific recommendations.
THREE-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WITH RETRACTOR

by cutting the seat belt with a
suitable tool (such as a knife or
scissors) to release the seat belt.
Fastening the seat belts
1. Adjust the seat. See “Seats” earlier in thissection.

of movement in the seat. The ELR locks the seat
belt when the vehicle slows down rapidly or
during certain impacts.
The Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode
(child restraint mode) locks the seat belt for
child restraint installation.
When ALR mode is activated the seat belt
cannot be extended again until the seat belt
tongue is detached from the buckle and fully
retracted. The seat belt returns to the ELR mode
after the seat belt fully retracts. For additional
information, see “Child restraints” later in this
section.
The ALR mode should be used only for
child restraint installation. During normal
seat belt use by an occupant, the ALR
mode should not be activated. If it is
activated, it may cause uncomfortable seat
belt tension.

Shoulder belt height adjustment (for
front seats)
The shoulder belt anchor height should be
adjusted to the position that is best for you.
See “Precautions on seat belt usage” earlier in
this section.
To adjust, pull the adjustment button
*1, and
then move the shoulder belt anchor to the
preferred position
*2so that the belt passes
over the center of the shoulder. The belt should
be away from your face and neck, but not falling
off of your shoulder. Release the adjustment
button to lock the shoulder belt anchor into
position.

Center of rear seat
Selecting correct set of seat belts:
The center seat belt buckle is identified by the
CENTER mark
*A. The center seat belt tongue
can be fastened onlyinto the center seat belt
buckle.
SEAT BELT EXTENDERS
If, because of body size or driving position, it is
not possible to properly fit the lap-shoulder belt
and fasten it, an extender that is compatible with
the installed seat belts is available that can be
purchased. The extender adds approximately 8
in (200 mm) of length and may be used for either the driver or front passenger seating position.
See a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer for
assistance with purchasing an extender if an
extender is required.

use.
SMALL CHILDREN
Children that are over 1 year old and weigh at
least 20 lbs (9 kg) should remain in a rear-facing
child restraint as long as possible up to the
height or weight limit of the child restraint.
Forward-facing child restraints are available for
children who outgrow rear facing child restraints
and are at least 1 years old. Refer to the
manufacturer’s instructions for minimum and
maximum weight and height recommendations.
NISSAN recommends that small children be
placed in child restraints that comply with
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. You
should choose a child restraint that fits your
vehicle and always follow the manufacturer’s
instructions for installation and use.
LARGER CHILDREN
Children who are too large for child restraints
should be seated and restrained by the seat
belts which are provided. The seat belt may not
fit properly if the child is less than 4 ft 9 in (142.5
cm) tall and weighs between 40 lb (18 kg) and
80 lb (36 kg) . A booster seat should be used to
obtain proper seat belt fit.
NISSAN recommends that a child be placed in acommercially available booster seat if the
shoulder belt in the child’s seating position fits
close to the face or neck or if the lap portion of
the seat belt goes across the abdomen. The
booster seat should raise the child so that the
shoulder belt is properly positioned across the
top, middle portion of the shoulder and the lap
belt is low on the hips. A booster seat can only
be used in seating positions that have a three-
point type seat belt. The booster seat should fit
the vehicle seat and have a label certifying that it
complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. Once the child has grown so the
shoulder belt is no longer on or near the face
and neck, use the shoulder belt without the
booster seat.