Kia Forte: Seat belts / Seat belt restraint system

Seat belts are designed to bear upon the bony structure of the body, and should be worn low across the front of the pelvis, chest and shoulders, as applicable; wearing the lap section of the belt across the abdominal area must be avoided.

Seat belts should be adjusted as firmly as possible, consistent with comfort, to provide the protection for which they have been designed.

A slack belt will greatly reduce the protection afforded to the wearer.

Care should be taken to avoid contamination of the webbing with polishes, oils and chemicals, and particularly battery acid. Cleaning may safely be carried out using mild soap and water. The belt should be replaced if webbing becomes frayed, contaminated or damaged.

• For maximum restraint system protection, the seat belts must always be used whenever the vehicle is moving. A properly positioned shoulder belt should be positioned midway over your shoulder across your collarbone.
• Never allow children to ride in the front passenger seat. See child restraint system section for further discussion.

WARNING - Shoulder belt

Never wear the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back. An improperly positioned shoulder belt cannot protect the occupant in a crash.

Always wear both the shoulder portion and the lap portion of the seat belt.

• No modifications or additions should be made by the user which would either prevent the seat belt adjusting devices from operating to remove slack, or prevent the seat belt assembly from being adjusted to remove slack.
• When you fasten the seat belt, be careful not to latch the seat belt in buckles of other seats. It's very dangerous and you may not be protected by the seat belt properly.
• Do not unfasten the seat belt and do not fasten and unfasten the seat belt repeatedly while driving. This could result in loss of control, and an accident causing death, serious injury, or property damage.
• When fastening the seat belt, make sure that the seat belt does not pass over objects that are hard or can break easily.

WARNING - Damaged seat belt

Replace the entire seat belt assembly if any part of the webbing or hardware is damaged as you can no longer be sure that a damaged seat belt will provide protection in a crash.

WARNING - Twisted seat belt

Make sure your seat belt is not twisted when worn. A twisted seat belt may not properly protect you in an accident and could even cut into your body.

WARNING - Seat belt buckle

Do not allow foreign material (gum, crumbs, coins, etc.) to obstruct the seat belt buckle. This may prevent the seat belt from fastening securely.

• Driver seat belt warning
• Front passenger seat belt warning
• Seat belt - Driver's 3-point system with emergency locking retractor
• Seat belts - Front passenger and rear seat 3-point system with combination locking retractor