CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 2004 Owner's Manual

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe – 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 youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater 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 workwith
safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the
use of 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.
Q: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 passengers 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.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
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 vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-29
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-31. 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.
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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 so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
The 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.
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, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-28.
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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5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.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,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
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Q:What’s wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
{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.
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Q:What’s wrong with this?
A:The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
{CAUTION:
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.
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Q:What’s wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{CAUTION:
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.
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Q:What’s wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across the body.
{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 x it.
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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.
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 don’t 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.
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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.
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 Passenger Positions
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Lap-Shoulder Belt
All rear seating positions have lap-shoulder belts. Here’s
how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
The 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.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, it will
lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and start
again. If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-28. 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.
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