OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1994 Owner's Manual

El
This figure lights up as a reminder to
buckle up. (See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light
in the Index.)
In many states and Canadian provinces,
the law says to wear safety belts. Here’s
why:
They work.
You never how if you’ll be in a crash.
If you do have a crash, you don’t know
if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some
crashes can be
so serious that even
buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In
many of them, people who buckle up
can survive and sometimes walk away.
Without belts they could have been
badly hurt
or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts
in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most
crashes buckling up does matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you
go as fast as it goes.
1. For example, if the bike is going 10
mph (16 km/h), so is the child.
2. When the bike hits the block, it
stops. But the child keeps going! 15
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Seats & Restraint Systems
Get it up to speed. Then stop the
“vehicle.’’ The rider doesn’t stop. 3. Take the simplest %chicle." Suppose
it’s just a seat on wheels. 4. Put someone on it. 5.
a.
I“
6. The person keeps going until stopped
by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the
windshield
...
7. or the instrument panel ... or the safety belts!
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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 forces. That’s
why safety belts make such good sense.
HereAre 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 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.
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 lun) 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.
Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to Run or Start,
a light will come on for about eight
seconds to remind people to fasten
their safety belts. Unless the driver’s
safety belt is already buckled, a tone
will also sound.
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18
I How To Wear Safety Belts
Properly
Adults
This section is only for people of adult
size.
Be aware that there are special things to
how about safety belts and children.
And there are different rules for smaller
children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your Oldsmobile, see the
section after this one, called
Children.
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.
I Driver Position
This section describes the driver’s
restraint system.
m
Lap-Shoulder Belt
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. Don’t let it get
twisted.
4. 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 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. 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’d b
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 across the chest. These
parts of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.
The safety belt loclts if there’s a sudden
stop or a crash.
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It
won’t give nearly as much protection
this way.
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Seats & Restraint Systems
I
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong
place.
3: What’s wrong with this?
4: The shoulder belt is worn under the
arm.
It should be worn over the
shoulder at all times.
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
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I”
To unlatch the belt, just push the
button on the buckle. The belt should
go back out of the way.
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 vehicle.
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
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 malung safety belts effective is
wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger
Position
The right front passenger’s safety belt
works the same way as the driver’s
safety belt. See
Driver Position, earlier
in- this part.
When the lap portion of the belt is pulled
out all the way, it will lock.
If it does, let
it go back
all the way and start again.
3
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22
Rear Seat Passengers
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.
- ~
Rear Seat Outside Passenger
Positions
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have
lap-shoulder belts. Here’s
how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the
belt across you. Don’t let
it get
twisted.
2. 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.
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.
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3. To make the lap part tight, pull down
on the buckle end
of the belt as you
pull up on the shoulder part. The
lap part of the belt should be
worn
.ow and snug on the hips, just touching
;he thighs. In a crash, this applies force
:o the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be
.ess likely to slide under the lap belt.
If
you slid under it, the belt would apply
iorce at your abdomen.
This could
;awe serious
or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the
shoulder and across the chest. These
?arts of the body are best able to tale
2elt restraining forces.
rhe safety belt locks
if there’s a sudden
stop or a crash.
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24
To unlatch the belt, just push the
button on the buckle.
I I
Center Passenger Position
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has a rear bench seat,
someone can sit in the center position. 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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