PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1994 Owner's Guide

Seats and Restraint Systems
To unlatch the belt, just push the
button
on the buckle.
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
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Child Restraints
Be sure to follow the instructions for
the restraint.
You may find these
instructions
on the restraint itself or in
a booklet, or both. These restraidi use
the belt system in your vehicle, bkt 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.
I
Where to Put the Restraint
4ccident statistics show that children
are safer if they are restrained in the
:ear rather than the front seat.
We qt
3eneral Motors therefore recommend
hat you put your child restraint in the
-ear seat.
NEVER put a rear-facing
:hild restraint in the front passenger
;eat. Here's why:
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Seats and Restraint Systems
Nherever you install it, be sure to secure
he child restraint properly.
Ceep in mind that an unsecured child
-estraint can move around in a collision
x- sudden stop and injure people in the
iehicle. Be sure to properly secure any
:hild restraint in your vehicle
- even
when no child is in it.
Top Strap
If your child restraint has a top strap, it
should
be anchored.
If you need to have an anchor installed,
you can ask your Pontiac dealer to put it
in for you. If
you want to install an anchor
yourself, your dealer can tell you how to
do it.
[f you have a convertible, don’t use a
restraint that has a top strap
in your
vehicle because the top strap anchor
cannot be installed properly.
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.! , 'y
For cars first s0;Id in Cqada, child
restrairits with a top strap must
he
anchored according to Canadian Law.
Your dealer can obtain the hardware kit
and install it for
you, or you may install it
yourself using the instructions provided
with
ule kit.
Use the tether hardware kit available from
the dgaler. The hardware and installation
instructions were spem€tcally.a3esigned
:.
for thi.s vehicle.
U
ieeuring a Chi'ld Restraint in the Rear
kat
Cau'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See
he earlier section about the top
strqp if
he child restraint has one.
. Put the restraint on the seat. FO~~OW
the instructions for the child restraint.
I. Secure the child in the child restraint
as
.the instructions say.
1. Pick up the latch pl,ate, and run th.e la1
and shoulder'portions
of. the vehicle's
saGty Wit
thiough &'around the
re$traint. The child restraint
instructitans will show you how. Tilt
the latch plate to adjust the belt if
needed. child's
face
or neckrput it behind the
&ld restraint.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release
button
is positioned so you wnpld be
able to unbuckle the safety belt
quickly if you ever had to. 5.
To tighten the
belt, pull up on the
shoulder belt while you push down on
the child restraint. 6. 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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TI-
ecuring a Child Restraint in the Right
‘ront Seat
bur vehicle has a right-front passenger’s
ir bag.
NEVER put a rear-facing child
:straint in this seat. Here’s why: You’ll be using the
lap-shoulder belt. See
the earlier section about the top strap if
the child restraint has one.
You’ll need a safety locking clip to
properly secure a child restraint in this
position. You can get a locking clip
where child restraints are sold, or
from
your Pontiac dealer (GM Part No.
94844571). The locking clip must be
the same as the one shown here.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
Until you have this clip, secure a child
restraint only in the rear seat. See the
earlier section about securing a child
restraint in the rear seat. Once you have
the clip, follow these instructions:
1. Because your vehicle has a right-front
passenger’s air bag, always move the
seat as far back as it will go before
securing a front-facing child restraint.
2. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow
the instructions for the child restraint.
3. Secure the child in the child restraint
as the instructions say.
4. 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.
5. 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.
4. Lap Belt Portion
B. Latch Plate
C. Buckle
D. Shoulder Belt Portion
E. Locking Clip
6. Then thread both lap and shoulder belt
portions through
the locking clip.
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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
remove the locking clip. Let the safety
belt
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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Seats and Restraint Systems
Larger Children
Children who have outgrown child
restraints should wear the vehicle’s safety
belts.
Accident statistics show that children are
safer if they are restrained in the rear seat.
But they need to use the safety belts
properly.
Children who aren’t buckled up can
be thrown out in a crash.
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Children who aren’t buckled up can
strike other people who are.
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Q. What if a child is wearing a
lap-shoulder belt, but the child is so
small that the shoulder belt is very
close to the child’s face or neck?
A: Move the child toward the center of
the vehicle, but be sure that the
shoulder belt still is on the child’s
shoulder,
so that in a crash the child’s
upper body would have the restraint
that belts provide. Wherever
the child sits,
the lap portion of
the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the child’s thighs.
This applies belt force to the child’s
pelvic bones in a crash.
4 Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to
fasten, your dealer will order you an
extender. It’s free. When you go
in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you will
wear,
so the extender will be long enough
for you. The -extender will be just for you,
and just for the seat in your vehicle that
you choose. Don’t let someone else use it,
and use it only for the seat
it is made to
fit.
To wear it, just attach it to the regular
safety belt.
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