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Part 1 Seats and Safety Belts
Here you’ll fmd information about the seats in your Buick. your \
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (“air bag”)
system and how to use your safety belts properly
. You can also learn about some things you should not do with
safety belts
.
Part 1 includes:
SeatsandSeatControls ................................................................ 14
Folding Rear Seats (Wagon)
............................................................. 18
SafetyBelts ........................................................................\
. 23
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
........................................................ 29
DriverPosition ....................................................................... \
30
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint System (Air Bag) .......................................... 35
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
........................................................ 40
RightFrontPassengerPosition .......................................................... 40
Center Passenger Position and Any Station Wagon Third Seat Pass\
enger Position
................... 41
RearSeatPassengers
.................................................................. 43
Children ........................................................................\
.... 45
SmallerChildrenandBabies ............................................................ 46
ChildRestraints
...................................................................... 47
SafetyBeltExtender
.................................................................. 60
Replacing Safety Belts After a Crash ...................................................... 61
LargerChildren
...................................................................... 58
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@ If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why
should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident-even one that isn’t your fault-you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being
a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your control,
such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And
the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at
speeds of less than 40 mph
(65 krn/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
Safety Belt Warning Light
When the key is turned to
“Run” or
“Start:’ a chime
will come on for about
eight seconds to remind
people. to fasten their safety
belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is buckled. The
safety belt light will also
come on and stay on for about
60 seconds or until
the driver’s
belt is buckled. A
i
h
A CAUTION:
I If your safety belt light ever comes on or stays
on after the front doors are closed and the
driver’s belt
is buckled, have your vehicle fixed.
If you don’t, you might not have the protection
you’d need in
a crash.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This section is only for people of adult size.
A CAUTION:
There are special things to know about safety
belts and children.
And there are different
rules for babies and smaller children. If a child
will be riding
in your Buick, see the section
after this one, called “Childrenl’
Follow those I
rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
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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.
46
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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CAUTION (Continued)
Secure the baby in an infant restraint.
I
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 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 unless the child is an inht
and you’re the only adult in the vehicle.
In that case, you
might want to secure
the restraint in the front seat where
you can keep an eye on the baby.
Wherever you install it, be sure to secure
the child
restraint properly.
/r CAUTION:
An unsecured chlld restraint can mov8 around
in
I collision or sudden stop and injure people
In the vehicle. Be sure to properly 88cure any
chlld restraint In pur vehicle-ew-n when no
chlld is in it. I
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Top Strap Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Position
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier
section about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. If you need to have
an anchor installed, you
can ask your Buick dealer to put it in for you.
If you want
to install an anchor yourself, your dealer can tell you how
to do it.
If you want
to use a child restraint with a top strap in the
second seat of a station wagon, have your dealer install a
combination anchor-tether belt to which the top strap can
be hooked. 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 Buick
dealer
(GM Part Number 94844571). The locking clip
must be the same as the one shown here.
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Until you have this clip, secure a child restraint only in a
seat that has a separate lap belt (and a way to anchor a
top strap, if the child restraint has one). See the following
section about securing a child restraint in a center position. \
Once you have the clip, follow these instructions:
1. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions,
for the child restraint.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the instructions say.
3. Pull out the vehicle’s safety belt and run the lap part
through or around the restraint. The child restraint
instructions will show you how. Tilt the latch plate to
adjust the belt if needed. See if the shoulder belt
would
go in front of the child’s face or neck. If so, put
it behind the child restraint.
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button faces upward or outward,
so you’ll be able to unbuckle it
quickly
if you ever need to.
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I
5. Then thread both the lap and shoulder belt portions
through the locking clip.'
I A CAUTION:
If a locking clip is not used or is not installed
properly, the chlld restraint may move or tip
Over when your vehicle turns or stops quickly.
The child or others could
be injured. When
you secure
a child restraint with a lap-
shoulder belt, always thread both the lap and
shoulder
belt portions through a locking clip. I
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Page 53 of 324
A
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 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.
I
/i CAUTION:
When not used with a chlld restraint seat, a
safety belt with a child restraint locking clip
still attached can cause serious injury in
a
crash. Always remove the clip when you are
not using
it with a child restraint.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat
Position
When you secure a child restraint in a center seating
position, you’ll be using the lap belt.
See the earlier section about the top strap if the child
restraint has one.
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