Essential Safety Equipment; Front Air Bag Storage Areas:; Side Air Bag Storage Areas:- Page 60

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Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

Form No. 8R21-EA-02G

Seating Position with Side Air Bags:
Sitting too close to the side air bag storage compartments or placing hands on them is 
extremely dangerous. A side air bag inflates with great force and speed directly out of 
the outboard shoulder of the front seat and expands along the front door on the side 
the car is hit.
Serious injury could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door or leaning 
against a window in the front seats or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the front 
seatbacks. Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging out the driver’s-side 
window while driving could block the side air bag and eliminate the advantages of 
supplemental protection. Give the side airbags room to work by sitting in the center of 
the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn properly.

Front Air Bag Storage Areas:
Attaching an object to a front air bag storage area or placing something in front of it 
is dangerous. In an accident, the object could interfere with front air bag inflation 
and injure the occupants.
Always keep the front air bag storage areas free of objects.

Side Air Bag Storage Areas:
Attaching things to the front seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the 
seat in any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side 
air bag, which inflates from the outboard side of the front seats, impeding the added 
protection of the side air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is 
dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open spewing exhaust.
Do not hang net bags, map pouches or back pads with side straps on the front seats. 
Never use seat covers on the front seats. Always keep the side air bag storage areas in 
your front seats free to deploy in the event of a side collision.

Hot Air Bag Inflators:
Hot air bag inflators are dangerous. Immediately after inflation, the inflators in the 
steering wheel, dashboard or the seatbacks are very hot. You could get burned. Don’t 
touch the internal components of the air bag storage areas after the bags have 
inflated.

Installation of Front-End Equipment:
Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo bar, 
bull bar, push bar, etc.), snowplow, or winches, is dangerous. The air bag crash sensor 
system could be affected. This could cause air bags to inflate unexpectedly, or it could 
prevent the air bags from inflating during an accident. Front occupants could be 
seriously injured. Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle.

WARNING

J16L_8R21-EA-02G.book  Page 52  Saturday, June 8, 2002  11:16 AM