belt PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 User Guide

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.
On convertible models, the safety belt also locks if you
pull the belt
very quickly out of the retractor.
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@ What’s wrong with this?
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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.
A CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled
in the wrong phce Iike 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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e.'' What's wrong with this?
i
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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 or spleen.
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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 dealer to
fix it.
A: The belt is twisted acros’s the body.
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Supplemental Restraint (SRS) System
This part explains the Supplemental Restraint (SRS)
system or air bag system.
Your Pontiac has two air bags
-- one air bag for the
I driver and another air bag for the right front passenger.
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.
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Mere are the most important things to know about the air
bag system:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you aren’t wearing your safety belt -- even if you
have an air bag. Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things
inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. The air
bag is only a %upplemental restraint,’’ That is, it
works with safety belts but doesn’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 dl in
rollover, rear, side or low-speed frontal crashes.
Everyone
in your vehicle, including the driver,
should wear
a safety belt properly - whether or
not there’s
an air bag for that person.
I
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink
of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag,,it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position for an
air bag inflation
in a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with
an air bag. The driver should sit as far
back as possible while still maintaining control
of the vehicle.
I /II CAUTION:
An inflating air bag can seriously injure small
children. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle.
To read how, see the part of this manual
called “Children” and the caution label
on the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
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When should an air bag inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. The air bag will inflate
only
if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.”
If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about 9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 km/h). The threshold level
can
vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as
a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed
to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle
of the impact and
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage
is only one
indication
of this.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity,
the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle
is
suddenly stopping as a result of a crash. The sensing
system triggers
a chemical reaction of the sodium azide
sealed in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen
gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and
related hardware are all part
of the air bag modules
packed inside the steering wheel and
in the instrument
panel in front of the right front passenger.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the
instrument panel. The
air bag supplements the protection
provided by
safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But
air bags would
not help you in many types
of collisions, including
rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward the
air bag. Air bags
should never be regarded
as anythmg more than a
supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
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Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module, which records information
about the air bag system.
The module records
information about the readiness of the system,
when the sensors are activated and driver’s safety
belt usage at deployment.
Let only qualified technicians work
on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your air
bag system won’t work properly. See your dealer
for service.
~~
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, they may not
work properly. You may have to replace the air
bag module in the steering wheel or both the
air
bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s air bag.
Do not open or
break the air bag covers.
Servicing ,Your Air Bag-Equipped Pontiac
Air bags affect how your Pontiac should be serviced.
There are
parts of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle. You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
Pontiac dealer and the Firebird Service
Manual have
information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag
system.
To purchase a service manual, see “Seririce and
Owner Publications” in the Index.
I A CAUTION:
II
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow connectors. They are probably part of
the
air bag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure’ the person
performing work for you is qualified to do
so.
’he air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
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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. 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.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below
the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
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.
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