CHEVROLET OPTRA 2004 1.G User Guide

Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, lift
the lever located on the
outboard side of the
seat and move the
seatback to where you
want it.Release the lever and push rearward on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.
Pull up on the lever without pushing on the seatback
and the seatback will go to an upright position.
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But do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can not do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can not do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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CAUTION: (Continued)
The lap belt can not do its job either. In a
crash the belt could go up over your abdomen.
The belt forces would be there, not at your
pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chances of a neck injury in a crash.
Pull up the head restraint in order to adjust the position
upward.
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Push in the release button in order to adjust the position
downward.
The rear head restraints may also be adjusted. Push in
the release button and move the head restraint to
the desired position.
To remove the head restraint, pull the head restraint all
the way up. Then push in the release button and lift
the head restraint from the guide sleeve.
Replace the head restraint and reset it in the original
position before driving.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Folding the Seatback
Your vehicle has rear seatbacks that can be folded
down to increase cargo space.
To fold down the seatback, do the following:
1. Push the rear head restraints as far down as
possible.
2. Press down on the
release button located
on top of the rear
seatback.
3. Fold the rear seatback forward and down.
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{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
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
{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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
To return the seatback to the upright position, do the
following:
1. Lift up the seatback and push it to its original
position. Ensure that the safety belts are not twisted
or caught under the seatback.
2. Push rearward firmly on the top of the seatback
until it latches securely in the fully upright position.
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Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she can not
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 or be ejected from it.
You can 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 passengers’ belts are
fastened 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.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
SeeSafety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-28.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here’s why:They work.
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You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 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’s just a seat on
wheels.
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Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...or the instrument panel...
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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’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
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.
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