seats GMC SIERRA 1993 User Guide

Seats & Safety Belts
AMI 15003 AM1 15004
Take the simplest “vehicle.” Suppose it’s just a seat on wheels. Put someone
on it.
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Get it up to speed. Then stop the “vehicle.” The rider doesn’t stop.
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Seats & Safety Belts
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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 for\
ces.
That’s why safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask About Safety
Belts-and the Answers
Q: 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
easily 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: Why don’t they just put in air bags so people won’t have to wear
safety belts?
A: “Air bags,” or Supplemental Inflatable Restraint systems, are in some
vehicles today and will be in more 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.
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Seats & Safety Belts
How To Wear Safety Belts Properry
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
* There are special things to know about safety belts and children. And
there are different rules for babies and smaller children. If a child will
be riding in your vehicle, see the part after this one, calle\
d
“Children.” Follow these rules for everyone’s protection.\

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First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your vehi\
cle has. We’ll start
with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
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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.
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3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. On some models
you may hear
a clicking sound as the shoulder belt is pulled out or
when released back into the cover. This is the shoulder belt tension
reducing feature operating properly. Don’t let the belt get \
twisted.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
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Seats & Safety Belts
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 faces upward or ou\
tward
so you
would be able
to unbuckle it quickly if you ever had to.
The lap part of the belt should be 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 ac\
ross 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.
Q: What’s wrong with this?
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A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly as much protection this
way.
CAUTION I
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a
The shoulder belt should
fit against your body.
b crash you would move forward too much, which could increase in\
jury.
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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 at the \
abdomen,
not at the pelvic bones, and that could cause serious or fatal in\
juries.
Be sure the belt goes under the armrests.
Q: What’s wrong with this?
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A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should be worn over the
shoulder at all times.
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
I or spleen.
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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 vehicl\
e.
Safety Be/t 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 if at all possible. The lap
portion should be worn as low as possible throughout the pregnancy.
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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.
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Seats & Safety Belts
Center Passenger Positions
(Except Extended
Cab Rear Seat)
K2128
If your vehicle has front and rear bench seats, someone can sit in the center
positions.
Center Passenger Position (Front Seats)
Center Passenger Position (Four Door
Models Rear Seat)
I AN1450sJ
When you sit in the 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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Seats & Safety Belts
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To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt.
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 e\
nd of this
section.
Make sure the release button on the buckle faces upward
or outward so you
would be able to unbuckle
it quickly if you ever had to.
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Seats & Safety Belts
1 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 fit against your body. I
AN147030
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions (Four Door)
K2145
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder belts. Here's how to
wear one properly.
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