1993 BUICK SKYLARK Owners Manual

f
Take the simplest "cat" Suppose it's just a seat on
wheels.
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or the instrument panel ... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to
stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
safety belts make such good sense.

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the
Answers
Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after .an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can easily unbuckle a safety
belt, even
if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident, so
you unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q: Why don’t they just put in air bags so people
A: “Air bags,” or Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
won’t have to wear safety belts?
systems, are in some vehicles today and will be in
more of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only
-- so they work with safety belts, not instead
of them. Every “air
bag’’
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has “air
bags,” you still have
to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
&: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
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.
home, why should I wear safety belts?
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 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
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When the key is turned
to “Run” or “Start,” a
tone will come on for
about eight seconds to
remind people to fasten
their safety belts, unless the driver’s
safety belt is buckled.
How To Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This section is only for people of adult size.
I .El CAUTION:
Safety Belt Warning Light
:The safety belt light will also come on and stay on for
‘about’a minute.
If the driver’s belt is buckled, neither
;the tone nor the light will come on.
If your safety b ~ lig ~ 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. 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 “Children.”
Follow those rules for
everyone’s protection.
=I ~
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.

Cars First Sold In Canada
Was your Buick first sold, when new, in Canada? (If it
was; a sticker on the driver’s door will say “conforms to
all applicable Canada motor v.ehicle
...” etc.) If so, then
the rest of Part
1 does not apply to your vehicle.
To learn how to use your safety belts, please read the
Owner’s Manual Safety Belt Supdement.
It comes with
every new Buick first sold in Canada.
Driver Position
This section describes the driver’s restraint system.
Automatic Lap-Shoulder Belt
1
This safety belt is called “automatic” because you don’t
have to buckle up when you get into your vehicle.
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n
And you don’t have to unbuckle when you get out.
Just get into your vehicle. Then close and lock the door.
Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)\

so
you can sit up straight. The lap belt should be
worn as low on the hips as
possible.
In a crash, this applies force to the strong
pelvic bones. And you’d be less likely to slide
lap belt.
If you slid under it, the belt would apply Y orce the
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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It’s possible that an automatic belt could keep you from
fully opening a door. That can happen if the door was slammed shut very hard. Just close the door all the way,
then slowly open it. If that doesn’t fix it, then your
Buick needs service.
We hope you’ll always keep your automatic belt
buckled. However, you may need to unbuckle
it in an
emergency.
To unbuckle the automatic belt, just push the
button on the buckle.
To reattach the automatic belt:
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
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