CADILLAC DEVILLE 1998 7.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The head restraints tilt forward and rearward also.
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 Inflatable Restraint
(SIR), or air bag system.
A CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you’re not wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse.
You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts
are fastened properly too. It
is extremely dangerous to
ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in
any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in
a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
1-6

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a reminder
to buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In most 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.
After more than
30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear.
In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
I
. .., .I
I
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.
1-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.
1-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
or the instrument panel ...
1-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 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: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most 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.
wear safety belts?
1-10

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part 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
vehicle, see the part
of this manual 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.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Be sure to use the correct buckle when buckling your
lap-shoulder belt. If you find that the latch plate will
not go fully into the buckle, see
if you are using the
buckle for the center passenger position.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If
the belt isn’t long enough, see “Safety Belt
Extender” at the end of this section.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
1-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt adjuster to the height that is right for
you.
The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. 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.
The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or crash. To move
it down, squeeze the release handle and move
the height adjuster to the desired position. You can move
the adjuster up just by pushing up on the bottom
of the
release handle. After you move the adjuster to where
you want it, try to move
it down without squeezing the
release handle to make sure it has locked into position.
1-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is
centered on your shoulder. The belt should
be away from
your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
Shoulder Belt Tightness Adjustment
Your car has a shoulder belt tightness adjustment
feature.
If the shoulder belt seems too tight, adjust it
before you begin
to drive.
1. Sit well back in the seat.
2. Start pulling the shoulder belt out.
3. Just before it reaches the end, give it a quick pull.
4. Let the belt go back all the way. You should hear a
slight clicking
sound. If you don’t, the adjustment
feature won’t set, and you’ll have to start again.
1-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine a ..
5. Now you can add a small amount of slack. Lean
forward slightly, then sit back.
If you've added more
than
1 inch (25 mm) of slack, pull the shoulder belt
out as you did before and start again.
If you move around in the vehicle enough, or if you pull
out the shoulder belt, the belt will become tight again.
If
this happens, you can reset it.