OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 1997 Owner's Manual

5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle end
of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt. 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 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 across 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 crash, or
if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
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@ What’s wrong with this?
I
A 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.
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
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&.' What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
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 at the pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal injuries.
Always buckle your belt into the buckle
nearest you.
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Q: What’s wrong with this?
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In
a crash, you wouldn’t 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 retailer to fix it.
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
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Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, inclwling pregnant
women.
w 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, ad
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below
the rounding, 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.
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 section.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
This part explains the Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) or
air bag system.
Your Oldsmobile has two air bags -- one air bag for the
driver and another air bag for the right front passenger. Here are the most important things
to know about the air
bag system:
~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~. ~~~
~
~~
CAmONi
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if‘
you aren’t wearing your safety belt -- even if you
have air bags. Wearing your safety belt during
a
crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things
inside the vehicle or being ejected from
it. Air
bags are “supplemental restraints” to the safety
belts. All air bags
are designed to work with
safety belts, but don’t replace them. Air bags are
designed to work only in moderate to severe
crashes where the front
of your vehicle hits
something. They aren’t designed to inflate
at all
in rollover, rear, side or low-speed frontal
crashes. Everyone in your vehicle should wear
a
safety belt properly -- whether or not there’s an
air bag for that person.
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There.is ;an air bag readiness
light
011 the instrument
panel,
which shows the air
bag symbol.
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How the Air Bag System Works
Where are the air bags?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
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