Important Safety Precautions

You will find many precautions and recommendations throughout this section and this entire manual. The precautions in this section are among the most important.

Always Wear Your Seat Belt

Seat belts are your best protection in all types of accidents. Airbags are designed to supplement seat belts, not replace them. Therefore, although your vehicle is equipped with airbags, ALWAYS make sure that you and your passengers wear your seat belts and wear them properly.

Restrain All Children

All children under 13 years old should ride properly restrained in the rear seat, not the front seat. Infants and small children must be restrained in an appropriate child restraint. Older children should use a booster seat with a lap/shoulder belt until they can use the seat belt properly without a booster.

Airbag Hazards

Although airbags can save lives, they can also cause serious or fatal injuries to passengers who sit close to them or who are not properly restrained. Infants, small children, and short adults are at the greatest risk of injury from an inflating airbag. Follow all instructions and warnings in this manual.

Driver Distraction

Driver distraction is a serious and potentially fatal hazard, especially for inexperienced drivers. Safety must come first when driving, and drivers need to be aware of a wide range of possible distractions, such as drowsiness, reaching for objects, eating, grooming, passengers, and the use of cell phones.

Drivers may become distracted when they take their eyes and attention off the road, or their hands off the steering wheel, to focus on an activity other than driving. To reduce the risk of distraction or of being involved in an accident:

• ALWAYS adjust your mobile devices (such as MP3 players, phones, navigation systems, etc.) when your vehicle is parked or safely stopped.
• Use your mobile device ONLY when it is permitted by law and when conditions allow safe use. NEVER send text messages or emails while driving. Most states have laws that prohibit drivers from texting. Some states and cities also prohibit drivers from using handheld phones.
• NEVER allow the use of a mobile device to distract you from driving. You are responsible to your passengers and other people on the road to always drive safely, with both hands on the steering wheel and your eyes and attention on the road.

Control Your Speed

Excessive speed is a major factor in injury and fatal accidents. In general, the higher the speed, the greater the risk, but serious injuries can also occur at lower speeds. Never drive faster than is safe for current conditions, regardless of the posted speed limit.

Keep Your Vehicle in Safe Condition

A tire blowout or mechanical failure can be extremely dangerous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check tire pressure and condition often, and perform all regularly scheduled maintenance.