steering wheel TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN 2014 Owner's Guide

194
1-9. Safety information
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
●A portion of a door is damaged or
deformed, or the vehicle was involved
in an accident that was not severe
enough to cause the SRS side and cur-
tain shield airbags to inflate.
●The pad section of the steering wheel,
dashboard near the front passenger air-
bag or lower portion of the driver’s side
instrument panel is scratched, cracked,
or otherwise damaged.
●The surface of the seats with the side
airbag is scratched, cracked, or other-
wise damaged.
●The portion of the front pillars, rear pil-
lars or roof side rail garnishes (padding)
containing the curtain shield airbags
inside is scratched, cracked, or other-
wise damaged.

195
1-9. Safety information
1
Before driving
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the SRS 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 the driver’s airbag is the first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm)
of inflation, placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) from your driver airbag pro-
vides 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 drivers can achieve the 10 in.
(250 mm) distance, even with the driver seat all the way forward, sim-
ply 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 air-
bag toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, while still
maintaining control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view of the
instrument panel controls.

198
1-9. Safety information
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
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. (Except for the speed
limit sticker →P. 5 7 8 )

199
1-9. Safety information
1
Before driving
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
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.

200
1-9. Safety information
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
CAUTION
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform 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 a grille guard (bull bars, kangaroo bar, etc.), snow plows,
winches
●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

232
2-1. Driving procedures
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
CAUTION
●Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents,
resulting in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shift changing, or changes in
engine speed could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle, depress the brake pedal to make sure that
the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in
an accident.

238
2-1. Driving procedures
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during
driving, as this may restrain driving torque.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for
an extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire. (→P. 4 5 1 )

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2-1. Driving procedures
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
Hor n
■After adjusting the steering wheel
Make sure that the steering wheel is securely locked.
The horn may not sound if the steering wheel is not securely locked.
(→P. 1 6 9 )
To s o u n d t h e h o r n , p r e s s o n o r
close to the mark.

260
2-2. Instrument cluster
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
To u c h t r a c e r d i s p l a y ( i f e q u i p p e d )
When the audio control switches,
climate control switches, “DISP”
button or “TRIP” button of the
steering wheel are touched, the
touch tracer display will appear
in front of the gauges, with the
touched button highlighted to
allow the driver to identify the
button that is being operated.
The button can then be operated
by further presses.
If an audio/navigation system is
used that is not compatible with
the steering switches in this vehi-
cle, the audio switch display may
not operate correctly.

328
2-4. Using other driving systems
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
CAUTION
■When the sensor may not be correctly detecting the vehicle ahead
Apply the brakes as necessary when any of the following types of vehicles
are in front of you.
As the sensor may not be able to correctly detect these types of vehicles,
the approach warning (→P. 3 2 1 ) w i l l n o t b e a c t i v a t e d , a n d a f a t a l o r s e r i o u s
accident may result.
●Ve h i c l e s t h a t c u t i n s u d d e n l y
●Ve h i c l e s t r a v e l i n g a t l o w s p e e d s
●Ve h i c l e s t h a t a r e n o t m o v i n g
●Ve h i c l e s w i t h s m a l l r e a r e n d s ( t r a i l e r s w i t h n o l o a d o n b o a r d e t c . )
●Motorcycles traveling in the same lane
■Conditions under which the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control may
not function correctly
Apply the brakes as necessary in the following conditions as the radar sen-
sor may not be able to correctly detect vehicles ahead, and a fatal or serious
accident may result:
●When water or snow thrown up by the surrounding vehicles hinders the
functioning of the sensor
●When your vehicle is pointing upwards (caused by a heavy load in the lug-
gage compartment etc.)
●When the road curves or when the lanes are narrow
●When steering wheel operation or your position in the lane is unstable
●When the vehicle ahead of you decelerates suddenly