seats GMC CANYON 2004 User Guide

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 1-31orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-34. 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 is 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.
1-16

{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.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Your vehicle may have rear safety belt comfort guides
for the rear outside positions.
Rear safety belt comfort guides provide added safety
belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for small adults. When attached to a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions the
belt away from the neck and head.
Here is how to attach the comfort guide to the
shoulder belt.
1. Slide the guide off of its storage clip located
between the interior body and the seatback.
1-28

Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
If you have a choice, a child should sit in a seat that
has a lap-shoulder belt to get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint
a shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt
should t snugly below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. It should never be worn over
the abdomen, which could cause severe or even
fatal internal injuries in a crash.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in a rear seat.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
1-31

A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to
improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Some
booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and
some high-back booster seats have a ve-point harness.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window.
Q:How do child restraints work?
A:A child restraint system is any device designed for
use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position
children. A built-in child restraint system is a
permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add-on
child restraint system is a portable one, which
is purchased by the vehicle’s owner.
For many years, add-on child restraints have used
the adult belt system in the vehicle. To help reduce
the chance of injury, the child also has to be secured
within the restraint. The vehicle’s belt system secures
the add-on child restraint in the vehicle, and the
add-on child restraint’s harness system holds the
child in place within the restraint.
One system, the three-point harness, has straps that
come down over each of the infant’s shoulders and
buckle together at the crotch. The ve-point harness
system has two shoulder straps, two hip straps and a
crotch strap. A shield may take the place of hip
straps. A T-shaped shield has shoulder straps that
are attached to a at pad which rests low against the
child’s body. A shelf- or armrest-type shield has
straps that are attached to a wide, shelf-like shield
that swings up or to the side.
1-39

Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
for Children (LATCH System)
Your vehicle may be equipped with the LATCH System.
If it is you will nd anchors (A) in the second row
outboard seating positions (crew cab and extended cab)
and in the front passenger position (regular cab and
extended cab without rear seats).
This system, designed to make installation of child
restraints easier, does not use the vehicle’s safety belts.
Instead, it uses vehicle anchors (A, B) and child
restraint attachments to secure the restraints. Some
restraints also use another vehicle anchor to secure a
top tether strap (C).
1-46

Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH System
(Models with an Air Bag Off Switch)
Regular Cab Models and Extended
Cab Models without Rear Seats
Your vehicle has air bags. Regular cab models and
extended cab models without rear seats have an air bag
off switch on the instrument panel you can use to turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal air bag. SeeAir Bag
Off Switch on page 1-70for more on this including
important safety information.Unless the right front passenger’s frontal air bag has
been turned off,neverput a rear-facing child restraint in
this vehicle. Here is why:
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s frontal air bag inates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the inating
air bag. Do not use a rear-facing child restraint
in this vehicle unless the air bag has been
turned off.
Even though the air bag off switch is designed
to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal
air bag, no system is fail-safe, and no one can
guarantee that an air bag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance, even though it is
turned off. We recommend that rear-facing
child restraints be transported in vehicles with
a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing
child restraint, whenever possible.
1-48

{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the air bag, it means
that something may be wrong with the air bag
system. The right front passenger’s frontal air
bag could inate even though the switch is off.
If this ever happens, do not let anyone whom
the national government has identied as a
member of a passenger air bag risk group sit
in the right front passenger’s position (for
example, do not secure a rear-facing child
restraint in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced. SeeAir Bag Off Switch on
page 1-70.1. Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s frontal air
bag. SeeAir Bag Off Switch on page 1-70. If your
child restraint is forward-facing, always move the
seat as far back as it will go before securing it in this
seat. SeeManual Seats on page 1-3orPower Seats
on page 1-4. Never use a rear-facing child restraint in
this seat unless the air bag is off.
2. Find the LATCH anchorages in the passenger seat.
SeeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-46.
3. Put the child restraint on the seat.
4. Attach and tighten the LATCH attachments on the
child restraint to the LATCH anchorages in the
vehicle. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
1-49

Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System (Models
without an Air Bag Off Switch)
Crew Cab Models and Extended Cab
Models with Rear Seats
1. Find the LATCH anchorages for the seating
position you want to use, where the bottom of the
seatback meets the back of the seat cushion.
SeeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-46.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Attach and tighten the LATCH attachments on the
child restraint to the LATCH anchorages in the
vehicle. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach and
tighten the top tether to the top tether anchorage.
The child restraint instructions will show you
how. Also seeTop Strap on page 1-42.
5. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, simply unhook the top
tether from the top tether anchorage and then
disconnect the LATCH attachments from the LATCH
anchorages.
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-46. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-42if the child restraint has one.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when and as the
instructions say.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
1-51

Securing a Child Restraint in
the Right Front Seat Position
(Models with an Air Bag Off Switch)
Regular Cab Models and Extended
Cab Models without Rear Seats
Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s frontal air
bag. Regular cab models and extended cab models
without rear seats have a switch on the instrument panel
that you can use to turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal air bag. SeeAir Bag Off Switch on page 1-70for
more on this, including important safety information.Unless the right front passenger’s frontal air bag has
been turned off, never put a rear facing child restraint in
the right front passenger’s seat. Here is why:
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s frontal air bag inates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the inating
air bag. Do not use a rear-facing child restraint
in this vehicle unless the air bag has been
turned off.
Even though the air bag off switch is designed
to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal
air bag, no system is fail-safe, and no one can
guarantee that an air bag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance, even though it is
turned off. We recommend that rear-facing
child restraints be transported in vehicles with
a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing
child restraint, whenever possible.
1-54

{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the air bag, it means
that something may be wrong with the air bag
system. The right front passenger’s frontal air
bag could inate even though the switch is off.
If this ever happens, do not let anyone whom
the national government has identied as a
member of a passenger air bag risk group
sit in the right front passenger’s position
(for example, do not secure a rear-facing child
restraint in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced. SeeAir Bag Off Switch on
page 1-70.If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-46. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-42if the child restraint has one.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when and as the
instructions say.
1. Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s frontal
air bag. SeeAir Bag Off Switch on page 1-70.
If your child restraint is forward-facing, always move
the seat as far back as it will go before securing
it in this seat. SeeManual Seats on page 1-3
orPower Seats on page 1-4.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
1-55