2001 Subaru Forester Owner's Manual - Page 43

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags J Seatbelt maintenance D Keep the belts free of polishes, oils, chemicals and particularly battery acid. D Never attempt to make modifications or changes that will prevent the seatbelt from operating properly. To clean the seatbelts, use a mild soap and lukewarm water. Never bleach or dye the belts because this could seriously affect their strength. Inspect the seatbelts and attachments including the webbing and all hardware periodically for cracks, cuts, gashes, tears, damage, loose bolts or worn areas. Replace the seatbelts even if only minor damage is found. CAUTION Child restraint systems D Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a collision, because the child will be caught between the passenger and objects inside the vehicle. Additionally, holding a child in your lap or arms in the front seat exposes that child to another serious danger. Since the SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force, the child could be injured or even killed. D Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly restrained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force and can injure or even kill children, especially if they are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or improperly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than adults, their risk of being injured from deployment is greater. For that reason, be sure to secure ALL types of child restraint devices (including forward facing child seats) in the REAR seats - CONTINUED - WARNING 1-23