CADILLAC ELDORADO 1996 10.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job. In
a crash you
could
go into it, receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t
do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not
at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top of your ears.
This position
reduces the chance
of a neck injury in a crash.
The head restraints tilt forward and rearward also.
Seatback Latches
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
P
The front seatback folds
forward to let people get
into the
rear seat. The
seatback will move back
and forth freely unless you
come to a sudden stop, then
it will lock in place.
The seatback may not fold without some help from you
if
your vehicle is parked going down a fairly steep hill.
In
this case, push the seatback toward the rear as you lift
the latch. Then the seatback will fold forward. The latch
must be down for the seat to work properly.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Belts: They’re 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.
And
it explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
(SIR), or air bag system.
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. Your
vehicle
has a light that
comes on as a reminder
to
buckle up. (See “Safety Belt
Reminder Light” in the
Index.)
In most states and 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.
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
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 ...
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J

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 codcl 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 CUIZ unbuckle and get out, is tm4c-h 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 M-ith
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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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 Cadillac, 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.
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, 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
er n-It Tig"'--;s Adjus'-en
Your car has a shoulder belt tightness adjustment
feature.
If the shoulder belt seems too tight, adjust it
before you begin
to drive.
1. Sit well back in the seat.
2. Start pulling the shoulder belt out.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. Just before it reaches the end, give it a quick pull.
4. Let the belt go back all the way. You should hear a
slight clicking sound.
If you don’t, the adjustment
feature won’t set, and you’ll have to start again.
5. 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, pull out the
shoulder belt, or open your door, the belt will become
tight again. If this happens, you can reset
it.
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