Safety Belt PretensionersYour vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for frontoutboard occupants. Although you cannot see them,they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can helptighten the safety belts during the early stages of amoderate to severe frontal and near frontal crash if thethreshold conditions for pretensioner activation aremet. And, if your vehicle has side impact airbags, safetybelt pretensioners can help tighten the safety belts ina side crash.Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in acrash, you will need to get new ones, and probably othernew parts for your safety belt system. See ReplacingRestraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-53.Safety Belt Use During PregnancySafety belts work for everyone, including pregnantwomen. Like all occupants, they are more likely to beseriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, andthe lap portion should be worn as low as possible,below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the mother.When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more likely thatthe fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For pregnant women,as for anyone, the key to making safety belts effective iswearing them properly.1-22
