child seat BUICK CENTURY 1998 Owner's Manual

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Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you'll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts.
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-2 Seats and Seat Controls
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-8 Safety Belts: They're for Everyone
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-12 Here are Questions Many People Ask About
Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
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-13 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
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-13 Driver Position
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-20 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
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-21 Right Front Passenger Position
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-21 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
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-28 Center Passenger Position1
-29 Rear Seat Passengers
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-33 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults
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-36 Children
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-39 Child Restraints
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-52 Larger Children
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-55 Safety Belt Extender
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-55 Checking Your Restraint Systems
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-56 Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash

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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
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 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 ªChildren.º
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. The shoulder portion
of the belt has an energy management loop. It is
designed to open and help protect you in certain crashes.
If it opens, you will see a label on the safety belt that
says to replace the belt. Be sure to do so. If you don't,
the safety belt won't work properly and won't protect
you in another crash. For more information on replacing
safety belts after a crash, see ªReplacing Safety Beltsº in
the Index.
Here's how to wear the lap
-shoulder belt properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see ªSeatsº in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.

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Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides will provide added
safety belt comfort for children who have outgrown
child restraints and for small adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide pulls the belt away
from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each outside passenger position in
the rear seat. To provide added safety belt comfort for
children who have outgrown child restraints and for
smaller adults, the comfort guides may be installed on
the shoulder belts. Here's how to install a comfort guide
and use the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the edge of
the seatback and the interior body to remove the
guide from its storage clip.

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A forward-facing child restraint (C-E) positions a
child upright to face forward in the vehicle. These
forward
-facing restraints are designed to help protect
children who are from 20 to 40 lbs. (9 to 18 kg) and
about 26 to 40 inches (66 to 102 cm) in height, or up
to around four years of age. One type, a convertible
restraint, is designed to be used either as a rear
-facing
infant seat or a forward
-facing child seat.

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A booster seat (F, G) is designed for children who
are about 40 to 60 lbs., or even up to 80 lbs.
(18 to 27 kg, or even up to 36 kg), and about four
to eight years of age. A booster seat is designed to
improve the fit of the vehicle's safety belt system.
Booster seats with shields use lap
-only belts;
however, booster seats without shields use
lap
-shoulder belts. Booster seats can also
help a child to see out the window.

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When choosing a child restraint, 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. Both the owner's
manual and the child restraint instructions are important,
so if either one of these is not available, obtain a
replacement copy from the manufacturer.
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. Never put a rear
-facing
child restraint in the front passenger seat. Here's why:
CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger's air bag inflates, even though your
vehicle has Next Generation frontal air bags. This
is because the back of the rear
-facing child
restraint would be very close to the inflating air
bag. Always secure a rear
-facing child restraint
in a rear seat.
You may secure a forward-facing child restraint
in the right front seat, but before you do, always
move the front passenger seat as far back as it
will go. It's better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.

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CAUTION:
A child in a child restraint in the center front seat
can be badly injured or killed by the right front
passenger air bag if it inflates, even though your
vehicle has Next Generation frontal air bags.
Never secure a child restraint in the center front
seat. It's always better to secure a child restraint
in the rear seat. You may secure a forward
-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger seat,
but before you do, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go. It's better
to secure the child restraint in a rear seat.
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
Canadian law requires that forward-facing child restraints
have a top strap, and that the strap be anchored.

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If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. If you need to have an anchor installed, your
dealer can obtain a kit with anchor hardware and
installation instructions specifically designed for this
vehicle. The dealer can then install the anchor for you.
This work will be done for you free of charge. Or, you
may install the anchor yourself using the instructions
provided in the kit.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
You'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one. Be sure
to follow the instructions that came with the child
restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and
as the instructions say.
1. Put the restraint on the seat.2. 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.
3. 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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1-47 Securing a Child Restraint in the Center
Rear Seat Position
You'll be using the lap belt. Be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when and as the
instructions say.
CAUTION:
A child in a child restraint in the center front seat
can be badly injured or killed by the right front
passenger air bag if it inflates even though your
vehicle has Next Generation frontal air bags.
Never secure a child restraint in the center front
seat. It's always better to secure a child restraint
in the rear seat. You may secure a forward
-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger seat,
but before you do, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go. It's better
to secure the child restraint in a rear seat.
See the earlier part about the top strap if the child
restraint has one.

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1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling it along the belt.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Run the vehicle's safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.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 its free end while you push
down on the child restraint. If you're using a
forward
-facing child restraint, you may find it
helpful to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.