warning RAM CHASSIS CAB 2011 User Guide

WARNING!In an accident, 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 an accident 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 an accident.
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 except the Crew Cab front center
seating position have combination lap/shoulder belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during
very sudden stops or accidents. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However, in an accident 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 an accident, 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.
(Continued)38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)• 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 an accident best.
Wearing your belt in the wrong place could make
your injuries in an accident 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.
(Continued) WARNING! (Continued)• 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 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39

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 inju-
ries. 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) WARNING! (Continued)• A belt that is worn under your arm is dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in an accident, 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 stron-
gest bones will take the force in a collision.
• A shoulder belt placed behind you will not protect
you from injury during an accident. 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.
2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41

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 an accident.
WARNING!• A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in an accident. 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 properly. In a
collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure the belt
is straight. If you can’t straighten a belt in a 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.Removing Slack From Belt42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in an accident
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 an accident if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.) or if the airbag deployed.
Regular Cab Front Center Three Point Belt
1. The front center seat belt on the Regular Cab may be
disconnected to open up utilization of the storage areas
behind the front seats. The black latch plate can be
detached from the black keyed seat belt buckle located on
the inboard side of the passenger seat. Insert the seat belt
tongue into the center red slot on the black buckle. The black buckle latch plate can be removed when the seat
belt tongue is pressed into the buckle. Allow the retractor
to take up the extra webbing, and the buckles will hang
vertically from the cab back exit bezel, thus freeing up all
the area behind the front seats.
Detaching Buckle With Seat Belt Tongue
2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

2. To reattach the seat belt to the front center seat, pull
the black buckle latch plate forward from the cab back
panel and insert it into the black keyed buckle until there
is an audible “click”. For proper seatbelt usage, refer
“Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions”.
WARNING!• If the black latch and black buckle are not prop-
erly connected when the seat belt is used by an
occupant, the seat belt will not be able to provide
proper restraint and will increase the risk of injury
in an accident.
• When reattaching the black latch and black
buckle, ensure the seat belt webbing is not
twisted. If the webbing is twisted, follow the
preceding procedure to detach the black latch and
black buckle, untwist the webbing, and reattach
the black latch and black buckle. Inserting Latch Plate44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!• If the black latch and black buckle are not prop-
erly connected when the seat belt is used by an
occupant, the seat belt will not be able to provide
proper restraint and will increase the risk of injury
in an accident.
• When reattaching the black latch and black
buckle, ensure the seat belt webbing is not
twisted. If the webbing is twisted, follow the
preceding procedure to detach the black latch and
black buckle, untwist the webbing, and reattach
the black latch and black buckle.In Use Position
2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

WARNING!• A lap belt worn too loose or too high is dangerous.
• A belt worn too loose can allow you to slip down
and under the belt in a collision.
• A belt that is too loose or too high will apply crash
forces to the abdomen, not to the stronger hip
bones. In either case, the risk of internal injuries is
greater. Wear a lap belt low and snug.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Mode –
If Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt. When To Use The Automatic Locking Mode
Use the Automatic Locking Mode any time a child safety
seat is installed in a passenger seating position. Children
12 years old and under should be properly restrained in
the rear seat whenever possible.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap/shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will
hear a clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the Automatic Locking Mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it
to retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode. 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

Enhanced Seat Belt Use 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 BeltAlert  will alert
the driver to buckle the seat belt. The driver should also
instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat belts.
Once the warning is triggered, the BeltAlert  will con-
tinue to chime and flash the Seat Belt Reminder Light for
96 seconds or until the driver’s seat belt is buckled. The
BeltAlert  will be reactivated 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).
BeltAlert  can be enabled 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/RUN or START position. Chrysler Group LLC does
not recommend deactivating the BeltAlert  . 1. With all doors closed and the ignition switch in any
position except ON/RUN or START, buckle the driver’s
seat belt.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position and
wait for the Seat Belt Reminder 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
programming.
BeltAlert  can be reactivated by repeating this procedure.
NOTE: Although BeltAlert  has been deactivated, the
Seat Belt Reminder Light will continue to illuminate
while the driver’s seat belt remains unbuckled.48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 an accident.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is too short even when fully extended, your
authorized 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 extender and store it. WARNING!Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in an accident. 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.
Driver and Right Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) – Airbag
This vehicle has Advanced Front Airbags for both the
driver and front passenger (if equipped) as a supplement
to the seat belt restraint systems. The driver’s Advanced
Front Airbag is mounted in the center of the steering
wheel. The passenger’s Advanced Front Airbag is 2 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49