CHEVROLET MALIBU 2008 6.G User Guide

Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
Head Restraints
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is at the same height as the top of the occupant’s head.
This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in
a crash.
1-7

Pull the restraint up to
raise it. To lower the head
restraint, press the
button, located on the top
of the seatback, and
push the restraint down.
The rear seat head rests are also adjustable.Power Lift Seat
To adjust a power lift seat, press the top or bottom of
the power lift seat switch to raise or lower the seat.
1-8

Rear Seats
Split Folding Rear Seat
With this feature, you can fold either side of the seatback
down for more cargo space. Make sure the front seat
is not reclined. If it is, the rear seatback will not fold
down all the way.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
To lower the rear seatback, pull up on the seatback
strap while folding the seatback down. This allows
access to the trunk.
1-9

To raise the rear seatback pull the seatback up and
make sure it latches. Push and pull on the seatback to
be sure it is locked in position. Make sure that the
safety belts are properly stowed over the seatback in all
three positions.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
When the seat is not in use, it should be kept in the
upright locked position.
1-10

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This section of the manual describes how to use
safety belts properly. It also describes some things not
to do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash
and you are not wearing a safety belt, your
injuries can be much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be ejected from it
and be seriously injured or killed. In the same
crash, you might not be, if you are buckled up.
Always fasten your safety belt, and check that
your passenger(s) are restrained properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
This vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle the
safety belts. SeeSafety Belt Reminders on page 3-33
for additional information.
1-11

In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without safety belts, they could have
been badly hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on
wheels.
1-12

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
1-13

The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...or the instrument panel...
1-14

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About Safety
Belts
Q: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.
1-15

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.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This 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 1-31or
Infants and Young Children on page 1-34. 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.
1-16