CADILLAC STS V 2007 1.G Owner's Manual

Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how
to wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight.
To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across
you. Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let
the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull
the belt across you more slowly.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until
it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is
secure. If the belt is not long enough,
seeSafety Belt Extender on page 37.
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.
5. Move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the
height that is right for you. Improper shoulder
belt height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment on page 29.
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6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the
safety belt through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.7. This safety belt has a feature that will reduce
the tension of the safety belt on the occupant’s
shoulder if the vehicle is on. To set this
feature, gently pull on the belt, or lean forward
and then sit back. The belt will retract and
rest lightly against the occupant.
22

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 would 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 is a sudden stop
or crash.
23

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give
nearly as much protection this way.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder
belt is too loose. In a crash, you would
move forward too much, which could
increase injury. The shoulder belt should
t against your body.
24

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The lap belt is too loose. It will not give as
much protection this way.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt
is too loose. In a crash, you could slide
under the lap belt and apply force at your
abdomen. This could cause serious or
even fatal injuries. The lap belt should be
worn low and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs.
25

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled in the wrong place like this. In a
crash, the belt would go up over your
abdomen. The belt forces would be there,
not at the pelvic bones. This could cause
serious internal injuries. Always buckle
your belt into the buckle nearest you.
26

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is worn under the arm.
It should be worn over the shoulder at
all times.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if you wear
the shoulder belt under your arm. In a
crash, your body would move too far
forward, which would increase the chance
of head and neck injury. Also, the belt
would apply too much force to the ribs,
which are not as strong as shoulder
bones. You could also severely injure
internal organs like your liver or spleen.
27

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across the body.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted
belt. In a crash, you would not have the
full width of the belt to spread impact
forces. If a belt is twisted, make it straight
so it can work properly, or ask your dealer
to x it.
28

To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the
buckle. When the safety belt is unbuckled or when
the vehicle is turned off, the tension reducer will
deactivate. The belt should go back out of the way.
Before you close the door, be sure the belt is
out of the way. If you slam the door on it, you can
damage both the belt and your vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
height adjuster to the height that is right for you.
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. Improper shoulder
belt height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
To move it down, press
the release button (A)
and move the height
adjuster to the desired
position. You can move
the height adjuster up
just by pushing up on the
shoulder belt guide.
After you move the height adjuster to where you
want it, try to move it down without pressing the
release button to make sure it has locked into
position.
29

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely
to be seriously injured if they do not wear
safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder
belt, and the lap portion should be worn as low as
possible, below the rounding, throughout the
pregnancy.The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is
more likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash.
For pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to
making safety belts effective is wearing them
properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s
safety belt properly, seeDriver Position on page 21.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the
same way as the driver’s safety belt — except
for one thing. If you ever pull the shoulder portion
of the belt out all the way, you will engage the
child restraint locking feature. If this happens, let
the belt go back all the way and start again.
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