CADILLAC DEVILLE 2000 8.G Owner's Manual

1-10 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.
Put someone on it.

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Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...

1-12
or the instrument panel ...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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Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
Q:
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.
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 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.
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.

1-14
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. Here's how to wear
it 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.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted.
The lap
-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.

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4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Be sure to use the correct buckle when buckling your
lap
-shoulder belt. If you find that the latch plate will
not go fully into the buckle, see if you are using the
buckle for the center passenger position.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn't long enough, see ªSafety Belt
Extenderº 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.
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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Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that is right for you.To move it down, press down on the power seat recline
control and move the height adjuster to the desired
position. You can move the adjuster up just by pushing
up on the power seat recline control. After you move the
adjuster to where you want it, try to move it down
without pushing the power seat recline control 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.
Shoulder Belt Tightness Adjustment
Your vehicle may have a shoulder belt tightness
adjustment feature. You can tell if your vehicle has this
feature by following the steps below. If you can add a
small amount of slack, your vehicle has this feature. If
the shoulder belt seems too tight, adjust it before you
begin to drive.
1. Sit well back in the seat.
2. Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor.
3. Let the belt go back all the way.

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4. Now you can add a small amount of slack. Lean
forward slightly, then sit back. If you've added more
than 1 inch (25 mm) of slack, pull the shoulder belt
out as you did before and start again.If you move around in the vehicle enough, or if you pull
out the shoulder belt, the belt will become tight again. If
this happens, you can reset it.
CAUTION:
For many people, it takes two hands to adjust the
shoulder belt for tightness because a lot of
webbing must be pulled out. If you ever tried to
do this while driving, you could lose control of the
vehicle. Adjust your shoulder belt for tightness
only when your vehicle isn't moving.

1-18
Q:What's wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is too loose. It won't give nearly
as much protection this way.
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. Don't
allow more than 1 inch (25 mm) of slack.

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Q:What's wrong with this?
A:The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
CAUTION:
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.