GMC ENVOY 1998 User Guide

~ Reclining Front Seatback
To adjust
the right front passenger’s seatback, lift the
lever
on the outer side of the seat.
Release the lever to lock the seatback where
you want it.
Pull
up on the lever and the seat will go to an
upright position. But don’t have
a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
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A CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top
of your ears. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
The head restraints tilt forward and rearward also.
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Rear Seats I
Your vehicle has a folding rear seat which lets you fold
the seatbacks down for more cargo space.
The rear seat release handles are on the rear of the
seatbacks. Push back on the seatbacks as you pull up on
the handles. The head restraint will automatically fold
out
of the way when the seatback is folded down.
To raise the seatbacks, just lift up the seatbacks and push
until they lock in the upright position. Push and pull on
the seatbacks to check that the latches have locked in
the upright position.
If they haven’t, have them
fixed immediately. To
return the head restraints to the upright position,
reach behind the seats and pull the head restraint up until
it locks into position.
Push and pull on the head restraints to check that they
have locked in the upright position. If they haven’t, have
them fixed immediately.
The rear seat head restraints are adjustable.
Push the button located under the head restraint to raise or
lower it. Slide the adjustable head restraint up or down
so
that the top of the head restraint is closest to the top of
your ears. After releasing the button, push
and pull on the
head restraint to make sure it’s locked
in place.
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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.
A CAUTION:
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.
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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
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
I
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.
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Put someone on it.
......... _.U.... ............ ~" ....................... -"-
--
Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. 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 ...
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 ctxrld 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 car2 unbuckle and get out, is m~h greater if
you are belted.
Q.' If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
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.
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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.
How to Wear Saf elts 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.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
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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.
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.
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