TOYOTA PRIUS 2012 3.G Owners Manual

151
1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■
SRS airbag precautions
●Do not hang coat hangers or hard objects on the coat hooks. All of these
items could become projectiles and may cause death or serious injury,
should the SRS curtain shield airbags deploy.
● If a vinyl cover is put on the area where the SRS knee airbags will deploy,
be sure to remove it.
●Do not attach anything to or lean any-
thing against areas such as the dash-
board, steering wheel pad and lower
portion of the instrument panel.
These items can become projectiles
when the SRS driver, front passenger
and knee airbags deploy.
● Do not attach anything to areas such as
a door, windshield glass, side door
glass, front or rear pillar, roof side rail,
and assist grip.

152 1-8. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side
airbags inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags. Such
accessories may prevent the side airbags from activating correctly, disable
the system or cause the side airbags to inflate accidentally, resulting in
death or serious injury.
● Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS air-
bag components.
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
● Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS air-
bags have deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
● If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbags have deployed, open a
door or window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if it is safe to do
so. Wash off any residue as soon as possible to prevent skin irritation.
● If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel
pad and front and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked, have
them replaced by your Toyota dealer.
● Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger’s seat.
Doing so will disperse the passenger’s weight, which prevents the sensor
from detecting the passenger’s weight properly. As a result, the SRS front
airbags for the front passenger may not deploy in the event of a collision.

153
1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■
Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or per form any of the following modifications
without consulting your Toyota dealer. The SRS airbags may malfunction or
deploy (inflate) accidentally, causing death or serious injury.
● Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags
● Repairs, modifications, removal or replacement of the steering wheel,
instrument panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, side and rear
pillars or roof side rails
● Repairs or modifications of the front fender, front bumper, or side of the
occupant compartment
● Installation of snow plows, winches, etc. to the front grille (bull bars or kan-
garoo bar etc.)
● Modifications to the vehicle’s suspension system
● Installation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radios and CD
players
● Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability

154
1-8. Safety information
Front passenger occupant classification system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classifica-
tion system. This system detects the conditions of the front passen-
ger seat and activates or deactiv ates the devices for the front
passenger.
SRS warning light
“AIR BAG OFF” indicator light
“AIR BAG ON” indicator light
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light

155
1-8. Safety information
1
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 lights “AIR BAG
ON”
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Activated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag in the front passen- ger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights “AIR BAG
OFF”
*5
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Activated
Curtain shield airbag in the front passen-
ger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

156 1-8. Safety information
■Unoccupied
■ There is a malfunction in the system
Indicator/
warning light “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lightsNot illuminated
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
Devices Front passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat Activated
Curtain shield airbag in the front passen-
ger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Deactivated
Indicator/
warning light “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights “AIR BAG
OFF”
SRS warning light On
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Off
Devices Front passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Activated
Curtain shield airbag in the front passen-
ger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

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1-8. Safety information
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Before driving
*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 rec-
ognize him/her as a child depending on his/her physique and pos-
ture.
*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.
*4: Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front pas-
senger seat. A forward-facing ch ild restraint system should only
be installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable.
(  P. 160)
*5: In case the indicator light is not illuminated, consult this manual
on how to install the child restraint system properly. ( P. 165)

158 1-8. Safety information
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant cl assification system precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding front passenger occupant clas-
sification system.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
● Wear the seat belt properly.
● Make sure the front passenger’s seat belt plate has not been left inserted
into the buckle before someone sits in the front passenger seat.
● Make sure the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is not illuminated when using
the seat belt extender for the front passenger seat. If the “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator light is illuminated, disconnect the extender tongue from the seat
belt buckle, and reconnect the seat belt. Reconnect the seat belt extender
after making sure the “AIR BAG ON” indicator light is illuminated. If you
use the seat belt extender while the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is illumi-
nated, the SRS airbags for the passenger may not activate correctly,
which could cause death or serious injury in the event of a collision.
● Do not apply a heavy load to the front passenger seat or equipment (e.g.
seatback pocket).
● Do not put weight on the front passenger seat by putting your hands or
feet on the front passenger seat seatback from the rear passenger seat.
● Do not let a rear passenger lift the front passenger seat with their feet or
press on the seatback with their legs.
● Do not put objects under the front passenger seat.

159
1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■
Front passenger occupant cl assification system precautions
● Do not recline the front passenger seatback so far that it touches a rear
seat. This may cause the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light to be illuminated,
which indicates that the passenger’s airbags will not deploy in the event of
a severe accident. If the seatback touches the rear seat, return the seat-
back to a position where it does not touch the rear seat. Keep the front\
passenger seatback as upright as possible when the vehicle is moving.
Reclining the seatback excessively may lessen the effectiveness of the
seat belt system.
● If an adult sits in the front passenger seat, the “AIR BAG ON” indicator
light is illuminated. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator is illuminated, ask the
passenger to sit up straight, well back in the seat, feet on the floor, and
with the seat belt worn correctly. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator still
remains illuminated, either ask the passenger to move to the rear seat, or
if that is not possible, move the front passenger seat fully rearward.
● When it is unavoidable to install a forward-facing child restraint system on
the front passenger seat, install the child restraint system on the front pas-
senger seat in the proper order. ( P. 165)
● Do not modify or remove the front seats.
● Do not kick the front passenger seat or subject it to severe impact. Other-
wise, the SRS warning light may come on to indicate a malfunction of the
detection system. In this case, contact your Toyota dealer immediately.
● Child restraint systems installed on the rear seat should not contact the
front seatbacks.
● Do not use a seat accessory, such as a cushion and seat cover, that cov-
ers the seat cushion surface.
● Do not modify or replace the upholstery of the front seat.

160
1-8. Safety information
Child restraint systems
Points to rememberStudies have shown that installing a child restraint on a rear seat is
much safer than installing one to the front passenger seat.
● Choose a child restraint system th at suits your vehicle and is
appropriate to the age and size of the child.
● For installation details, follow the instructions provided with the
child restraint system.
General installation instructions are provided in this manual.
( P. 165)
A child restraint system for a small ch ild or baby must itself be prop-
erly restrained on the seat with the lap portion of the lap/shoulder
belt.
The laws of all 50 states of the U.S.A. and Canada now require the
use of child restraint systems.