Toyota Prius Prime (2020 year). Owner's manual - part 2

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For safety and security

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1-1. For safe use

Before driving...................... 26
For safe driving ................... 28
Seat belts ............................ 30
SRS airbags........................ 36
Front passenger occupant 

classification system ......... 50

Exhaust gas precautions..... 56

1-2. Child safety

Riding with children............. 57
Child restraint systems........ 58

1-3. Emergency assistance

Safety Connect ................... 76

1-4. Theft deterrent system

Immobilizer system ............. 83

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Before driving

Use  only  floor  mats  designed  specifically  for  vehicles  of  the  same
model  and  model  year  as  your  vehicle.  Fix  them  securely  in  place
onto the carpet.

Insert the retaining hooks (clips)
into the floor mat eyelets.

Turn  the  upper  knob  of  each
retaining  hook  (clip)  to  secure
the floor mats in place.

*

: Always align the 

 marks.

The shape of the retaining hooks (clips) may differ from that shown in the
illustration.

Floor mat

1

*

2

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WARNING

Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may cause the driver’s floor mat to slip, possibly interfering
with the pedals while driving. An unexpectedly high speed may result or it may
become difficult to stop the vehicle. This could lead to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.

■

When installing the driver’s floor mat 

●

Do not use floor mats designed for other models or different model year
vehicles, even if they are Toyota Genuine floor mats.

●

Only use floor mats designed for the driver’s seat.

●

Always install the floor mat securely using the retaining hooks (clips) pro-
vided.

●

Do not use two or more floor mats on top of each other.

●

Do not place the floor mat bottom-side up or upside-down.

■

Before driving

●

Check  that  the  floor  mat  is  securely
fixed  in  the  correct  place  with  all  the
provided  retaining  hooks  (clips).  Be
especially careful to perform this check
after cleaning the floor.

●

With the hybrid system stopped and the
shift  position  in  P,  fully  depress  each
pedal  to the  floor  to make  sure it  does
not interfere with the floor mat.

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1-1. For safe use

For safe driving

Adjust  the  angle  of  the  seat-
back  so  that  you  are  sitting
straight  up  and  so  that  you  do
not  have  to  lean  forward  to
steer. (

P. 299)

Adjust the seat so that you can
depress the pedals fully and so
that  your  arms  bend  slightly  at
the  elbow  when  gripping  the
steering wheel. (

P. 299)

Lock the head restraint in place with the center of the head restraint
closest to the top of your ears. (

P. 303)

Wear the seat belt correctly. (

P. 30)

Make sure that all occupants are wearing their seat belts before driv-
ing the vehicle. (

P. 30)

Use  a  child  restraint  system  appropriate  for  the  child  until  the  child
becomes large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s seat belt. 
(

P. 58)

Make sure that you can see backward clearly by adjusting the inside
and outside rear view mirrors properly. (

P. 308, 310)

For  safe  driving,  adjust  the  seat  and  mirror  to  an  appropriate
position before driving.

Correct driving posture

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Correct use of the seat belts

Adjusting the mirrors

3

4

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WARNING

Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

●

Do not adjust the position of the driver’s seat while driving.
Doing so could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

●

Do not place a cushion between the driver or passenger and the seatback.
A cushion may prevent correct posture from being achieved, and reduce
the effectiveness of the seat belt and head restraint.

●

Do not place anything under the front seats.
Objects  placed  under  the  front  seats  may  become  jammed  in  the  seat
tracks and stop the seat from locking in place. This may lead to an acci-
dent and the adjustment mechanism may also be damaged.

●

Always observe the legal speed limit when driving on public roads.

●

When driving over long distances, take regular breaks before you start to
feel tired.
Also, if you feel tired or sleepy while driving, do not force yourself to con-
tinue driving and take a break immediately.

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Seat belts

● Extend the shoulder belt so that

it comes fully over the shoulder,
but does not come into contact
with  the  neck  or  slide  off  the
shoulder.

● Position  the  lap  belt  as  low  as

possible over the hips.

● Adjust the position of the seat-

back.  Sit  up  straight  and  well
back in the seat.

● Do not twist the seat belt.

To fasten the seat belt, push the
plate into the buckle until a click
sound is heard. 
To  release  the  seat  belt,  press
the  release  button  with  a  hand
on the plate.

Make sure that all occupants are wearing their seat belts before
driving the vehicle. 

Correct use of the seat belts

Fastening and releasing the seat belt

Release button

1

2

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Push  the  seat  belt  shoulder
anchor down while pressing the
release button.
Push  the  seat  belt  shoulder
anchor up.

Move  the  height  adjuster  up  and
down  as  needed  until  you  hear  a
click.

The  pretensioners  help  the  seat
belts to quickly restrain  the occu-
pants  by  retracting  the  seat  belts
when  the  vehicle  is  subjected  to
certain  types  of  severe  frontal  or
side collision or a vehicle rollover.

The  pretensioners  do  not  activate
in  the  event  of  a  minor  frontal
impact,  a  minor  side  impact  or  a
rear impact.

■

Emergency locking retractor (ELR)
The retractor will lock the belt during a sudden stop or on impact. It may also
lock if you lean forward too quickly. A slow, easy motion will allow the belt to
extend so that you can move around fully.

■

Automatic locking retractor (ALR)
When a passenger’s shoulder belt is completely extended and then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that position and cannot be extended. This
feature is used to hold the child restraint system (CRS) firmly. To free the belt
again, fully retract the belt and then pull the belt out once more.

Adjusting the seat belt shoulder anchor height (front seats)

Release button

1

2

Seat belt pretensioners (front seats)

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■

Child seat belt usage
The seat belts of your vehicle were principally designed for persons of adult
size. 

●

Use  a  child  restraint  system  appropriate  for  the  child,  until  the  child
becomes large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s seat belt. (

P. 58)

●

When the child becomes large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s seat
belt, follow the instructions regarding seat belt usage. (

P. 30)

■

Replacing the belt after the pretensioner has been activated
If the vehicle is involved in multiple collisions, the pretensioner will activate for
the first collision, but will not activate for the second or subsequent collisions.

■

Seat belt extender
If  your  seat  belts  cannot  be  fastened
securely  because  they  are  not  long
enough, a personalized seat belt extender
is  available  from  your Toyota  dealer  free
of charge.

WARNING

Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
sudden braking, sudden swerving or an accident.
Failing to do so may cause death or serious injury.

■

Wearing a seat belt

●

Ensure that all passengers wear a seat belt.

●

Always wear a seat belt properly.

●

Each seat belt should be used by one person only. Do not use a seat belt
for more than one person at once, including children.

●

Toyota recommends that children be seated in the rear seat and  always
use a seat belt and/or an appropriate child restraint system.

●

To  achieve  a  proper  seating  position,  do  not  recline  the  seat  more  than
necessary. The seat belt is most effective when the occupants are sitting
up straight and well back in the seats.

●

Do not wear the shoulder belt under your arm.

●

Always wear your seat belt low and snug across your hips.

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WARNING

■

Pregnant women

■

People suffering illness
Obtain medical advice and wear the seat belt in the proper way. (

P. 30)

■

When children are in the vehicle
P. 69

■

Seat belt pretensioners

●

Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger’s seat.
Doing so will disperse the passenger’s weight, which prevents the sensor
from detecting the passenger’s weight properly. As a result, the seat belt
pretensioner for the front passenger’s seat may not activate in the event of
a collision.

●

If the pretensioner has activated, the SRS warning light will come on. In
that  case,  the  seat  belt  cannot  be  used  again  and  must  be  replaced  at
your Toyota dealer.

Obtain medical advice and wear the seat
belt in the proper way. (

P. 30)

Women  who  are  pregnant  should  posi-
tion the lap belt as low as possible over
the  hips  in  the  same  manner  as  other
occupants,  extending  the  shoulder  belt
completely over the shoulder and avoid-
ing  belt  contact  with  the  rounding  of  the
abdominal area.
If  the  seat  belt  is  not  worn  properly,  not
only  the  pregnant  woman,  but  also  the
fetus could suffer death or serious injury
as  a  result  of  sudden  braking  or  a  colli-
sion.

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WARNING

■

Adjustable shoulder anchor
Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the center of your
shoulder. The belt should be kept away from your neck, but not falling off
your shoulder. Failure to do so could reduce the amount of protection in an
accident and cause death or serious injuries in the event of a sudden stop,
sudden swerve or accident. (

P. 31)

■

Seat belt damage and wear

●

Do not damage the seat belts by allowing the belt, plate, or buckle to be
jammed in the door.

●

Inspect the seat belt system periodically. Check for cuts, fraying, and loose
parts. Do not use a damaged seat belt until it is replaced. Damaged seat
belts cannot protect an occupant from death or serious injury.

●

Ensure that the belt and plate are locked and the belt is not twisted.
If the seat belt does not function correctly, immediately contact your Toyota
dealer.

●

Replace the seat assembly, including the belts, if your vehicle has been
involved in a serious accident, even if there is no obvious damage.

●

Do not attempt to install, remove, modify, disassemble or dispose of the
seat belts. Have any necessary repairs carried out by your Toyota dealer.
Inappropriate handling may lead to incorrect operation.

■

Using a seat belt extender

●

Do not wear the seat belt extender if you can fasten the seat belt without
the extender.

●

Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a child restraint system
because the belt will not securely hold the child restraint system, increas-
ing the risk of death or serious injury in the event of an accident.

●

The  personalized  extender  may  not  be  safe  on  another  vehicle,  when
used by another person, or at a different seating position other than the
one originally intended.

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NOTICE

■

When using a seat belt extender
When  releasing  the  seat  belt,  press  on  the  buckle  release  button  on  the
extender, not on the seat belt.
This helps prevent damage to the vehicle interior and the extender itself.

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SRS airbags

The SRS airbags inflate when the vehicle is subjected to certain
types of severe impacts that may cause significant injury to the
occupants. They work together with the seat belts to help reduce
the risk of death or serious injury.

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◆

SRS front airbags

SRS driver airbag/front passenger airbag
Can help protect the head and chest of the driver and front pas-
senger from impact with interior components
SRS knee airbag
Can help provide driver protection
SRS seat cushion airbag
Can help restrain the front passenger

◆

SRS side and curtain shield airbags

SRS side airbags
Can help protect the torso of the front seat occupants
SRS curtain shield airbags
● Can help protect primarily the head of occupants in the outer

seats

● Can  help  prevent  the  occupants from  being  thrown  from  the

vehicle in the event of vehicle rollover

1

2

3

4

5

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Your vehicle is equipped with ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed based
on  the  US  motor  vehicle  safety  standards  (FMVSS208). The  airbag
sensor  assembly  (ECU)  controls  airbag  deployment  based  on  infor-
mation obtained from the sensors  etc. shown in the system compo-
nents  diagram  above.  This  information  includes  crash  severity  and
occupant  information. As  the  airbags  deploy,  a  chemical  reaction  in
the inflators quickly fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to help restrain
the motion of the occupants.

SRS airbag system components

Front impact sensors
SRS  warning  light  and  “AIR
BAG  ON”  and  “AIR  BAG  OFF”
indicator lights
Front passenger airbag
Passenger seat cushion airbag
Side  impact  sensors  (front
door)
Seat  belt  pretensioners  and
force limiters
Side airbags

Front  passenger’s  seat  belt
buckle switch
Curtain shield airbags
Side impact sensors (rear)
Driver’s  seat  belt  buckle
switch
Driver airbag
Driver’s knee airbag
Front  passenger  occupant
classification  system  (ECU
and sensors)
Airbag sensor assembly

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7

8

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10

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12

13

14

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WARNING

■

SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the SRS airbags. 
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.

●

The  driver  and  all  passengers  in  the  vehicle  must  wear  their  seat  belts
properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental devices to be used with the seat belts.

●

The  SRS  driver  airbag  deploys  with  considerable  force,  and  can  cause
death or serious injury especially if the driver is very close to the airbag.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advises:
Since the risk zone for the driver’s airbag is the first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm)
of inflation, placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) from your driver airbag pro-
vides you with a clear margin of safety. This distance is measured from
the center of the steering wheel to your breastbone. If you sit less than 10
in. (250 mm) away now, you can change your driving position in several
ways:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the ped-

als comfortably.

• Slightly recline the back of the seat. 

Although  vehicle  designs  vary,  many  drivers  can  achieve  the  10  in.
(250 mm) distance, even with the driver seat all the way forward, simply
by reclining the back of the seat somewhat. If reclining the back of your
seat makes it hard to see the road, raise yourself by using a firm, non-
slippery cushion, or raise the seat if your vehicle has that feature.

• If your steering wheel is adjustable, tilt it downward. This points the air-

bag toward your chest instead of your head and neck.

The seat should be adjusted as recommended  by NHTSA above, while
still maintaining control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view
of the instrument panel controls.