Kia EV2: Seating and safety restraints / Important safety precautions

You will find many vital safety precautions and comprehensive recommendations throughout this section and manual to help ensure secure travels.

The core safety precautions outlined in this section are among the most critical for every driver and passenger to understand and follow.

Always wear your seat belt

A properly fastened seat belt remains your single best line of defense and protection in all types of road accidents. Advanced air bags are engineered to supplement traditional seat belts, not replace them entirely. Even though your Kia EV2 is equipped with modern air bags, ALWAYS fasten your seat belt securely and make sure all of your passengers have properly fastened their seat belts or child restraints before placing your Kia EV2 in motion on the road.

Restrain all children

All children under the age of 13 should be properly restrained securely in a rear seat rather than the front seat for optimal protection. Each infant and small child must be accommodated in an appropriate, certified child restraint system matching their age, height, and weight.

Air bag hazards

Whilst supplemental air bags can save lives in severe collisions, they can also cause serious or even fatal impact injuries to occupants who sit excessively close to them, or who fail to remain properly restrained. Infants, young children, and shorter adult occupants are at the greatest statistical risk of being injured by a rapidly inflating air bag module. Follow all safety instructions and warnings detailed in this manual carefully.

Driver distraction

Driver distraction presents a serious, pervasive, and potentially deadly hazard on the road, especially for inexperienced drivers behind the wheel. Personal safety must always remain your absolute first concern when operating a vehicle, and drivers need to stay fully aware of the wide array of potential distractions, such as sudden drowsiness, reaching for loose objects, eating, personal grooming, unruly passengers, and using mobile phones or electronic devices.

Drivers can easily become dangerously distracted whenever they take their eyes and focused attention off the road ahead or their hands off the steering wheel to concentrate on non-driving activities. To actively reduce your personal risk of distraction or getting into a severe traffic accident:

• ALWAYS set up, pair, or adjust your mobile devices and electronic gear (such as media players, phones, and navigation units) only when your vehicle is safely parked or lawfully stopped.

• ONLY use your mobile device when permitted by local law, and strictly when environmental road conditions permit completely safe use. NEVER text, type emails, or browse whilst driving your Kia EV2.

• NEVER let the operation or notifications of a mobile device distract you from the primary task of driving. You hold an absolute responsibility to your passengers and fellow motorists to always drive safely, keeping both hands firmly on the wheel and your full attention focused on the road ahead.

Control your speed

Excessive speed stands as a major contributing factor in severe crash injuries and traffic fatalities worldwide. Generally, the higher the vehicle speed, the greater the kinetic risk and impact severity. Serious or fatal injuries can also occur even at lower speeds if control is lost. Never drive your Kia EV2 faster than what is strictly safe for current weather, traffic, and road conditions, regardless of any maximum posted speed limits.

Keep your Kia in safe condition

Experiencing a sudden tyre blowout, mechanical malfunction, or system failure while driving can be extremely hazardous. To significantly reduce the probability of encountering such dangerous problems, inspect your tyre pressure and structural condition frequently, and perform all regularly scheduled maintenance routines promptly.