CHEVROLET CAVALIER 1998 3.G Owner's Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q.’ 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
Adults
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt
the latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle
the belt.
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.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end
of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The lap part of the belt should be worn low an n
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this appues
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, or
if you pull the belt very quickly out
of the retractor.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster (&Door Models)
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt adjuster to the height that
is right for you.
To move it down, squeeze the release button and move
the adjuster to the desired position. You
can move the
adjuster
up just by pushing up on the shoulder belt
guide. After you move the adjuster to where you want it,
try to move it down without squeezing the release button
to make sure it has locked into position.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q.’ What’s wrong with this? 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
fit against your body. -l
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s wrong with this?
I
L I 1 I I I I I 1
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
.- - - -
r-cA=-T:
‘A
-
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine e: What's wrong with this?
I
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be
worn over the shoulder at all times.
A 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 aren't as strong
as shoulder bones.
You could also severely injure internal organs
like your liver or spleen.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
I I A CAUTION:
You can be seriofi
a crash, you wouldn’t 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 fix it.
I
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
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.
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 don’t 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.
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