CADILLAC SEVILLE 1998 4.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine . ..
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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 couEd 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
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.
wear safety belts?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @ If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
home, why should I wear safety belts?
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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. Pick up the latch plate and ~ull the belt across you.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Don’t
let it get
twisted.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If
the belt isn’t long enough, see “Safety Belt
Extender” in the Index.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
When you move a front seat head restraint, the shoulder
belt height changes. See “Head Restraints’’ in the Index.
@ What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
uu
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
' A 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.
I

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @ What’s wrong with this?
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.
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be
worn over the shoulder at all times.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s wrong with this? 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. 1
I
A: The belt is twisted across the body.

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.
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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” in the Index.
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 lap 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.
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
(SIR) Systems
This part explains the frontal and side impact
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) systems or air
bag systems.
Your vehicle has four air bags -- a “Next Generation”
frontal air bag for the driver, another “Next Generation”
frontal air bag for the right front passenger, a side
impact air bag for the driver, and another side impact air
bag for the right front passenger. Next Generation
frontal air bags are designed to help reduce the risk of
injury from the force of an inflating frontal air bag. But
even these air bags must inflate very quickly if they
are
to do their job and comply with federal regulations.
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