belt BUICK CENTURY 1993 User Guide

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And you don't have to unbuckle when you get out.
Just get into your vehicle. Then close and
lock the door.
Adjust the seat (to see how, see "Seats" in the Index)
so
you can sit up straight. The lap belt should be worn as
low on the hips as
possible. 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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It's possible that an automatic belt could keep you from
fully opening a door. That can happen if the door was slammed shut very hard. Just close the door all the way,
then slowly open
it. If that doesn't fix it, then your Buick
needs service.
We hope you'll always keep your automatic belt buckled.
However, you may need to unbuckle it in
an emergency.
And you would need to unbuckle it to let someone get
into the center front seat position,
if your vehicle has
one.
To unbuckle the automatic belt, just push the button on
the buckle.
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To reattach the automatic belt:
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.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Don’t
let it get twisted.
@ What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
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You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is
too loose. In a crash you would move forward too much, which could significantly 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.
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A CAUTION’:
ybu can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled in the
wrong place Ilk 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.
@ What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
L
1 A CAUTION:
Mu can be serlously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increage the chance
of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force to
the ribs, whlch aren’t as strong as shoulder
bones.
mu could also severely injure internal
organs like your llver
or spleen.
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@ What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
Mu can be seriously injured by a twisted belt.
In a crash, you wouldn’t have the full width of
the belt
to take impact forces. If a belt is twisted,
make
it straight so it can work properly, or ask
your dealer to fix
it.
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
System
(Air Bag) (option)
I This section explains the driver’s Supplemental Inflatable
Restraint (SIR) system, commonly referred
to as an
air bag. Here are the most important things
to know:
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/i CAUTION:
Even with an air bag, if you’re not wearing a
safety belt and you’re
in a crash, your injuries
may be much worse.
Air bags’are not
designed to inflate in rollovers or in rear, side
or low-speed frontal crashes.
Ybu need to wear
your safety belt to reduce the chance of
hitting
things inside the vehicle or being ejected from
it. Always wear your safety belt, even with an
air bag.
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A CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than
the blink of an eye. If you’re too close to
an
inflating air bag, it could seriously injure ,you.
Safety
belts help keep you in position for an
air bag inflation in a
crash. Always wear your
safety belt, even with
an air bag, and sit as far
back
as you can while still maintaining control
of your vehicle.
Air Bag System Light
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
shows
“AIRBAG.” The
system checks itself and the
light tells you if there
is a
problem.
You will see this light flash
for a few seconds when you
turn your ignition to “Run”
or
“Start.” Then the light
should go out, which
means the system is ready.
In ! .CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on
when
you start your vehicle, or stays on, or
comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your
vehicle serviced right away.
How the Air Bag System Works
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How does an air bag restrain?
A: In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions, even belted occupants
can contact the
steering wheel. The air bag supplements the
protection provided by safety belts. Air bags
distribute the force of the impact more evenly over
the occupant’s upper body, stopping
the occupant
more gradually. But air bags would not provide
protection in many types
of collisions, including
rollovers and rear and side impacts, primarily
because an occupant’s motion is not toward the air
bag. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belt protection in
moderate to severe frontal and near-frontal
collisions.
Qt What will you see after an air bag inflation?
A: After the air bag has inflated, it will then quickly
deflate.
This occurs so quickly that some people
may not even realize that the air bag inflated. The
air bag will
not impede the driver’s vision or ability
to steer the vehicle, nor will it hinder the occupants from exiting the vehicle. There will be
small
amounts of smoke coming from vents in the deflated
air bag. Some components of the air bag module in
the steering wheel hub may be hot
for a short time,
but the portion
of the bag that comes into contact
with you
will not be hot to the touch. The nitrogen
gas used to inflate the
air bag will have vented into
the passenger compartment, and the bag will be
deflated within seconds after the collision. Nitrogen
makes up about
80% of the air we breathe and is not
hazardous.
As the nitrogen vents from the bag, small
particles are also vented into the passenger compartment.
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When the work is complete, if the air bag system was
disconnected, be sure to reattach everything and replace
the
fuse before turning the ignition on. When you turn
the ignition key on, be sure you see the inflatable
restraint light on the instrument panel. If you don’t see
this light flash and then go out as usual, have your air bag
system repaired.
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
throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the mother.
When a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more likely that \
the fetus won’t 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
fl
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt. See “Driver Position:’
earlier in this part.
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Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index) so’
you can sit up straight. Move your seat far enough
forward that your feet touch the part
of the vehicle that is
called the “toeboard” (A). That way you’d be less li\
kely
to slide under the lap belt in a crash.
Center Passenger Position and Any Station
Wagon Third Seat Passenger Position
If your vehicle has front and rear bench seats, someone
can sit in the center positions.
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When you sit in a center seating position, or in a station To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until
wagon third seat, you have a lap safety belt, which has no
the belt is snug.
retractor.
To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it
along the belt. Buckle, position and release it the same
way as the lap
part of a lap-shoulder belt.
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 faces upward
or outward
so you would be able to unbuckle it quickly if
you ever had to.
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