Tesla Model 3: 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.

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