belt GMC SAVANA 2008 User Guide

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if
I am wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so youcanunbuckle
and get out, ismuchgreater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you
are upside down.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have
to wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they
workwithsafety belts — not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants
still have to buckle up to get the most protection.
That is true not only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other collisions.
Q:If I am 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 are in a
crash — even one that is not your fault — you
and your passenger(s) can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not 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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How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This section 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 1-29
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-32. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants to buckle up.
Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out
of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety
belt, there is important information you should know.Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the floor in
front of you. 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
would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid
under it, the belt would apply force on 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 shoulder belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give as
much protection this way.
{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 snugly against
your body.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The lap belt is too loose. It will not give nearly
as much protection this way.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt is
too loose. In a crash, you could slide under the
lap belt and apply force on your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even fatal injuries.
The lap belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
{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 on the
pelvic bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries. Always buckle your belt
into the buckle nearest you.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is over an armrest.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt goes
over an armrest like this. The belt would be
much too high. In a crash, you can slide under
the belt. The belt force would then be applied
on the abdomen, not on the pelvic bones,
and that could cause serious or fatal injuries.
Be sure the belt goes under the armrests.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is worn under the arm.
It should be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{CAUTION:
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 are not as strong as
shoulder bones. You could also severely
injure internal organs like your liver or spleen.
The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder
and across the chest.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is behind the body.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by not wearing
the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash,
you would not be restrained by the shoulder
belt. Your body could move too far forward
increasing the chance of head and neck injury.
You might also slide under the lap belt.
The belt force would then be applied right
on the abdomen. That could cause serious
or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across the body.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt.
In a crash, you would not 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/retailer to x it.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a lap-shoulder
belt. If you are using a rear seating position with a
detachable safety belt and the safety belt is not
attached, seeRear Seat Operation on page 1-6for
instruction on reconnecting the safety belt to the
mini-buckle.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-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.
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If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let
the belt go back all the way and start again.
3. 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 is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-28.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster,
move it to the height that is right for you. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce
the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
See “Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later
in this section.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the
safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten
the lap belt on smaller occupants.
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