belt CHEVROLET HHR 2011 1.G Owner's Manual

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across the body.
{WARNING:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a
crash, you would not 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.
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Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle have a
lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain how to wear a
lap-shoulder belt properly.1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats”in the
Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a passenger belt is pulled
out all the way, the child restraint locking feature
may be engaged. If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.
3. 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 is not long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page 2‑33.
Position the release button on the buckle so that
the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster” later in this section
for use and important safety information.
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Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on theshoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety
belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap
belt on smaller occupants.To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle. The
belt should return to its stowed position.
Before a door is closed, be sure the safety belt is out of
the way. If a door is slammed against a safety belt,
damage can occur to both the safety belt and the
vehicle.
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Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger seating positions.
Adjust the height so the shoulder portion of the belt is
on the shoulder and not falling off of it. The belt should
be close to, but not contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. SeeHow to
Wear Safety Belts Properly on page 2‑19.
Push down on the release
button (A) and move the
height adjuster to the
desired position. The
adjuster can be moved up
by pushing the release
button up on the shoulder
belt guide.
After the height adjuster is set to the desired position,
try to move it down without pressing the release button
to make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they are part of the
safety belt assembly. They can help tighten the safety
belts during the early stages of a moderate to severe
frontal or near frontal crash if the threshold conditions
for pretensioner activation are met. And, if the vehicle
has side impact airbags, safety belt pretensioners can
help tighten the safety belts in a side crash and rear
events.
Pretensioners work only once. If the pretensioners
activate in a crash, They will need to be replaced, and
probably other new parts for the vehicle's safety belt
system. See Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash on page 2‑74
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Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
This vehicle may have rear shoulder belt comfort guides
for each outboard passenger position in the rear seat.
If not, they are available through your dealer. The
guides may provide added safety belt comfort for older
children who have outgrown booster seats and for some
adults. When installed and properly adjusted, the
comfort guide positions the shoulder belt away from the
neck and head.
Here is how to install a comfort guide to the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the edge ofthe seatback and the interior body to remove the
guide from its storage clip.
2. Place the guide over the belt and insert thetwo edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.
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Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.The elastic cord must be under the belt and the
guide on top.
{WARNING:
A safety belt that is not properly worn may not
provide the protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
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.
4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt asdescribed previously in this section. Make sure the
shoulder portion of the belt is on the shoulder and
not falling off of it. The belt should be close to, but
not contacting, the neck.
To remove and store the comfort guide, squeeze the
belt edges together so that the safety belt can be
removed from the guide. Pull the guide upward to
expose its storage clip, and then slide the guide onto
the clip. Turn the guide and clip inward and slide them
in between the seatback and the interior body, leaving
only the loop of the elastic cord exposed.
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Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
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 do not 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.
The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more
likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer will
order you an extender. When you go in to order it, take
the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid personal injury, do
not let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat
it is made to fit. The extender has been designed for
adults. Never use it for securing child seats. To wear it,
attach it to the regular safety belt. For more information,
see the instruction sheet that comes with the extender.
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Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle's safety belts.
The manufacturer's instructions that come with the
booster seat state the weight and height limitations for
that booster. Use a booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt
until the child passes the below fit test:
.Sit all the way back on the seat. Do the knees
bend at the seat edge? If yes, continue. If no,
return to the booster seat.
.Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does the shoulder
belt rest on the shoulder? If yes, continue. If no, try
using the rear safety belt comfort guide. See“Rear
Safety Belt Comfort Guides” underLap-Shoulder
Belt
on page 2‑28for more information. If the
shoulder belt still does not rest on the shoulder,
then return to the booster seat.
.Does the lap belt fit low and snug on the hips,
touching the thighs? If yes, continue. If no, return
to the booster seat.
.Can proper safety belt fit be maintained for the
length of the trip? If yes, continue. If no, return to
the booster seat.
.If you have the choice, a child should sit in a
position with a lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
Q: What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A: 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 fit snugly below the
hips, just touching the top of the thighs. This applies
belt force to the child's pelvic bones in a crash.
It should never be worn over the abdomen, which
could cause severe or even fatal internal injuries in
a crash.
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Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Also see“Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides” under
Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 2‑28.
According to accident statistics, children and infants are
safer when properly restrained in a child restraint
system or infant restraint system secured in a rear
seating position.
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.
{WARNING:
Never do this.
Never allow two children to wear the same safety
belt. The safety belt can not properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, the two children can be
crushed together and seriously injured. A safety
belt must be used by only one person at a time.
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Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
Never do this.
Never allow a child to wear the safety belt with the
shoulder belt behind their back. A child can be
seriously injured by not wearing the lap-shoulder
belt properly. In a crash, the child would not be
restrained by the shoulder belt. The child could
move too far forward increasing the chance of
head and neck injury. The child might also slide
under the lap belt. The belt force would then be
applied right on the abdomen. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should
go over the shoulder and across the chest.
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province says children up to some age must
be restrained while in a vehicle.
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