The passenger sensing system turns off the right front
passenger frontal airbag and seat-mounted side
impact airbag under certain conditions. The driver
airbags and the roof-rail airbags are not affected by the
passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that
are part of the right front passenger seat. The sensors
are designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the right front passenger
frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag
should be enabled (may inflate) or not.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when
properly secured in a rear seat in the correct child
restraint for their weight and size.
We recommend that children be secured in a rear seat,
including: an infant or a child riding in a rear-facing
child restraint; a child riding in a forward-facing child
seat; an older child riding in a booster seat; and children,
who are large enough, using safety belts.
A label on the sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{ CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger
airbag inflates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the
inflating airbag. A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger airbag inflates and the passenger
seat is in a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped), no
system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that an
airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the airbag(s) are off.
Secure the rear-facing child restraints in a rear seat,
even if the airbag(s) are off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger seat as far back
as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
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