CHEVROLET PRIZM 1998 3.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To raise the seatback:
1. Pull the seatback up and push it back to lock it into
place. Make sure the safety belts are not twisted or
caught in the seatback.
2. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it is
locked into position.
3. Reconnect the center seat belt.
Safety Belts: They’re 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.
And it explains the air bag system.
/1 CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear
a safety belt properly.
If you are in a crash and
you’re 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine c-
It is extremely ( lgerous 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. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
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!
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
I
I I
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels. Put
someone on it.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop. The
person keeps going until stopped by something.
In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine or the instrument panel ... 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
@’ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You cuuld be -- 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
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
@ If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
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 work with
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.
wear safety belts?
@’ 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
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, see the part
of this
manual called “Children.” 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.
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 (to see how, see “Seats” in the
Index)
so you can sit up straight.
I
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, see “Safety Belt
Extender” at the end
of this section.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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 crash, or
if you pull the belt very quickly out
of the retractor.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster v "
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that is right for you.
To move it down, squeeze the release button and move
the adjuster to the desired position. You can move the
adjuster up just by pushing up on the shoulder belt
guide. After you move the adjuster to where you want
it,
try to move it down without squeezing the release
button to make sure
it has locked into position.
Adjust the height
so that the shoulder portion of the
belt is centered
on your shoulder. The belt should be
away from your face and neck, but not falling off
your shoulder.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @ What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
You can be seriously hurt if you ihoulc 0 belt is
too loose. In a crash, you would move forward
too much, which could increase injury. The
shoulder belt should fit against your body.