belt CHEVROLET CAMARO 1996 4.G User Guide

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.
On convertible models, the safety belt also locks if
you
pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
1-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
A CAUTION:
I
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.
1-15

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.
1-16

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 CAUTION:
3 i.. . d -
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 &.’ What’s wrong with this?
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.
1-18

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.
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
(SIR) System
This part explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
(SIR) system or air bag system.
Your Chevrolet has two air bags
-- one air bag for the
driver and another air bag for the right front passenger.
1-19

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are the most important things to know about the air
bag system:
-
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you aren’t wearing your safety belt -- even if you
have an
air bag. Wearing yourmfety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things
inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. The air
bag is only a “supplemental restraint.” That is, it
works with safety belts but doesn’t replace them.
-Air bags are designed to work only in moderate to
severe
crash& where the front of your vehicle hits
something. They aren’t designed to Mate at all in
rollover,
rear, side or low-speed fmntal mashes.
Everyone in
your vehicle, including the driver,
should wear a safety belt properly -- whether or
not there’s an
air bag for that person.
A CAUT’ON:
I
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink
of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag,
it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you
@ position for an air bag inflation
in a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even-
with an
air bag. The driver should sit as far back
as possible while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
I
A CAUTION:
A
An inflating air bag can seriously injure small
children. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle.
To read how, see the part of this manual
called C4Children” and the caution label on the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
1-20

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When should an air bag inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed
is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.” If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
9 to 15 mph ( 14 to 24 km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range.
If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash,
no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation
is determined by the angle of the impact and
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one
indication of this.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity,
the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is
suddenly stopping as a result
of a crash. The sensing
system triggers
a chemical reaction of the sodium azide
sealed in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen
gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and
related hardware are all part
of the air bag modules
packed inside the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel in front of the right front passenger.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the steering wheel or the
instrument panel. The air bag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force
of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually.
But air bags would
not help
you in many types of collisions, including
rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion is not toward the air bag. Air bags
should never be regarded as anything more than a
supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
1-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
e
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module, which records information about
the air bag system. The module records information
about the readiness of the system, when the
sensors are activated and driver’s safety belt usage
at deployment.
Let
only qualified technicians work on your air
bag system. Improper service can mean that your
air bag system won’t work properly. See your dealer
for service.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, they may not
work properly. You may have
to replace the air
bag module in the steering wheel or both the air
bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s air bag.
Do not open or
break the air bag covers.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Chevrolet
Air bags affect how your Chevrolet should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle.
You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
Chevrolet dealer and the Camaro Service Manual have
information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag
system.
To purchase a service manual, see “Service and
Owner Publications” in the Index.
I
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured if you are close to
an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow connectors. They are probably part of
the air bag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualified to do
so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
1-25

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. 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 malung
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt. See “Driver Position,”
earlier
in this section.
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.
1-26