BUICK REGAL 1994 Owner's Manual

Safety Belts: They’re For Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells
you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System, or
“air bag” system. This figure lights
up as
a reminder
to buckle
up. (See “Safety Belt
Warning Light”
in the
Index.)
In many states and Canadian provinces, the law says
to
wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
You never know
if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know
if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people
who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
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After more than 25 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter
... a lot!
v . ;._. . ... .
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it
goes.
For example, if the bike is going 10 mph (16 km/h), so
is the child.
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When the bike hits the block, it stops. But the child
keeps eoinrr!
..
Take the simplest “car.” Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
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..
... , ...
Put someone on it.
L" .._ .... .. . ......: ..=
Get it up to speed. Then stop the "car." The rider doesn't
stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
L
I
or the instrument panel ...
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or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop.
You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
@ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not.
But you can easily unbuckle a safety
belt, even
if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q: Why don’t they just put in air bags so people
won’t have
to wear safety belts?
A: Air bags, or Supplemental Restraint Systems, are in
some vehicles today and will be in more of them in
the future. But they are supplemental systems only
-- so they work with safety belts, not instead of
them. Every air bag system ever offered for sale
has required the use of safety belts. Even if you’re
in a vehicle that has air bags, you still have to
buckle up to get the most protection. That’s true not
only
in frontal collisions, but especially in side and
other collisions.
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If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should
I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident
-- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
# When the key is turned
to
“Run” or “Start,” a
chime will come on for
about eight seconds to
remind people
to fasten
their safety belts, unless
the driver’s safety belt
is already buckled.
The safety belt light
will also come on and stay on until
the driver’s belt is buckled.
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How To Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This section is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things
to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different rules for
smaller children and babies.
If a child will be riding in
your Buick, see the section after this one, called
“Children.” Follow those rules
for everyone’s protection.
First,
you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start
with the driver position.
Vehicles First Sold In Canada
Was your Buick first sold, when new, in Canada? (If it
was, a sticker on the driver’s door will say “conforms to
all applicable Canada motor vehicle
...” etc.) If so, then
the rest of Part
1 does not apply to your vehicle.
To learn how to use your safety belts, please read the
Owner’s Manual Safety Belt Supplement. It comes with
every new Buick first sold
in Canada.
Driver Position
This section describes the driver’s restraint system.
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This safety belt is called “automatic” because you don’t
have to buckle up when you get into your vehicle. And you
don’t have to unbuckle when
you get out.
Just get into your vehicle. Then close and lock the door.
Adjust
the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index) so
you can sit up straight.
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The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or a crash.\

It’s possible that an automatic belt could keep you from
fully opening a door. That can happen if the door was
slammed shut very hard. Just close the door all the way,
then slowly open it. If that doesn’t
fix it, then your
Buick needs service.
We hope you’ll always keep your automatic belt
buckled. However, you may need to unbuckle it in an
emergency.
And you would need to unbuckle it to let
someone get into the center front seat position, if ,your
vehicle has one.
r
The lap belt should be worn as low on the hips as
possible. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be less likely to slide under the
lap belt.
If you slid under it, the belt would apply force
at
your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal
injuries. The shoulder belt should
go over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining forces.
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