child restraint BUICK CENTURY 1996 Owners Manual

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 Buick, 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.
Was your Buick first sold, when new, in Canada?
(If it
was, a sticker on the driver’s door will say “conforms
to
all applicable Canada motor vehicle . . . ” etc.) If so,
then this “Driver Position” part doesn’t apply to your
vehicle.
To learn how to use your driver position safety
belts, read the
Canadian Owner’s Manual Safety Belt
Supplement.
It comes with every new Century first sold
in Canada.
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Children
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.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. Everyone
in
a vehicle needs protection! That includes
infants and all children smaller than adult size. In fact,
the
law in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province says children up to some age must be
restrained
while in a vehicle.
I A CAUTION:
Smaller children and babies should always be
restrained in a child or infant restraint. The
instructions for the restraint will say whether it is
the right type and size
for your child. A very
young child’s hip bones are so small that a
regular belt might not stay low on the hips, as it
should. Instead, the belt will likely be over the
child’s abdomen. In
a crash, the belt would apply
force right on the child’s abdomen, which could
cause serious
or fatal injuries. So, be sure that
any child small enough for one is always properly
restrained in
a child or infant restraint.
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Child Restraints
Be sure the child restraint is designed to be used in a
vehicle. If it is, it will have
a label saying that it meets
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Then
follow the instructions for the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or
in a
booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system in
your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured within
the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury.
The instructions that come with the infant or child
restraint will show you how to
do that.
Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. We at
General Motors therefore recommend that you put your
child restraint in the rear seat unless the child is an
infant and you’re the only adult in the vehicle. In that
case, you might want to secure the restraint in the front
seat where you can keep
an eye on the baby.
Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move
around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in
the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child
restraint in your vehicle
-- even when no child is in it.
Top Strap
If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored.
If you need to have an anchor installed, you
can ask your Buick dealer to put it in for you. If you
want
to install an anchor yourself, your dealer can tell
you how to do it.
If you want to use a child restraint with a top strap in the
second seat of a station wagon, have your dealer install a
combination anchor-tether belt to which the top strap
can be hooked.
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For cars first sold in Canada, child restraints with a top
strap must be anchored according to Canadian law.
Your dealer can obtain the hardware kit and install it for
you, or you may install it yourself using the instructions
provided in the kit.
Use the tether hardware kit available from the dealer.
The hardware and installation instructions were
specifically designed for this vehicle.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
1. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions
of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how.
Tilt the latch plate to adjust
the belt if needed.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
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4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 5. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready to work
for an adult
or larger child passenger.
you push
down on
the child restraint.
directions to be sure it is secure.
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Securing a Child Restraint in a Center
Seat Position
U
You'll be using the lap belt.
See the earlier part about the top strap
if the child
restraint has
one.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling it along the belt.
Put the restraint on the seat. Follow
the instructions
for the child restraint.
Secure the child in the child restraint
as the
instructions say.
Run the vehicle's safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
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r
5. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
6. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
down on the child restraint.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
If it isn’t, secure the
restraint in a different place in the vehicle and
contact the child restraint maker for their advice
about how to attach the child restraint properly.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt. It will be ready to work for an adult or larger
child passenger.
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ring a Child Restraint in the Right
.t
Seat PC -tic
Was your two-door Buick first sold, when new, in
Canada? (If it was, a sticker on the driver’s door will say
“conforms to all applicable Canada motor vehicle
. . .
etc.) If so, then this “Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position (2-Door Mode1.s)” part doesn’t
apply to your vehicle.
To learn how to secure a child
restraint
in the right front seat, read the Canadian
Owner’s Manual Safety Belt Supplement. It comes with
every new Century first sold in Canada.
9,
To use a child restraint here, you will need a special
infantkhild seat attaching belt and the hardware that
goes with it. See the earlier part about the
top strap if the
child restraint has one.
Your dealer can order the belt and attaching hardware
and install the hardware for
you. It’s free. The special
belt is
GM Part No. 12340286. Your dealer can find the
part number for the correct attaching hardware in the
accessory section
of the GM Parts Catalog.
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A CAUTION:
Don’t use the speciaI infantlchild seat attaching
hardware in another vehicle.
If you do, it may not
work well and the child may not be protected
properly in
a crash. The special hardware is for
your vehicle only.
Also, don’t use the special belt for anything but
securing a child restraint in the right front seat.
If an adult or older child uses it, the belt won’t
provide protection and may even increase injury
in a crash.
Once the special hardware is installed, please follow the
instructions
with it and these steps: 1. Unbuckle the automatic lap-shoulder belt by
pushing the button on the buckle. It will stay on
the door, ready to be rebuckled
for use by adults or
older children.
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4. You can make the belt longer by tilting the buckle
5. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
and pulling
it along the belt.
for the child restraint.
6. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
The child restraint instructions will show you how.
7. Run the belt through or around the child restraint.
8. Put the hook on the free end through the slot in the
latch plate.
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