1993 BUICK CENTURY belt

How does an air bag restrain?
A: In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions, even belted occupants
can contact the
steering wheel. 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 provide
protection in many types
of collisions, including
rollovers and rear and side impacts, primarily
because an occupant’s motion is not toward the air
bag. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belt protection in
moderate to severe frontal and near-frontal
collisions.
Qt What will you see after an air bag inflation?
A: After the air bag has inflated, it will then quickly
deflate.
This occurs so quickly that some people
may not even realize that the air bag inflated. The
air bag will
not impede the driver’s vision or ability
to steer the vehicle, nor will it hinder the occupants from exiting the vehicle. There will be
small
amounts of smoke coming from vents in the deflated
air bag. Some components of the air bag module in
the steering wheel hub may be hot
for a short time,
but the portion
of the bag that comes into contact
with you
will not be hot to the touch. The nitrogen
gas used to inflate the
air bag will have vented into
the passenger compartment, and the bag will be
deflated within seconds after the collision. Nitrogen
makes up about
80% of the air we breathe and is not
hazardous.
As the nitrogen vents from the bag, small
particles are also vented into the passenger compartment.
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When the work is complete, if the air bag system was
disconnected, be sure to reattach everything and replace
the
fuse before turning the ignition on. When you turn
the ignition key on, be sure you see the inflatable
restraint light on the instrument panel. If you don’t see
this light flash and then go out as usual, have your air bag
system repaired.
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.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible
throughout the pregnancy.
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
fl
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt. See “Driver Position:’
earlier in this part.
I
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Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index) so’
you can sit up straight. Move your seat far enough
forward that your feet touch the part
of the vehicle that is
called the “toeboard” (A). That way you’d be less li\
kely
to slide under the lap belt in a crash.
Center Passenger Position and Any Station
Wagon Third Seat Passenger Position
If your vehicle has front and rear bench seats, someone
can sit in the center positions.
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.-
When you sit in a center seating position, or in a station To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until
wagon third seat, you have a lap safety belt, which has no
the belt is snug.
retractor.
To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it
along the belt. Buckle, position and release it the same
way as the lap
part of a lap-shoulder belt.
If
the belt isn’t long enough, see “Safety Belt Extender”
at the end of this section.
Make sure the release button on the buckle faces upward
or outward
so you would be able to unbuckle it quickly if
you ever had to.
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Rear Seat Passengers
It’s very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up!
Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear seat are hurt more 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.
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts.
Here’s how to wear one properly:
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull it across you. Don’t let
it get twisted.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. If
the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch
plate
and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
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 faces upward
or outward
so you would be able to unbuckle it quickly if
you ever had to.
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3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part. 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.
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A CAUTION:
Q
Y&u 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.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
Children
i
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! That includes
infants and all children smaller than adult
size. In fact,
the law in every state and Canadian province
says
children up to some age must be restrained while in a
vehicle.
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Smaller Children and Babies
/i 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. A very
young chlld’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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A CAUTION: -
Never hold a baby in your arms while riding in
a vehicle. A baby doesn’t welgh much-until a
crash. During a crash a baby will become so
heavy you can’t hold it. For example, in a crash
at
only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 12-pound (5.5 kg)
baby will suddenly become a 240-pound (110 kg)
force on your arms. The baby would be almost
impossible to hold.
A
-l
c
CAUTION (Continued) I
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