Seat Belt System Operation

Seat belts are the primary means of occupant restraint.

Seat belts help to keep the occupant inside the passenger compartment and to gradually reduce the crash forces during the following events:

^ Frontal impact type crashes
^ Rear impact type crashes
^ Side impact type crashes
^ Roll-over type crashes

All seat belts have emergency locks in the retractors. The retractors remain unlocked during normal operation. The retractors remain unlocked under normal driving conditions in order allow free movement of the upper body of the occupant.

A pendulum locks the seat belt webbing into position. The pendulum causes a locking bar to engage a cog on the spool of the retractor mechanism when the following actions occur:

^ Rapid extraction of the seat belt webbing from the retractor
^ An abrupt change in vehicle speed
^ An abrupt change in vehicle direction
^ Operation of the vehicle on a steep upgrade
^ Operation of the vehicle on a steep downgrade

This vehicle is equipped with a Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) System in addition to the seat belts. Refer to SIR in Restraints for more information.