PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2003 User Guide

Heated Seats
If your vehicle is equipped
with this feature, the heated seat switch is
located on the center
console, behind the
open storage bin.
Reclining Seatbacks
The recliner lever for the driver’s and passenger’s front
seatback is located on the outboard side of each
front seat cushion.
Press
LO to warm the seat to a lower temperature.
Press
HI to warm the seat to a higher temperature.
To turn this feature
off, place the switch in the center
position. This feature only works when the ignition
is turned on.
Lift the lever to release the seatback, then move the
seatback
to where you want it. Release the lever to lock
the seatback in place. Pull up on the lever without
pushing on the seatback and the seatback will move
forward.
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But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
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.
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Head Restraints Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of
the restraint is closest to the top of your head.
This position reduces the chance
of a neck injury in
a crash.
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Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are 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.
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.
I
It is extremely dangerous to E*.-- .n 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 on page
3-26.
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In most states and in all 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.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
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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.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
0: 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?
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Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
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.
home, why should I wear safety belts?
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 Older Children on page
1-29
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-32. 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
so you can sit up straight.
To see how, see “Seats’’ in the Index.
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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.
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
on page 1-28 at the end of this section.
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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