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/1 CAUTION:
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.
0 To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the
buckle.
Children
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
A 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 child’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.
A CAUTION: 0
Never hold a baby in ydur arms while riding in a .
vehicle. A baby doesn’t weigh 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 (11 0 kg) force OR your arms.
The baby would be almost impossible to hold.
A
CAUTION: (Continued) I --
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Child Restraints
4
I
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
infant 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.
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Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Position See if the shoulder belt would go in front of the
child’s face or neck. If
so, put it behind the child
restraint.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier
section about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
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.
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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.
1
A
A
I
5. Pull the rest of the lap belt all the way out of the
retractor
to set the lock.
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6. To tighten the belt, feed the lap belt into the retractor
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.
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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.
1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling it along the belt.
r Ip 1 I
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.
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4. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the
restraint, The child restraint instructions will show
you
how.
5. 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.
6. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
down
on the child restraint.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it
is secure. If the child restraint
isn’t secure, turn the latch plate over and buckle it
again. Then see if it
is secure. If it isn’t, secure the
restraint in
a different place in the vehicle and
contact the child restraint maker for their advice.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt. It will be ready to work for
an adult or larger
child passenger.