CHEVROLET S10 1996 2.G Owner's Manual

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 could 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.
Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will
wear safety belts?
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.
&.’ 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.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Don’t let it get twisted.
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.
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s wrong with this?
I I
I
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 against your body.
I I
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as
much protection this way.
,’ 4,;
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine &.' What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
4 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine &: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be
worn over the shoulder at all times.
k CAU’ION:
F-
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @' What's wrong with this?
I
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
fix it.
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
~
Supplemental Inflatable
Restraint
(SIR) System
This part explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
(SIR) system or air bag system.
Your vehicle has an air bag for the driver.
Here
are the most ’important things to know about the
air
bag system:
g:
.-
I
CA
-
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you aren’t wearing your safety .belt
-- even if you
have an
air bag. Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things
inside
the vehicle or being ejected from it. The. air
bag is only a “supplemental restraint.” That is, it
works with safety belts but doesn’t replace them.
CAUTION: (Continued)

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine P A 1 TTTf
Air bags are designed to work only in moderate to
severe crashes where the front of your vehicle hits
something. They aren’t designed to inflate at all in
rollover, rear, side or low-speed frontal crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle, including the driver,
should wear a safety belt properly
-- whether or
not there’s an air bag for that person.
A CArTTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye.
If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position for
an air bag inflation
in a crash.
Always wear your safety belt, even
with an air bag, and sit as far back as you can
while still maintaining control of your vehicle. There
is. an air
bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR
BAG
The system checks the air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells
you if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air Bag Readiness Light’’
in the Index
for more information.
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