child restraint OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1997 Owners Manual

a Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your Oldsmobile and how to use your safety belts properly. You can
also learn about some things
you should not do with air bags and safety belts.
1-2 Seats and Controls
1-24 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
1-2 Manual Passenger’s
Seat 1-20 Questions and
Answers About Air Bags
1-2 Power Driver’s Seat
1-44 How to Obtain a Safety Belt Extender 1- 10 Questions Many People Ask About 1-35 Child Restraint
Top Straps
1-7
Why Safety Belts Work
in Child Restraints 1-5 Rear Seats 1-34 Important Information
for Buckling Children
1-3 Reclining Front Seatbacks 1-34
How to Use Child Restraints
Safety Belts 1-44 Checking Your Restraint Systems
1-1 1 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly 1-45 Replacing Parts After a Crash
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&= If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
home, why should I wear safety belts?
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
Adults
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
Oldsmobile, see the
part of this manual 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.
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Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides will provide added
safety belt comfort for children who have outgrown
child restraints and for small adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide pulls the belt away
from the neck and head.
There
is one guide for each outside passenger position in
the rear seat.
To provide added safety belt comfort for
children who have outgrown child restraints and for
smaller adults, the comfort guides may be installed
on
the shoulder belts. Here’s how to install a comfort guide
and use the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the edge of
the seatback and the interior body to remove the
guide from its storage clip.
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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
’
A CAUTION:
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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
r
A very young child’s hip bones are so small that a
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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Child Restraints
Be sure the child restraint is designed to be used in a
vehicle. If it is, it will have a label saying that it meets
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Then
follow the instructions for the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or
in a
booklet,
or both. These restraints use the belt system in
your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured within
the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury.
The instructions that come with the infant or child
restraint will show you how to do that.
Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained
in the rear rather than the front seat. We at
General Motors therefore recommend that you put your
child restraint
in a rear seat outside position unless the
child is an infant and you’re the only adult
in the
vehicle. In that case, you might want to secure the
restraint
in the right front seat where you can keep an
eye on the baby.
Wherever
you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep
in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move
around
in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in
the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child
restraint
in your vehicle -- even when no child is in it.
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Top Strap
If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. Anchor brackets for the rear outside seat
positions are located on the floor in the cargo area. Don't use the front set
of tie-down brackets. Anchor the
top strap to the rearmost bracket on the same side of the
vehicle as the child restraint.
Once you have the top strap anchored, you'll be ready to
secure the child restraint itself.
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Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
1.
2.
3.
Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
Secure the child
in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
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.
If the shoulder belt goes
in front of the child’s face or
neck, put
it behind the child restraint.
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
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5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor
to set the lock.
6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the
retractor while you
push down on the child restraint.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult
or larger child passenger.
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I Center Seat Position Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
Oon’t use child restraints in these positions. The
restraints won’t work properly. You’ll
be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap
if the child restraint has one.
1. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
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.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
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7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it
is secure. Adjust the bucket
seat forward until the
lap portion of the safety belt
holds the restraint firmly. But don’t move
it any
more than needed to tighten the lap belt.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it
go back all the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult
or larger child passenger.
6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the
retractor while you
push down on the child restraint.
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