Toyota 2004 Prius Owner's Manual page 71

In response to a severe side impact, the
SRS side airbags and curtain shield air-
bags work with the seat belts to help
reduce injury by inflating. The SRS side
airbags help reduce injuries mainly to the
driver's or front passenger's chest and the
SRS curtain shield airbags help reduce
injuries mainly to the driver's front pas-
senger's or rear outside passenger's head.
The SRS side airbag and curtain shield
airbag on the passenger side are activated
even with no passenger in the front seat
or rear seat.
The SRS curtain shield airbags may acti-
vate even when the side airbags are not
activated.
Always wear your seat belt properly.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which will
record the use of the seat belt restraint
system by the driver and passenger when
the SRS side airbags and curtain shield
airbags are inflated.
CAUTION
D
The SRS side airbag and curtain
shield airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the driver, front
passenger and rear outside passen-
ger seat belt systems. To ensure
maximum protection in an accident,
the driver and all passengers in the
vehicle must wear their seat belts
properly. Wearing a seat belt prop-
erly during an accident reduces the
chances of death or serious injury
or being thrown out of the vehicle.
For instructions and precautions
concerning the seat belt system,
see "Seat belts" on page 56.
D
Do not allow anyone to lean his/her
head or any part of his/her body
against the door or the area of the
seat, front pillar, rear pillar or roof
side rail from which the SRS side
airbag and curtain shield airbag
deploy even if he/she is a child
seated in the child restraint system.
It is dangerous if the SRS side air-
bag and curtain shield airbag in-
flate, and the impact of the deploy-
ing airbag could cause death or se-
rious injury to the occupant.
D
Improperly seated and/or restrained
infants and children can be killed
or seriously injured by the deploy-
ing airbags. An infant or child who
is too small to use a seat belt
should be properly secured using a
child restraint system.
strongly recommends that all in-
fants and children be placed in the
rear seats of the vehicle and prop-
erly restrained. The rear seats are
the safest for infants and children.
For instructions concerning
installation of a child restraint sys-
tem, see "Child restraint" on page
78.
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