BUICK RAINIER 2004 User Guide

Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint 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.
The head restraints lock into place when raised.
To release the head restraint and lower it, press the tab
located on the top of the seatback.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Your vehicle has a 60/40 folding rear seat which lets
you fold the seatbacks down for more cargo space.
Pull up on the loop located where the seat cushion
meets the seatback to fold the seat cushion up and out
of the way. This will allow the seatback to fold at
and increase the cargo area.
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The rear seatback
levers are located on
the outboard side of
the rear seatbacks.
Pull the seatback toward you as you lift up on the lever.
The head restraint will automatically fold out of the
way when the seatback is folded down.
To raise the seatbacks, lift up the seatbacks and push
on them until they lock into the upright position.
Push and pull on the seatbacks to make sure that they
are latched securely. Then fold the bottom seat
cushion back into place.To return the head restraint to the upright position,
reach behind the seat and pull the restraint up until it
locks into place. Push and pull on the head restraint to
make sure that it is latched securely.
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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.
{CAUTION:
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.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in 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.
SeeSafety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-30.
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.
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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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Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
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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.
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Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — 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 youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater
if you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have
to wear safety belts?
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 workwith
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.
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.
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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, seeOlder Children on page 1-26
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-28. 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.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.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn’t long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-25.
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.
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5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
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.
The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
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