2008 Jeep Patriot Owner's Manual - Page 53

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51 Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the risk of harm from a deploying airbag. 1. Children 12 years old and younger should ride buckled up in the rear seat. 2. Infants in rear-facing child restraints should NEVER ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe injury or death to infants in that position. 3. Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat belt properly (refer to information on Child Restraint in this section) should be secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats. 4. Older children who do not use child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats should ride properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under their arms. 5. If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the front passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move the seat as far back as possible, and use the proper child restraint (refer to information on Child Restraint in this section). 6. You should read the instructions provided with your child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly. 7. All occupants should use their seat belts properly. 8. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved back as far as practical to allow the airbags time to inflate. 9. If your vehicle has side curtain airbags do not lean against the doors, as airbags will inflate forcefully into the space between you and the door. 10. If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact the Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided in the If You Need Customer Assistance section in this manual. 2