CHEVROLET S10 1998 Owner's Manual

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Why Safety Belts. Work
Wen you xi& in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take :.the .$implest -vehicle. Suppose its just a seat
on wheels.
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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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orthe instrument panel ,,. or the safety belts !
With safety belts, you slow-do.wri as the vehicle does.
You-get
m-ore time.to stop. Yau st0.p over more distance,
-and ya.w.strongest bones take the fmces. That% why
s-afety belts make such goad. sen-se.
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How to Wear Sa.fety Belts Prop.e,rIy
Adults
Fist, ym'U want to know which reatmint systems your
vehicle has.;
We'll .start with the driver pasition.
Driv-er Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The. driver.has allap-shoulder belt. Here's haw to wear
it properly.
1. Close :and lock the. doox.
2. Adjwt the seat (to se:e how, see '4Seats'" in the Index)
SD you cansit up straight.
3. Pick up the latch plateand pull the. belt across you.
Don't let it .get.twisted,
The .shoulder beit may- lock. -if you pull the belt-across;:
.you very .quickly. If this happens, let. the belt go back
- slightly to. unIock it;. Then pull the: belt across .you
more Slowly.
4. Push the latch plateinto the bu&?.e.until it clicks.
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Pull up on ihe.latch plate to make sure -it -is secure.
If the. belt isnyt. long enough, see “Safety Belt
Ewtender’kt the end o€.this section.
Make sufe the release button oh ihe- buckle is-
positiofied so you would be able to unbuckle the
:safety .belt quiCkly if you ever had t.0.
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toa loose. In a wash, you would move fimward
too much,. which. c.auld.increase injury. The
shouIder belt should fit against pur ba-dy.
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Q.: .. m rt9s; wrong.wiih this? L
CAU
You:can De sermusly mpred if your belt is
buckled in the wrong place like this, In a
wash, the belt would go up gver your abdom6n.
.The- belt.'forces would b.e there;not at the
peIvie~ bones. This could cause: serious internal
mpries.
Always bgckle -your belt-into the -bucklel .e .. .
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&; What's wrong with this?
3hu can. loe seriously :injured if yau wear the
shoulder-.belt under .your .arm. &-a crash, your
body would move too %ar .forward, which would
inereas.&
the chance of head and neck-injury.
Aka, the belt. would apply too- much force to. the
ribs, which aren't :as strong as shoulder bones.
You could also severely .injure.intetn,d organs
like
your Ifver or :spleen.
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Q: What’s wrong.with this?
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.
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