belt GMC SAVANA 1996 Owner's Manual

If it says SUPPLEMENTAL INFLATABLE
RESTRAINT on the middle part
of the steering wheel
but there is
no right front passenger seat, your vehicle
has an air bag for the driver only.
.If it doesn't say SUPPLEMENTAL 'INFLATABLE
RESTRAINT on the middle part
of the steering wheel,
your vehicle doesn't have air bags.
Here are the most important things to know about the
air bag system:
Air bags are designed to work anly- in moderate. to
severe crashes where the front of your vehicle
hits
something. They aren't.designed to inflate at all in
rillover, rear, side dr .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 fbr that person.
I
Yon can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you aren't wearing yow.sa€ety belt I- even if you
have an air bag. Wearing
your safety belt during
a crash
'hdps- reduce, your chance of hitting things
inside the vehicle or being ejected from
it. The air
bag
is only-a "supplementa1,restraint.)' That is, it -
'works'witb safety belts but doesn't replace them.
' - CAUTION: (Continued)
L
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink
af an eye. If yoltl'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. The driver should sit as far
back as possible while still maintaining control
of the vehicle.
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If your vehicle has an air bag for the right front
passr
, please read this:
A CAUTION:
An inflating air bag can seriously injure small
children. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle.
To read how, see the part of this manual
called “Children” and the caution label on the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
I
AIR
BAG
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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How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. The air bag supplements the
protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute
the force
of the impact more evenly over the occupant‘s
upper body, stopping the occupant Inore gradually. But
air bags would not help you
in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts,
pritnarily because an occupant‘s motion is not toward
the air bag. Air bags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to safety belts,
and then only
in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components
of the air bag module
in the steering wheel hub for the driver‘s air bag, or the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s bag,
will
be hot for a short time. The part of the bag that comes
into contact with you may be warm, but it will never be
too hot to touch. There
will be some smoke and dust
corning from vents
in the deflated air bags. Air bag inflation
will not prevent the driver from seeing or from
being able
to steer the vehicle, nor will it stop people
from leaving the vehicle.
b
A C * UTION:
I
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems
for
people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it
is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or
door.
0 The air bags are designed to inflate only once. After
they inflate, you’ll need some new parts for your air
bag system.
If you don’t get them, the air bag system
won’t be there
to help protect you in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. The service manual for
your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
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0 0 . Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module, which records information
about the air bag system. The module records
information about the readiness of the system, when
the sensors are activated and driver’s safety belt
usage
at deployment.
Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your air bag
system won’t work properly. See your dealer
for service.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s
air bag, they may not
work properly.. You may have to replace the
air bag module in the steering wheel or both the
air bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s
air bag. Do not open or
break the
air bag covers.
Servicing Yodr Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are
parts of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle. You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
GM dealer and the service manual have information
about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system.
To
purchase a.service manual, see “Service and Owner
Publications” in the Index.
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned
off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured
if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with?yellow tape
or yellow connectors. They are probably part of
the
air bag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you
is qualified to do so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
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Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more
likely to be
seriously injured
if they don’t wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low
as possible, below
the rounding, throughout the pregnancy. The
best way to protect the fetus
is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more
likely that the fetus won’t be hurt
in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective
is wearing them properly.
R‘iht Fron asse Jer Position
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way
as the driver’s safety belt. See ”Driver Position”
earlier
in this section.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way,
it will
lock. If
it does, let it go back all the way and start again.
Rear Seat Passer- 7ers
It’s very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up!
Accident statistics show that unbelted people
in the rear
seat are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who aren’t safety belted can be thrown
out of the vehicle
in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
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I Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
~ i Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s how to wear one properly.
-
1.
2.
Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up
on the latch plate to make sure’ it is secure.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way, it
will
lock. If it does, let it go back all the>way and start again.
If the belt is not long enough, see “Safety Belt
Extender” at the end
of this section.
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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.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.
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The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs.
In a crash, thkapplies
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 shou€der belt
should go over the shoulder and across the chest.
These parts of the body are best able to take belt
restraining forces.
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The safety belt locks if there's a sudden stop or a crash.
r A CAUTION:
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.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
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Center Passenger Position
ft .. .
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has rear bench seats, someone can sit in
the center positions. When
you sit in a
center seating position, you have a lap
safety belt, which has no retractor. To make the belt
longer,
tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt.
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To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until
the belt is
snug.
-Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap
part
of a-lap-shoulder belt. 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.
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! That includes
infants and all children smaller than adult size. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province says children
up to some age must be
restrained while in
a vehicle.
Smaller Children and Babies (Er--?pt Cargo
Vans with Passenger Air Bags)
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Smaller children and babies should always be
restrained in
a child or infant restraint. The
instructions for the restraint will say whether it
is the right type and size for your child.
A very
young child’s hip bones are
so smalllhat a
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regular belt might not stay low on the hips, as it
should. Instead, the belt will likely be over the
child’s abdomen. In
a crash, the belt would apply
force right on the child’s abdomen, which could
cause serious or fatal injuries.
So, be sure that
any child small enough for one is always properly
restrained in a child or infant restraint.
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