belt CHEVROLET IMPALA 2010 9.G User Guide

Questions and Answers About
Safety BeltsQ:
Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if I
am wearing a safety belt?
A:
Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so youcanunbuckle
and get out, ismuchgreater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are
upside down.
Q:
If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:
Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they
workwithsafety belts — not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants
still have to buckle up to get the most protection.
That is true not only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other collisions.
Q:
If I am 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 are in a
crash — even one that is not your fault — you and
your passenger(s) can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not 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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How to Wear Safety Belts ProperlyThis section 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 infants. If a child will be
riding in the vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 2-32
orInfants and Young Children on page 2-35. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants to buckle up.
Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out
of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety
belt, there is important information you should know.
Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the floor in
front of you. 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
would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid
under it, the belt would apply force on 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 shoulder belt locks if there is a sudden stop or
crash.
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Q:
What is wrong with this?
A:
The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give as
much protection this way.
{
WARNING:
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 snugly against your body.
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Q:
What is wrong with this?
A:
The lap belt is too loose. It will not give nearly as
much protection this way.
{
WARNING:
You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt is too
loose. In a crash, you could slide under the lap
belt and apply force on your abdomen. This could
cause serious or even fatal injuries. The lap belt
should be worn low and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs.
2-19

Q:
What is wrong with this?
A:
The belt is buckled in the wrong buckle.
{
WARNING:
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 on the pelvic bones. This
could cause serious internal injuries. Always
buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.
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Q:
What is wrong with this?
A:
The belt is over an armrest.
{
WARNING:
You can be seriously injured if your belt goes over
an armrest like this. The belt would be much too
high. In a crash, you can slide under the belt. The
belt force would then be applied on the abdomen,
not on the pelvic bones, and that could cause
serious or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes
under the armrests.
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Q:
What is wrong with this?
A:
The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{
WARNING:
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 are not as strong as shoulder bones. You
could also severely injure internal organs like your
liver or spleen. The shoulder belt should go over
the shoulder and across the chest.
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Q:
What is wrong with this?
A:
The belt is behind the body.
{
WARNING:
You can be seriously injured by not wearing the
lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, you would
not be restrained by the shoulder belt. Your body
could move too far forward increasing the chance
of head and neck injury. You 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.
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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/retailer to fix it.
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Lap-Shoulder BeltAll seating positions in the vehicle have a lap-shoulder
except for the center front passenger position, if
your vehicle has one, which has a lap belt. SeeLap
Belt on page 2-30for more information.
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.
Engaging the child restraint locking feature in the
right front seating position may affect the passenger
sensing system. SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 2-66.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If the latch plate will not go fully into the buckle,
check if the correct buckle is being used.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 2-31.
Position the release button on the buckle so that
the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
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