FIAT Freemont - Manual (Page 140)

Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in an accident.
Some of the worst injuries happen when people are
thrown from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possi-
bility of ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking
the inside of the vehicle. Everyone in a motor vehicle
should be belted at all times.
LAP/SHOULDER BELTS
All seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
a combination lap/shoulder belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during
very sudden stops or impacts. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However, in an accident, the belt
will lock and reduce your risk of striking the inside of
the vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
• It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In an acci-
dent, people riding in these areas are more likely
to be seriously injured or killed.
• Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
• Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
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• No modifications or additions should be made
by the user, which will either prevent the seat belt
adjusting devices from operating to remove
slack, or prevent the seat belt assembly from
being adjusted to remove slack.
• Seat belts are designed to bear upon the bony
structure of the body, and should be worn low
across the front of the pelvis or the pelvis, chest
and shoulders, as applicable; wearing the lap
section of the belt across the abdominal area
must be avoided.
• Seat belts should be adjusted as firmly as pos-
sible, consistent with comfort, to provide the
protection for which they have been designed. A
slack belt will greatly reduce the protection af-
forded to the wearer.
• Each belt assembly must only be used by one
occupant; it is dangerous to put a belt around a
child being carried on an occupant's lap.
• Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into
one another in an accident, hurting one another
badly. Never use a lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt
for more than one person, no matter what their
size.
• Belts should not be worn with straps twisted.
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133
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND
DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND
CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS