Page 38 of 436
Seats & Safety Belts
Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the way. If you slam
the door on it, you can damage both the belt and your vehicl\
e.
Safety Be/t 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 if at all possible. The lap
portion should be worn as low as possible throughout the pregnancy.
t
AM135001
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.
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Page 40 of 436
Seats & Safety Belts
Center Passenger Positions
(Except Extended
Cab Rear Seat)
K2128
If your vehicle has front and rear bench seats, someone can sit in the center
positions.
Center Passenger Position (Front Seats)
Center Passenger Position (Four Door
Models Rear Seat)
I AN1450sJ
When you sit in the center seating position, you have a lap safety belt, which
has no retractor.
To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the
belt.
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Page 42 of 436
Seats & Safety Belts
-I
To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt.
To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until the \
belt is snug.
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 e\
nd 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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Page 46 of 436
Seats & Safety Belts
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. I
AN147030
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions (Four Door)
K2145
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder belts. Here's how to
wear one properly.
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Page 48 of 436
Seats & Safety Belts
AM147008
The lap part of the belt should be low and snug on the hips, just touching
the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelv\
ic 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 only
if there’s a sudden stop or a crash.
You can be seriously hurt
if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a
crash you would move forward too much, which could increase i
The shoulder belt should fit against your body.
-
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Page 50 of 436

Seats & Safety Belts
Smaiier 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 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 a\
bdomen. In a
crash the belt would apply force right on the child’s abdom\
en, 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
I restraint. I
AM150035
I CAUTION
Never hold a baby in your 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 rnph (40 km/h), a 12-pound (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly become a
240-pound (11
0 kg) force on your arms. The baby would be almost
iec n an
ant restraint.
r . impossible to hold. .. .. - ’c- ., - ?, -I I.
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Seats & Safety Belts
I CAUTION
An unsecured child restraint can move around in a collision or sudden
L stop and injure people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any
child restraint in your vehicle-even when no child
is in it.
Top Strap
AN1 55001
If your child restraint has a top strap, it must be anchored. If you need to
have an anchor installed, you can ask your
GM dealer to put it in for you. If
you want to install an anchor yourself, your dealer can tell you how to do it.
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Page 54 of 436
Seats & Safety Belts
4. Run the lap part through or around the restraint. The child r\
estraint
instructions will show you how. See
if the shoulder belt would go in front
of the child’s face or neck. If so, put it behind the child restraint.
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.
I-
AN 1601 44 AN160145
6. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while you push down on
the child restraint. Make sure the buckle end
of the belt is pulled out all
the way.
AN1 601 46
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is
secure.
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