GMC SIERRA 1998 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 air bag system.
’
A CAUTION:
I
- -
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.
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.
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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.
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
After more than
30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Take the
simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.
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c
Put someone on it. 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 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
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 stili 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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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
control9 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.
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.
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3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Don‘t
let
it get twisted.
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.
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 a crash.
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Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that
is right for you.
To move it down, push in at the word PRESS and move
the height 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 pushing in 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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@ What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
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.
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What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
A 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.
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