CADILLAC CATERA 1998 1.G Owner's Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
@ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing
a safety belt?
A: You could be -- 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
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you
are belted.
@ 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 work with
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.
&: 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 “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.
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 (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
A
3.
4.
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.
Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
1-19

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
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 is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to. .
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end
of the belt as you 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine moulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that is right for you.
10 move it down, push in and move the height adjuster
to the desired position.
You can move the adjuster up
just
by pushing up on the bottom of the height adjuster.
After you move the adjuster to where you want
it, try to
move it down without pushing in 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.
1-21

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine a: What's wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won't give nearly
as much protection this way.
- -
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @ What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
-
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @' What's wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
A CAUT-3N:
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q: What's wrong with this?
1 I f I I I I I I I 1 J
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 spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted,
make it straight
so it can work properly, or ask
your dealer to fix it.
I I

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should
go back out of the way.
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.
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they don’t wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below
the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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, see “Driver Position” earlier in
this section.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt
-- except for one thing.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all
the way,
you will engage the child restraint locking
feature.
If this happens, just let the belt go back all
the way and start again.
Air Bag Systems
This part explains the frontal and side impact air
bag systems.
Your vehicle has air bags
-- a “Next Generation” frontal
air bag for the driver and another “Next Generation”
reduced-force frontal air bag for the right front
passenger. Your vehicle may also have side impact air
bags
-- a side impact air bag for the driver and another
side impact air bag for the right front passenger.
If your vehicle has
side impact
air bags, it
will say AIR BAG on
the air bag covering on
the side of the driver’s
and right front
passenger’s seatback closest to the door.