Tesla Model 3: Seat Belts

Wearing Seat Belts

Using seat belts and child safety seats is the most effective way to protect occupants if a collision occurs. Therefore, wearing a seat belt is required by law in most jurisdictions.

Both the driver and passenger seats are equipped with three-point inertia reel seat belts. Inertia reel belts are automatically tensioned to allow occupants to move comfortably during normal driving conditions.

To securely hold child safety seats, all passenger seating positions are equipped with an automatic locking retractor (ALR) that, by pulling the seat belt beyond the length needed for a typical adult occupant, locks the belt into place until the seat belt is unbuckled.

The seat belt reel automatically locks to prevent movement of occupants if Model 3 experiences a force associated with hard acceleration, braking, cornering, or an impact in a collision.

Seat Belt Reminders

The seat belt reminder on the
touchscreen alerts you if a seat belt for an occupied driver or passenger seat is unbuckled. If the belt remains unbuckled, the reminder flashes and an intermittent chime sounds. If all occupants are buckled up and the reminder stays on, re-buckle seat belts to ensure they are correctly latched. Also remove any heavy objects (such as a briefcase) from an unoccupied seat. If the reminder light continues to stay on, contact Tesla.

You can temporarily mute a seat belt reminder associated with a rear seating position. This is useful in situations when you are carrying an object in a rear seat that triggers the seat belt reminder alert. To mute the reminder, touch the associated seat on the seat belt reminder card that displays on the touchscreen when a seat belt reminder alert is active. When a reminder is muted, the seat belt reminder icon is replaced by a seat icon. Touch the seat again to unmute the reminder. The reminder is disabled for the current drive only.

Warning: Seat belts must be worn by passengers in all seating positions. Do not disable a seat belt reminder when the seating position is occupied by a passenger.

To Fasten a Belt

1. Ensure correct positioning of the seat
2. Draw the belt out smoothly, ensuring the belt lays flat across the pelvis, chest and mid-point of your collar bone, between the neck and shoulder.
3. Insert the latch plate into the buckle and press together until you hear a click indicating it is locked in place.

4. Pull the belt to check that it is securely fastened.
5. Pull the diagonal part of the belt toward the reel to remove excess slack.

To Adjust the Shoulder Anchor Height

Model 3 is equipped with an adjustable shoulder anchor for each front seat to ensure that the seat belt is positioned correctly. The seat belt should lay flat across the mid-point of your collar bone while in the correct driving position. Adjust the height of the shoulder anchor if the seat belt is not positioned correctly:

1. Press and hold the button on the shoulder anchor to release the locking mechanism.
2. While holding the button, move the shoulder anchor up or down as necessary so that the seat belt is positioned correctly.

3. Release the button on the shoulder anchor so that it locks into position.
4. Without pressing the button, pull on the seat belt webbing and attempt to move the shoulder anchor downwards to check that it is locked into position.

Warning: Ensure that the seat belt is positioned correctly and that the shoulder anchor is locked into position before driving. Riding in a moving vehicle with the seat belt positioned incorrectly or with the shoulder anchor not locked into position can reduce the effectiveness of the seat belt in a collision.

To Release a Belt

Hold the belt near the buckle to prevent the belt from retracting too quickly, then press the button on the buckle. The belt retracts automatically. Ensure there is no obstruction that prevents the belt from fully retracting.

The belt should not hang loose. If a seat belt does not fully retract, contact Tesla.

Wearing Seat Belts When Pregnant

Do not put the lap or shoulder sections of the seat belt over the abdominal area. Wear the lap section of the belt as low as possible across the hips, not the waist. Position the shoulder portion of the belt between the breasts and to the side of the abdomen.

Consult your doctor for specific guidance.

Warning: Never place anything between you and the seat belt to cushion the impact in the event of a collision.

Seat Belt Pre-tensioners

The front seat belts are equipped with pre‑tensioners that work in conjunction with the airbags in a severe frontal collision. The pre‑tensioners automatically retract both the seat belt anchor and the seat belt webbing, reducing slack in both the lap and diagonal portions of the belts, resulting in reduced forward movement of the occupant.

The outboard seats are equipped with shoulder pre-tensioners to retract the seat belt webbing to reduce forward movement of the occupant.

If the pre-tensioners and airbags did not activate in an impact, this does not mean they malfunctioned. It usually means that the strength or type of force needed to activate them was not present.

Warning: Once the seat belt pretensioners have been activated, they must be replaced. After any collision, have the airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and any associated components checked and, if necessary, replaced.

Testing Seat Belts

To confirm that seat belts are operating correctly, perform these three simple checks on each seat belt.

1. With the seat belt fastened, give the webbing nearest the buckle a quick pull.

   The buckle should remain securely locked.

2. With the belt unfastened, unreel the webbing to its limit. Check that unreeling is free from snags, and visually check the webbing for wear. Allow the webbing to retract, checking that retraction is smooth and complete.
3. With the webbing half unreeled, hold the tongue plate and pull forward quickly. The mechanism should lock automatically and prevent further unreeling.

If a seat belt fails any of these tests, contact Tesla immediately.

For information about cleaning seat belts

Seat Belt Warnings

Warning: Seat belts should be worn by all occupants at all times, even if driving for a very short distance. Failure to do so increases the risk of injury or death if a collision occurs.

Warning: Secure small children in a suitable child safety seat as described in the Child Safety Seat topic. Always follow the child safety seat manufacturer's instructions when installing.

Warning: Ensure that all seat belts are worn correctly. An improperly worn seat belt increases the risk of injury or death if a collision occurs.

Warning: Do not wear seat belts over hard, fragile or sharp items in clothing, such as pens, keys, eyeglasses, etc. The pressure from the seat belt on such items can cause injury.

Warning: Seat belts should not be worn with any part of the strap twisted.

Warning: Each seat belt assembly must be used by one occupant only. It is dangerous to put a seat belt around a child being carried on an occupant's lap.

Warning: Seat belts that have been worn in a collision must be inspected or replaced by Tesla, even if damage to the assembly is not obvious.

Warning: Seat belts that show signs of wear (such as fraying), or have been cut or damaged in any way, must be replaced by Tesla.

Warning: Avoid contaminating a seat belt's components with any chemicals, liquids, grit, dirt or cleaning products. If a seat belt fails to retract or latch into the buckle, it must be replaced immediately.

Contact Tesla.

Warning: Do not make modifications or additions that can prevent a seat belt mechanism from taking up slack, or that can prevent a seat belt from being adjusted to remove slack. A slack belt greatly reduces occupant protection.

Warning: Do not make modifications that can interfere with the operation of a seat belt, or that can cause a seat belt to become inoperable.

Warning: When seat belts are not in use, they should be fully retracted and not hanging loose. If a seat belt does not fully retract, contact Tesla.