Subaru Forester: Seatbelts

Seatbelt safety tips

- All persons in the vehicle should fasten their seatbelts BEFORE the vehicle starts to move. Otherwise, the possibility of serious injury becomes greater in the event of a sudden stop or accident.

- All belts should fit snugly in order to provide full restraint. Loose fitting belts are not as effective in preventing or reducing injury.

- Each seatbelt is designed to support only one person. Never use a single belt for two or more persons – even children. Otherwise, in an accident, serious injury or death could result.

- Replace all seatbelt assemblies including retractors and attaching hardware worn by occupants of a vehicle that has been in a serious accident. The entire assembly should be replaced even if damage is not obvious.

- Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly restrained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force and can injure or even kill children, especially if they are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or improperly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than adults, their risk of being injured from deployment is greater. For that reason, we strongly recommend that ALL children (including those in child seats and those that have outgrown child restraint devices) sit in the REAR seat properly restrained at all times in a child restraint device or in a seatbelt, whichever is appropriate for the child’s height and weight.

Secure ALL types of child restraint devices (including forward facing child seats) in the REAR seats at all times.

NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.

According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating positions. For instructions and precautions concerning the child restraint system, refer to “Child restraint systems”.

Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and diagnostic module, which will record the use of the seatbelt by the front passenger when any of the SRS frontal and side airbags deploy.

Infants or small children

Use a child restraint system that is suitable for your vehicle. Refer to “Child restraint systems”.

Children

If a child is too big for a child restraint system, the child should sit in the rear seat and be restrained using the seatbelts.

According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating positions. Never allow a child to stand up or kneel on the seat.

If the shoulder portion of the belt crosses the face or neck, adjust the shoulder belt anchor height (window-side seating positions only) and then if necessary move the child closer to the belt buckle to help provide a good shoulder belt fit. Care must be taken to securely place the lap belt as low as possible on the hips and not on the child’s waist. If the shoulder portion of the belt cannot be properly positioned, a child restraint system should be used. Never place the shoulder belt under the child’s arm or behind the child’s back.

Expectant mothers

Expectant mothers

Expectant mothers also need to use the seatbelts. They should consult their doctor for specific recommendations. The lap belt should be worn securely and as low as possible over the hips, not over the waist.

Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)

The driver’s seatbelt has an Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR).

The emergency locking retractor allows normal body movement but the retractor locks automatically during a sudden stop, impact or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.

Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR)

Each passenger’s seatbelt has an Automatic/ Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ ELR). The Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor normally functions as an Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR). The A/ ELR has an additional locking mode “Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode” intended to secure a child restraint system. When the seatbelt is once drawn out completely and is then retracted even slightly, the retractor locks the seatbelt in that position and the seatbelt cannot be extended. As the belt is rewinding, clicks will be heard which indicate the retractor functions as an ALR. When the seatbelt is retracted fully, the ALR mode is released.

When securing a child restraint system on the rear seats by the use of the seatbelt, the seatbelt must be changed over to the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode.

When the child restraint system is removed, make sure that the seatbelt retracts fully and the retractor returned to the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) mode.

For instructions on how to convert the retractor to the ALR mode and restore it to the ELR mode, refer to “Installing child restraint systems with A/ELR seatbelt”.

Seatbelt warning light and chime

Refer to “Seatbelt warning light and chime”.

Fastening the seatbelt

- Never use a belt that is twisted or reversed. In an accident, this can increase the risk or severity of injury.

- Keep the lap belt as low as possible on your hips. In a collision, this spreads the force of the lap belt over stronger hip bones instead of across the weaker abdomen.

- Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when the occupant sits well back and upright in the seat.

To reduce the risk of sliding under the seatbelt in a collision, the front seatbacks should be always used in the upright position while the vehicle is running.

If the front seatbacks are not used in the upright position in a collision, the risk of sliding under the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the abdomen will increase, and both can result in serious internal injury or death.

- Do not put cushions or any other materials between occupants and seatbacks or seat cushions.

If you do so, the risk of sliding under the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the abdomen will increase, and both can result in serious internal injury or death.

Never place the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back. If an accident occurs, this can increase the risk or severity of injury.

Metallic parts of the seatbelt can become very hot in a vehicle that has been closed up in sunny weather; they could burn an occupant. Do not touch such hot parts until they cool.

Front seatbelts

1. Adjust the seat position according to the following procedure.

Driver’s seat: Adjust the seatback to the upright position. Move the seat as far from the steering wheel as practical while still maintaining full vehicle control.

Front passenger’s seat: Adjust the seatback to the upright position. Move the seat as far back as possible.

2. Sit well back in the seat.

3. Pick up the tongue plate and pull the belt out slowly. Do not let it get twisted. If the belt stops before reaching the buckle, return the belt slightly and pull it out more slowly. If the belt still cannot be unlocked, let the belt retract slightly after giving it a strong pull, then pull it out slowly again.

4. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle until you hear a click.

5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.

6. Place the lap belt as low as possible on your hips, not on your waist.

Adjusting the front seat shoulder belt anchor height

Adjusting the front seat shoulder belt anchor height

The shoulder belt anchor height should be adjusted to the position best suited for the driver/front passenger. Always adjust the anchor height so that the shoulder belt passes over the middle of the shoulder without touching the neck.

To raise:
Slide the anchor up.

To lower:
Pull the release knob and slide the anchor down.

Pull down on the anchor to make sure that it is locked in place.

When wearing the seatbelts, make sure the shoulder portion of the webbing does not pass over your neck. If it does, adjust the seatbelt anchor to a lower position. Placing the shoulder belt over the neck may result in neck injury during sudden braking or in a collision.

Unfastening the seatbelt

Unfastening the seatbelt

Push the button on the buckle.

Before closing the door, make sure that the belts are retracted properly to avoid catching the belt webbing in the door.

Rear seatbelts (except rear center seatbelt)

1. Sit well back in the seat.

2. Pick up the tongue plate and pull the belt out slowly. Do not let it get twisted. If the belt stops before reaching the buckle, return the belt slightly and pull it out more slowly. If the belt still cannot be unlocked, let the belt retract slightly after giving a strong pull on it, then pull it out slowly again.

3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle until you hear a click.

4. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.

5. Place the lap belt as low as possible on your hips, not on your waist.

Unfastening the seatbelt

Unfastening the seatbelt

Push the button on the buckle.

Before closing the door, make sure that the belts are retracted properly to avoid catching the belt webbing in the door.

Rear center seatbelt

Rear center seatbelt

1) Center seatbelt tongue plate
2) Connector (tongue)
3) Connector (buckle)
4) Center seatbelt buckle

Fastening the seatbelt with the webbing twisted can increase the risk or severity of injury in an accident.

When fastening the belt after it is pulled out from the retractor, especially when inserting the connector’s tongue plate into the mating buckle (on right-hand side), always check that the webbing is not twisted.

Be sure to fasten both tongue plates to the respective buckles. If the seatbelt is used only as a shoulder belt (with the connector’s tongue plate not fastened to the connector’s buckle on the right-hand side), it cannot properly restrain the wearer in position in an accident, possibly resulting in serious injury or death.

The rear center seatbelt is stowed in a recessed compartment located in the ceiling above the cargo area.

1. Remove the tongue plate from the slot in the recessed compartment and pull out the seatbelt slowly.

2. After drawing out the seatbelt, pass it through the belt guide.

3. After confirming that the webbing is not twisted, insert the connector (tongue) attached at the webbing end into the buckle on the right-hand side until a click is heard.

If the belt stops before reaching the buckle, return the belt slightly and pull it out more slowly. If the belt still cannot be unlocked, let the belt retract slightly after giving it a strong pull, then pull it out slowly again.

4. Insert the center seatbelt tongue plate into the center seatbelt buckle marked “CENTER” on the left-hand side until it clicks.

5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.

6. Place the lap belt as low as possible on your hips, not on your waist.

Unfastening the seatbelt

Unfastening the seatbelt

Push the release button of the center seatbelt buckle (on the left-hand side) to unfasten the seatbelt.

NOTE
When the seatback is folded down for greater cargo area, it is necessary to disconnect the connector.

1. Insert a key or other hard pointed object into the slot in the connector (buckle) on the right-hand side and push it in, and the connector (tongue) plate will disconnect from the buckle.

2. Allow the retractor to roll up the belt.

You should hold the webbing end and guide it back into the retractor while it is rolling up. Neatly store the tongue plate in the recessed compartment and then insert the connector (tongue) plate into the slot.

- Do not allow the retractor to roll up the seatbelt too quickly.

Otherwise, the metal tongue plates may hit against the trim, resulting in damaged trim.

- Have the seatbelt fully rolled up so that the tongue plates are neatly stored. A hanging tongue plate can swing and hit against the trim during driving, causing damage to the trim.

Seatbelt maintenance

To clean the seatbelts, use a mild soap and lukewarm water. Never bleach or dye the belts because this could seriously affect their strength.

Inspect the seatbelts and attachments including the webbing and all hardware periodically for cracks, cuts, gashes, tears, damage, loose bolts or worn areas.

Replace the seatbelts even if only minor damage is found.

- Keep the belts free of polishes, oils, chemicals and particularly battery acid.

- Never attempt to make modifications or changes that will prevent the seatbelt from operating properly.