2008 Jeep Patriot Owner's Manual - Page 38

36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE WARNING! In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer much greater injuries if you are not properly buckled up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or other passengers, or you can be thrown out of the vehicle. Always be sure you and others in your vehicle are buckled up properly. Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen far away from home or on your own street. Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility 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 the seats in your vehicle are equipped with Lap/ Shoulder Belts. The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during very sudden stops or collisions. This feature allows the shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under normal conditions. But in a collision, the belt will lock and reduce the risk of you striking the inside of the vehicle or being thrown out.