Supplemental Restraint Precautions

Using Seat Belts During Pregnancy

The seat belt should always be worn during pregnancy. The best way to protect your unborn child is to protect yourself by always wearing your seat belt.

Pregnant women should always wear the lap and shoulder seat belt. Position the shoulder belt across the chest, between your breasts and away from your neck. Position the lap belt snugly and as low as possible across the hips, not across the abdomen.

WARNING

• A pregnant woman or patient is more vulnerable to any impact to the abdomen during a sudden stop or collision. If you are involved in an accident during pregnancy, we recommend that you consult a physician.
• To reduce the risk of serious injury or death to the unborn child in a collision, pregnant women must NEVER place the lap portion of the seat belt above or over the abdominal area where the unborn child is located.

Seat belts and children

Infants and Small Children

All 50 states have child restraint laws that require children to ride in approved child restraints, including booster seats. The age at which seat belts may be used instead of child restraints varies by state, so you should know the specific requirements in your state and where you are traveling. Infant and child restraints must be properly placed and installed in the rear seat. For more information, refer to the "Child Restraint Systems" section in this chapter.

WARNING

ALWAYS properly secure infants and small children in a child restraint suitable for the child's height and weight.

To reduce the risk of serious injury or death to the child and other passengers, NEVER hold a child on your lap or in your arms while the vehicle is moving. The forces generated in a crash will tear the child from your arms and throw the child against the interior of the vehicle.

Small children are best protected from injury in an accident when properly restrained in a rear seat child restraint system that meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Before purchasing any child restraint system, make sure it has a label certifying that it complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS 213. The restraint must be suitable for your child's height and weight. Check the label on the child restraint for this information. Refer to the "Child Restraint Systems" section in this chapter.

Older children

Children under 13 years of age and persons too large for a booster seat should always sit in the rear seat and use the available lap/shoulder seat belts. The lap belt should pass across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt should be snug across the shoulder and chest to restrain the child safely. Check the belt fit periodically. Children are best protected in an accident when restrained by a proper child restraint system and/or seat belts in the rear seat. Always have the LATCH system checked by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer after an accident. An accident may damage the LATCH system and prevent the child restraint from being secured properly.

If a larger child over 13 years of age must sit in the front seat, the child must be securely restrained with the available lap/shoulder belt and the seat must be in the rearmost position.

If the shoulder belt portion lightly touches the child's neck or face, try moving the child closer to the center of the vehicle. If the shoulder belt still touches their face or neck, they need to be returned to an appropriate booster seat in the rear seat.

WARNING

• Always make sure children are buckled up and properly adjusted before driving.
• NEVER allow the shoulder belt to contact a child's neck or face.
• Do not allow more than one child to buckle into a single seat belt.

Transporting an injured person

The seat belt should be used when transporting an injured person. Consult a physician for specific recommendations.

One person per belt

Two persons (including children) should never attempt to use one seat belt. This may increase the severity of injury in a crash.

Do not recline

Sitting in a reclined position while the vehicle is moving can be dangerous. Even when buckled up, the protection of your restraint system (seat belts and airbags) is significantly reduced by reclining the seatback.

To reduce the possibility of injury in an accident and to achieve maximum restraint system effectiveness, all occupants must sit upright in both the front and rear seats, and the seatbacks must be in the upright position while the vehicle is in motion.

The seat belt cannot provide proper protection if a person is lying down on the rear seat or if the front or rear seatbacks are in a reclined position.

WARNING

• NEVER ride with the seatback reclined while the vehicle is moving.
• Riding with the seatback reclined increases your chance of serious or fatal injury in a collision or sudden stop.
• Drivers and passengers must always sit well back in their seats, properly belted, with seatbacks upright.