Toyota RAV4: SRS airbag precautions
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions regarding the 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 provides 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, simply
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 airbag
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.
●If the seat belt extender has been connected
to the front seat belt buckles but
the seat belt extender has not also
been fastened to the latch plate of the
seat belt, the SRS front airbags will
judge that the driver and front passenger
are wearing the seat belt even
though the seat belt has not been connected.
In this case, the SRS front airbags
may not activate correctly in a
collision, resulting in death or serious
injury in the event of a collision. Be sure
to wear the seat belt with the seat belt
extender.
●The SRS front passenger airbag also deploys with considerable force, and
can cause death or serious injury especially if the front passenger is very
close to the airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far from the airbag
as possible with the seatback adjusted, so the front passenger sits
upright.
●Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children can be killed or
seriously injured by a deploying airbag. An infant or child who is too small
to use a seat belt should be properly secured using a child restraint system.
Toyota strongly recommends that all infants and children be placed in
the rear seats of the vehicle and properly restrained. The rear seats are
the safest for infants and children.
●Do not sit on the edge of the seat or lean against the dashboard.
●Do not allow a child to stand in front of
the SRS front passenger airbag unit or
sit on the knees of a front passenger.
●Do not drive the vehicle while the driver
or passenger has items resting on their
knees.
●Do not lean against the door, the roof side rail or the front, side and rear pillars.
●Do not allow anyone to kneel on the passenger seat toward the door or put their head or hands outside the vehicle.
●Do not attach anything to or lean anything against areas such as the dashboard or steering wheel pad. These items can become projectiles when SRS driver and front passenger airbags deploy.
●Do not attach anything to areas such as
the door, windshield glass, side door
glass, front and rear pillars or roof side
rail garnish.
●Do not hang coat hangers or other hard
objects on the coat hooks. All of these
items could become projectiles and
seriously injure or kill you, should the
SRS curtain shield airbag deploy.
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side
airbags inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags.
●Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS
airbag
components.
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
●Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS airbags
have deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
●If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbag has 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.
When to contact your Toyota dealer
In the following cases, contact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible. ●Any of the SRS airbags have been inflated. ●The front of the vehicle is damaged or deformed, or was involved i ...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 o ...See also:
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