belt PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 Owner's Manual

Rear Seat Passengers
It’s very imprtant for rear seat passengers to buckle up!
Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear
seat are
hurt mre 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.
1.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The rear seats have lap-shoulder belts. Here’s how to
wear one properly.
l.
Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
On convertible models, the shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this
happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock
it.
Then.pul1 the belt across you more slowly.
Push’the
latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
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If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch
plate and keep pulling until
you can buckle it.
Pull .up on the latch plate
to make sure it is secure.
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.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.
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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 a crash.
On convertible models, the safety belt also locks
if you
pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
~
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.
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Children
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
be
Canadian province
says children up to some age must
restrained while in a vehicle.
Smaller Children and Babies
Sder 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. 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, thle belt wiIl likely be over the
child’s abdomen.
In a crash, the belt would apply
force
right on the child’s abdomen, which could
criuse
serious or fatal injlaries. So, be sure that
any child
small enough for one is always properly
restrained
m a child or infhnt 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 the rear seat.
Never put a rear-facing
child restraint
in the front passenger seat. Here’s why:
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A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured if the right front passenger’s air
bag inflates.
This is because the back of a
reapfacing child restraint would be very close to
the inflating
air bag. Always secure a rearfacing
child restraint in the rear seat.
You may, however, secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat. Before you secure
a forward-facing child restraint, always move the
front passenger seat
as far back as it will go. Or,
secure the child restraint
in the rear seat.
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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Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear 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. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
hr 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 shw you how.
Tilt’the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
If the shoulder b’elt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
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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.
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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Securing a Child Restraint in me
Right Front Seat Position
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. 1 :e’s why:
A
child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured if the right
front passenger’s air
bag inflates, This is because the back of a
rear-facing chiId
restraint would be very close to
the inflating air
bag. Always secure a rearfacing
child restraint in the rear seat.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger air
bag, always move the seat as far back as it will go
before securing a forward-facing child restraint.
(See “Seats”
in the Index.)
2. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instmctions
for
the child restraint.
3. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions sqy.
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.
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Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
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.
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6. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt 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.
Larger Childrc i
Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
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