Seat Belts; Seat Belt Precautions - Lexus GX470 2004 Owner's Manual

SEAT BELTS

Seat belt precautions

Lexus strongly urges that the driver and passengers in the
vehicle be properly restrained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase the chance of injury
and/or the severity of injury in accidents.
The seat belts provided for your vehicle are designed for
people of adult size, large enough to properly wear them.
Child. Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child
until the child becomes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle's seat belts. See "Child restraint" on page 184 for
details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child should
sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the vehicle's
seat belt. According to accident statistics, the child is safer
when properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the seat belts should be worn
properly. If an accident occurs and the seat belts are not worn
properly, the force of the rapid inflation of the airbag may cause
death or serious injury to the child.
Do not allow any children to stand up or kneel on either rear or
front seats. An unrestrained child could suffer serious injury or
death during emergency braking or a collision. Also, do not let
the child sit on your lap. Holding a child in your arms does not
provide sufficient restraint.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Pregnant woman. Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt.
Ask your doctor for specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as possible over the hips
and not on the waist.
Injured person. Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt.
Depending on the injury, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
CAUTION
Persons should ride in their seats properly wearing
their seat belts whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely to suffer serious
bodily injury or death in the event of sudden braking or
a collision.
When using the seat belts, observe the following:
D Use the belt for only one person at a time. Do not use
a single belt for two or more people — even children.
D To reduce the risk of sliding under the lap belt during
a collision, avoid reclining the seatback any more
than needed. The seat belts provide maximum
protection in a frontal or rear collision when the
driver and the front passenger are sitting up straight
and well back in the seats. If you are reclined, the lap
belt may slide past your hips and apply restraint
forces directly to the abdomen. In the event of a
frontal collision, the more the seat is reclined, the
greater the risk of personal injury.
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