WARNING: Never place your arm or any objects over an airbag module. Placing your arm over a deploying airbag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries. Objects placed on or over the airbag inflation area may cause those objects to be propelled by the airbag into your face and torso causing serious injury.

WARNING: Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.

Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag.

If you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the seat all the way back.

The driver and front passenger airbags will deploy during significant frontal and near-frontal crashes.

The driver and passenger front airbag system consists of:

• driver and passenger airbag modules

• crash sensors and monitoring system with readiness indicator. See Crash Sensors and Airbag Indicator later in this chapter.
• front passenger sensing system

Proper Driver and Front Passenger Seating Adjustment

WARNING: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends a minimum distance of at least 10 inches (25 centimeters) between an occupant’s chest and the driver airbag module.

To properly position yourself away from the airbag:

• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the pedals comfortably.
• Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright position.

After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it is very important that they continue to sit properly. Properly seated occupants sit upright, lean against the seat back, and center themselves on the seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor.

Sitting improperly can increase the chance of injury in a crash event. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is greatly increased.

Children and Airbags

WARNING: Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.

Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag.

If you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the seat all the way back.

Children must always be properly restrained. Accident statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating position. Failure to follow these instructions may increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Knee Airbag System (Passenger’s Side Only)

The knee airbag is located under the instrument panel. The system works along with the passenger’s front airbag to help reduce injury to the legs. When the passenger’s airbag activates in a crash, the knee airbag deploys from under the instrument panel.

As with front and side airbags, it is important to be properly seated and restrained to reduce the risk of death or serious injury.