1993 CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine After 25 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes
buckling up
does matter . . . a lot!
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Why Safety Belts Work
’-’?
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When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. For example, if
the bike is going 10 mph (16 km/h), so is the child. When the bike hits the
block, it stops. But the child keeps going!
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Seats and Safety Belts
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Take the simplest “vehicle.” Suppose it’s just a seat on wheels. Put someone
on it.
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Get it up to speed. Then stop the “vehicle.” The rider doesn’\
t stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real \
vehicle, it could be the windshield
. . .
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or the instrument panel . . .
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Seats and Safety Belts
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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
Q: 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 can unbuckle and get
out, is
much greater if you are belted.
Q: Why don’t they just put in air bags so people won’t have to wear
safety belts?
A: “Air bags,” or Supplemental Inflatable Restraint 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 r\
equired 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q: 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 kmlh).
Safety belts are for everyone.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
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When the key is turned to RUN or START, a light will come on for about
eight seconds to remind people to fasten their’ safety belts. Unless the driver’s
safety belt is buckled,
a chime will also sound.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Seats and Safety Belts
How To Wear Safety Belts Prroperiy
Adults
This section is only for people of adult size.
I CAUTION
There are special things to know about safety belts and childr\
en. And
there are different rules for babies and smaller children.
If a child will
“Children.” Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.\

I be riding in your vehicle, see the part after this one, called
st, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your vehicle has. We’ll start
with the driver position.
Driver Position
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This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Lap-Shoulder Belt I
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The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index) so you can sit
up straight.
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3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Don’t let it get
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. If the belt isn’t long
twisted.
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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5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle end of the \
belt as
you pull up on the shoulder belt.
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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 serio\
us or even
fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and ac\
ross 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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