belt BUICK PARK AVENUE 1993 User Guide

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3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
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. The lap
part of the belt should be low and snug below
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.
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The safety belt locks if there's a sudden stop or a crash.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster E
You can move the shoulder belt adjuster to the height
that is right for you.
To move it up or down, squeeze the release handle.
When
you release the handle, try to move it down a
to make sure it has locked into position. little
You can move the adjuster up
from a lower position by
pushing the bottom of the release handle.
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.^.
To help you find a height that is right for you, follow
these guidelines:
For a tall person: Use the upper or upper-middle
position.
For a person
of average height: Use a position
somewhere
in the middle.
For a short person: Use the lower
or lower-middle
position.
Adjust the height
so that the shoulder portion of the belt
is properly positioned on your shoulder, away from your
face and neck.
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@ What’s wrong with this?
P
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A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
A CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt
too loose. In a crash yow would move fowuard
too much, which could Increase hjury. The
shoulder belt should fit against your body.
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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.
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
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A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder
at all times.
A CAUTION:
I
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm.
In a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force to the
ribs, which aren't
as strong as shoulder bones.
You could also severely injure internal organs
like your liver or spleen.
. I*.,,.
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e." What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
A CAUTION:
You 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.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should
go back out of the way.
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Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the
way.
If you slam the door on it, you can damage both
the belt
and your vehicle.
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
System/Supplemental Restraint
System
(Air Bag)
This section explains the driver's Supplemental
Inflatable Restraint (SIR)/Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) system, commonly referred to as an air
bag. Here are the most important things to know:
A CAUTION:
I
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 hot designed
to inflate in rallovers or in rear, slde or low-speed
frsntal crashes. You need to wear your safety
belt to reduce the chance of hitting things insJde
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 “INFL REST” or “INFLATABLE
RESTRAINT”. The system checks itself and the light
tells you
if there is a problem.
INFLATABLE INFL.
RESTRAINT
REST.
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.
A CAUTION:
F 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.
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What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal impact of sufficient severity, sensors
strategically located
on the vehicle detect that the
vehicle is suddenly stopping as a result
of a crash. These
sensors complete an electrical circuit, triggering a
chemical reaction
of the sodium azide sealed in the
inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen gas, which
inflates the cloth bag. The inflator, cloth bag, and related
hardware are all part of the air bag inflator module
packed inside the steering wheel.
How does an air bag restrain?
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.
What will you see after an air bag inflation?
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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