belt BUICK RANDEZVOUS 2003 Owner's Guide

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
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety
belt properly, seeDriver Position on page 1-24.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt–except for one thing.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch
plate and keep pulling until you can buckle the belt.
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Rear Seat Passengers
It’s very important for rear seat passengers to buckle
up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the
rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those
who are wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who aren’t safety belted can be
thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike
others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
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Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-44.
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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3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.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 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, or if you pull the belt very quickly out of
the retractor.
Each position next to the windows in the second
row has a shoulder belt height adjuster. Move
the shoulder belt adjuster to the height that is right
for you.
To move it down, push down on the button and
move the height adjuster to the desired position.
You can move the height adjuster up just by pushing
up on the shoulder belt guide. After you move the
adjuster to where you want it, try to move it
down without pushing the button down to make
sure it has locked into position.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the
belt is centered on your shoulder. The belt should
be away from your face and neck, but not falling off
your shoulder.
{CAUTION:
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.
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Center Rear Passenger Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
If your vehicle has a bench seat, someone can sit in the
center position.
When you sit in the center seating position, you have a
lap safety belt, which has no retractor. You also
have a shoulder belt, which has a retractor. In order to
have the protection of the shoulder belt, you must
first connect it to the lap belt.1. Remove the shoulder belt from its stowage
location in the roof and pull it all the way down to
the lap belt.
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2. Insert the metal knob on the shoulder belt into the
keyhole on the lap belt buckle as shown. Be sure to
slide the shoulder belt part into the keyhole until
it locks into place.3. To make the lap belt longer, tilt the latch plate and
pull it along the belt.
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To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown
until the belt is snug
4. Buckle, position and release the lap-shoulder belt
the same way as the other lap-shoulder belts. If
the belt isn’t long enough, seeSafety Belt Extender
on page 1-44.
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.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Your vehicle may have this feature already. If it doesn’t,
you can get it from any GM Dealer.
This feature will provide added safety belt comfort for
older children who have outgrown booster seats and for
small adults. When installed on a shoulder belt, the
comfort guide better positions the belt away from
the neck and head.
There is one guide available for each passenger
position in the second row rear seat. To provide added
safety belt comfort for children who have outgrown
child restraints and booster seats 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:
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For second row outside positions do the following:
1. Remove the guide from its storage clip located on
the sidewall next to the outer side of each outside
passenger position.2. Place the guide over the belt and insert the two
edges of the belt into the slots of the guide. Second Row Outside Positions
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3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it liesflat.
The guide must be on top of the belt.4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described inRear Seat Passengers on page 1-34.
Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the
shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the
belt edges together so that you can take them out of the
guides. Pull the guide upward to expose its storage
clip, and then slide the guide onto the clip. Turn
the guide and the clip inward, leaving only the loop of
elastic cord exposed.
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