CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN 2003 1.G Owner's Guide

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, seeDriver Position on page 1-16.
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 shoulder 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.
Center Passenger Position
(2nd Row)
If your vehicle has a second row bench seat, someone
can sit in the center position. When you sit in the
center position in the second row bench seat, you have
a lap-shoulder belt which works the same way as the
rear seat outside passengers' belts. To learn how
to wear a lap-shoulder belt see, ªLap-Shoulder Beltº
under
Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-28.
1-25

Center Passenger Position
(3rd, 4th and 5th Row)Lap Belt
If your vehicle has third, fourth or ®fth row bench seats,
someone can sit in the center positions.
When you sit in a center seating position in the third,
fourth or ®fth row, you have a lap safety belt, which has
no retractor. To make the belt longer, tilt the latch
plate and pull it along the belt.
1-26

To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown
until the belt is snug.
Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap
part of a lap-shoulder belt. If the belt isn't long
enough, see
Safety Belt Extender on page 1-33.
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.
1-27

Rear Seat Passengers
It's very important for rear seat passengers to buckle
up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the
rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those
who are wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who aren't safety belted can be
thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike
others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
Here's how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1-28

1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
When the shoulder belt is pulled 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.If the belt is not long enough, see
Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-33.
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.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.
1-29

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 a crash.
{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 ®t against your body.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
1-30

Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Your vehicle may have this feature already. If it doesn't,
you can get it from any GM dealer.
Rear safety belt comfort guides will provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for small adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions
the belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide available for each outside passenger
position in the rear seats. To provide added safety
belt comfort for children who have outgrown child
restraints and booster seats and for smaller adults, the
comfort guides may be installed on the shoulder
belts. Here's how to install a comfort guide and use the
safety belt:
1. Locate the guide on the side of the seatback.
1-31

2. Place the guide over the belt and insert the
two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.3. Be sure the belt is not twisted and it lies ¯at. The
elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide
on top.
1-32

4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described inRear Seat Passengers on page 1-28.
Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the
shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the
belt edges together so that you can take them out of
the guides.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn't long enough to fasten, your
dealer will order you an extender. It's free. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so
the extender will be long enough for you. The extender
will be just for you, and just for the seat in your
vehicle that you choose. Don't let someone else use it,
and use it only for the seat it is made to ®t. To wear
it, just attach it to the regular safety belt.
1-33

Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle's safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should sit in a seating
position that has a lap-shoulder belt to get the additional
restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt
should ®t snugly below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. It should never be worn over
the abdomen, which could cause severe or even
fatal internal injuries in a crash.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
1-34