CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1996 4.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety B,elts -- 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.
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
o f
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 passenger 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 Corvette, 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, &us 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.
=,ap Belt Cinch Featul
If you do not want the lap belt to move freely, push the
CINCH button. To loosen the belt, unbuckle it, let it
retract, and buckle up again.
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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.
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?
lb
WTION:
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.
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
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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.
I
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?
I
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.
1-16

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.
Air Bag System
This part explains the air bag system.
Your Corvette has two air bags
-- one air bag for the
driver and another air bag for the passenger.
Here
are the most important things to know about the air
1
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 your safety 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 crashes where the front of your vehicle
hits
something. They aren’t designed to inflate at all in
rollover, rear, side or low-speed frontal crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle, including the driver,
should wear a safety belt properly
-- whether or
not there’s an air bag for that person.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine e
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 in 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.
e
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 “Children” and the caution label on the
passenger’s safety belt.
AIR
BAG
There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR
BAG.
The system checks the air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there
is an electrical
problem. See “Air Bag Readiness Light” in the Index
for more information.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
How the Air Bag System Works
The passenger’s air bag is in the instrument panel on the
passenger’s side.
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel.