section four: before you drive

traditional mirror setting

-After the seat is properly adjusted and you are seated in an upright position adjust the left side view mirror to see the left edge of the vehicle and adjust the right side view mirror to see the right edge of the vehicle. -This setting may be more appropriate for trucks, vans and SUV type vehicles when towing or backing in tight areas. Passenger vehicle side view mirrors are not designed for backing the vehicle.

enhanced mirror setting

-After the seat is properly adjusted and you are seated in an upright position, adjust the left/right side view mirror by leaning your head to the left/right until it touches the driver side window/center of vehicle, about five inches so that the rear fender is just visible on the right/left edge of the mirror about a half inch up from the bottom. **Note: You will not see the left and right sides of the vehicle when glancing at the outside mirrors; however, this adjustment adds 12 to 16 degrees additional viewing area to each side of the vehicle. This setting may not work on all vehicles and therefore the traditional mirror setting may be appropriate**

Air bags

Air bags are supplemental restraints and are designed to work best in combination with safety belts. In a crash they supplement the safety belt by reducing the chance that your head and upper body will strike some part of the vehicles interior. They also help reduce the risk of serious injury by distributing crash forces more evenly across your body. Since air bags deploy only once and deflate quickly after impact, they will not be helpful during a secondary collision. Safety belts help to properly position your body to maximize the airbag's benefits and help restrain you during the initial and any following collisions. So, it is extremely important that safety belts always be worn, even in air bag-equipped vehicles. Front air bags are designed to deploy in frontal and near-frontal collisions. They are not designed to deploy in side impact, rear impact or rollover crashes. In order to protect yourself in these collisions your vehicle must be equipped with side impact air bags. Air bags must inflate very rapidly to be effective, and therefore come out of the steering wheel or instrument panel with great force. Because of this initial force, contact with a deploying air bag may cause injury. These injuries, when they occur, are typically minor abrasions or burns. More serious injuries are rare; however, serious or even fatal injuries can occur when someone is very close to, or in direct contact with an air bag when the air bag deploys. There are ways to help prevent injury due to deployment of an air bag: -In most vehicles, you should adjust your seat so at least 10 inches is between the center of your chest and the center of the steering wheel. Refer to your vehicle owner's manual for proper seat adjustment with air bags. -To direct the air bag at your chest instead of your face, raise your seat or use a cushion and/or adjust the steering wheel downward. -You should place your hands on the outside of the steering wheel, never across the steering wheel where the air bag deploys. -Never secure a child in the right front passenger side, especially if your vehicle has an air bag. If the air bag deploys it could hurt the child. Children age 12 and under should sit in the rear seat of the vehicle to avoid injury from an air bag in the event of a crash. -Most vehicles without rear seats or with small rear seats, such as pickup trucks or sports cars have a passenger air bag on-off switch as standard equipment. The purpose of the switch in the off position is to disable the front passenger air bag to transport a child age 12 or under in the right front passenger seat. -Read your vehicle owner's manual for specific information about the air bags in your vehicle.

using safety belts

Before you drive away, always fasten your safety belt and make sure all your passengers are using safety belts or child restraints. Also, remember to lock the vehicle's doors and turn on the childproof locks if children are in the vehicle. Studies have shown that if you are in a crash while using safety belts, your chances of being hurt or killed are greatly reduced. Safety belts will move with you and lock up if a crash occurs. They keep you from being thrown from the vehicle and against parts inside of your vehicle. In addition to protecting you from injury as a driver, safety belts help you keep control of the vehicle. If you are struck from the side or make a quick turn, the force could push you sideways and therefore you cannot steer the vehicle if you are not behind the wheel. In Kansas, it is illegal to drive or to be a front-seat passenger, without wearing safety belts. (K.S.A. 8-2503) Wear a safety belt all the time, not just on long trips or high-speed highways. More than half of the crashes that cause injury or death happen at speeds less than 40 mph and within 25 miles from home. It is important to wear the safety belt correctly. -A shoulder harness is worn across the shoulder and chest with minimal, if any slack. The shoulder harness should not be worn under the arm or behind the back. Wearing the harness the wrong way could cause serious internal injuries in a crash. -The lap belt should be adjusted so that it is snug and lies low across your hips after fastening. If you have an automatic shoulder belt, be sure to buckle your lap belt as well. Otherwise, in a collision you could slide out of the belt and be hurt or killed. -You should be seated upright with your back against the seat and feet on the floor. Improper seating positions, such as slouching or resting one's feet on the dashboard can result in reduced effectiveness of the vehicle's restraint system and possibly result in injury. **Safety belts should be worn even if the vehicle is equipped with air bags. While air bags are good protection against hitting the steering wheel, dashboard or windshield, they do not protect you if you are hit from the side or rear or if the vehicle rolls over. In addition, an airbag will not keep you behind the wheel in these situations** -The law requires that all children under the age of 14 must be secured in the rear seat and wear appropriate safety restraints while the vehicle is in motion.

Child passenger safety laws

Using a safety restraint correctly makes a big difference. A child safety seat may not protect a child in a crash if it is not used correctly and installed properly in your vehicle. Check to be sure that all children age 12 and under are properly restrained in the back seat and that a rear-facing child safety seat is never placed in front of an active passenger air bag. Also remember: -Infants from birth to at least age one, and until they are at least 20 pounds should ride in the back seat in a properly installed, rear-facing infant seat. -Toddlers over one year old and at least 20 pounds should ride in the back seat in a properly installed, forward-facing child safety seat. -Children between the ages of 4 and 8, who are no more than 4 feet 9 inches tall, should ride in the back seat in a properly installed, booster seat. -When children outgrow their booster seats, usually at age 8 or when they are 4 feet 9 inches tall, they can use the adult safety belt in the back seat. -To read your vehicle owner's manual and child restraint directions for more specific information on child restraint systems

Adjusting Seat and Mirrors

You should always adjust your seat and mirrors before you start to drive. It is important to do this so you can see clearly and have full control of the vehicle's foot pedals and steering wheel with appropriate space for airbag deployment. -Your foot should be able to pivot smoothly from brake to accelerator while the heel is kept on the floor. If so equipped, the steering wheel/column may also be adjusted. The top of the steering wheel should be no higher than the top of your shoulders and below the chin level. There should be 10 inches between your body and the bottom of the steering wheel. Do not move the seat so far forward that you cannot easily steer and do not recline the seat so far back that you cannot reach the steering wheel or use your mirrors effectively. If necessary, use a seat cushion and/or pedal extensions to increase your view. -Head restraints are designed to prevent whiplash if you are hit from behind. Whiplash is neck pain that may occur when you are in a crash where force is applied to your neck that results in movement beyond the neck's normal range of motion. To help prevent whiplash the head restraints should be adjusted so the head restraint contacts the back of your head and not below the level of your ears. -Adjust your rearview mirror so that it frames the rear window. You should be able to see traffic flow to the rear of the vehicle with the rearview mirror. -If you have a day/night mirror, make sure it is set for the time of day you are driving.