Kia Picanto: Seat belts / Seat belt precautions

WARNING

• Every occupant of your Kia Picanto must wear a seat belt on every journey. Correctly worn seat belts and appropriate child restraints reduce the risk of serious or fatal injury during a collision or sudden stop. An unrestrained occupant may move dangerously close to a deploying air bag, strike parts of the vehicle interior or be thrown out of the vehicle. Wearing a seat belt correctly greatly reduces these risks and helps keep the occupant in the intended seating position.

  Read and follow all precautions in this manual concerning seat belts, air bags and occupant safety. These instructions explain how to use the restraint systems together to help protect everyone travelling in the vehicle.

• Never position a seat belt over fragile objects carried on your body. During a sudden stop or impact, the force applied by the belt can crush or break these objects.

Infant or small child

Familiarise yourself with the child restraint requirements that apply in your country before travelling with an infant or small child. Infant seats and child seats must be correctly positioned and securely installed in the rear seat. For detailed guidance on selecting and using these restraints in your Kia Picanto, refer to the Child restraint system (CRS) section of this manual.

WARNING

Every person travelling in the vehicle, including infants and children, must be properly restrained at all times. Never carry a child in your arms or on your lap while riding in a vehicle. The violent forces generated in a collision can pull the child from your grasp and throw them against the interior; holding the child firmly cannot provide adequate protection. Always secure the child in a child restraint system suitable for their height and weight.

NOTE

Small children receive the best protection against injury in an accident when secured in a correctly installed child restraint system in the rear seat. The restraint must meet the applicable safety standards in your country. Before purchasing a child restraint, check its certification label to confirm that it complies with those standards. Also check the height and weight information on the label to ensure that the restraint is suitable for your child. Refer to Child restraint system (CRS) for further information about correct selection and use.

Larger children

Children who have outgrown an appropriate child restraint system should always travel in the rear seat and use the available lap/shoulder belts. Position the lap section low across the hips and adjust it so that it fits snugly. Check the belt fit periodically throughout the journey, as a child’s movements can shift the webbing away from its correct position. Children are safest during an accident when properly secured by a suitable restraint system in the rear seat. If a child over the age of 13 must travel in the front passenger seat, fasten the available lap/shoulder belt correctly and move the seat as far rearward as possible. Children aged 13 and under must be securely restrained in the rear seat. Never allow a child aged 13 or under to occupy the front passenger seat, and never install a rear-facing child seat in the front seat of the vehicle.

If the shoulder section of the belt lightly touches the child’s neck or face, try positioning the child closer to the centre of the vehicle while maintaining a proper seating position and correct belt fit. If the shoulder belt still contacts the face or neck, the child must return to a suitable child restraint system rather than continue using a poorly fitting seat belt.

WARNING

Shoulder belts on small children

• Never allow the shoulder belt to rest against a child’s neck or face while the vehicle is moving. Check its position to ensure that the belt remains correctly routed throughout the journey.

• A seat belt that is incorrectly worn or adjusted cannot protect a child as intended. Improper belt positioning increases the risk of serious injury or death in a collision.

Pregnant women

Pregnant women are advised to wear a seat belt to reduce the risk of injury in an accident. Position the lap section as low as possible across the hips, with a snug fit, rather than placing it across the abdomen. Correct placement is essential to the protection the belt provides. Consult a physician for individual recommendations about wearing a seat belt during pregnancy.

WARNING

Pregnant women

Never position the lap section of the seat belt over the abdomen where the unborn baby is located, or above the abdomen. In either position, the belt could apply crushing force to the unborn baby during an impact. Keep the lap section low and snug across the hips as described above.

Injured person

An injured person should wear a seat belt when being transported in the vehicle. If you need to carry an injured passenger, consult a physician for recommendations appropriate to the person’s condition and the correct use of the restraint.

One person per belt

Each seat belt must be used by one person only. Never attempt to secure two people, including children, with a single belt. Sharing a belt prevents it from restraining each occupant correctly and can increase the severity of injuries during an accident.

Do not lie down

For the restraint system in your Kia Picanto to provide its intended protection, all occupants must sit upright and keep the front and rear seatbacks in an upright position whenever the vehicle is moving. This seating position helps reduce the risk of injury in an accident. A seat belt cannot provide proper protection for someone lying across the rear seat or travelling with a front or rear seatback reclined. Remain properly seated with the belt correctly positioned throughout the journey.

WARNING

Travelling with a reclined seatback increases the risk of serious or fatal injury during a collision or sudden stop. Reclining the seat substantially reduces the protection provided by the restraint system, including the seat belts and air bags. To work correctly, the belt must fit snugly against the hips and chest. As the seatback reclines further, the risk increases that the occupant’s hips will slide beneath the lap belt, allowing the belt to apply force to the abdomen and cause serious internal injuries. The occupant’s neck could also strike the shoulder belt. Drivers and passengers must always sit well back in their seats, wear their seat belts correctly and keep their seatbacks upright while travelling.