1993 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Owners Manual

6. The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the
windshield.
. .
4. Put someone on it. 5. Get it up to speed. Then stop the "car." The rider doesn't stop.
. I
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.
7. or the instrument panel. . . I 8. or the safety belts!
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Seats & Safety Belts
Here Are Questions Many People
Ask About Satiety Belts-
and the Answers
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle
after an accident if
I’m wearing a
safety belt?
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.
A: You could be-whether you’re
Q: Why don’t they just put in air
bags
so people won’t have to wear
safety belts?
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
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.
A: “Air bags,” or Supplemental
Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never
drive far from home, why should I
wear safety belts?
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 Wh).
Safety belts are for everyone.
A: You may be an excellent driver, but
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Safety Belt Reminder light
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.
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly-Adults
This section is only for people of adult
size.
.I 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 Oldsmobile, see the Index
I
under Children and Safety Belts.
Follow those rules for everyone’s
protection.
First, you’ll want to know which
restraint systems
your vehicle has. We’ll
start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This section describes the driver’s
restraint system.
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Seats & Safety Belts
lap-Shoulder Belt
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 the
Index under Seat Controls) 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.
If the belt stops before it reaches the
buckle, tilt the latch plate and keep
pulling until you can buckle the belt.
If the belt isn't long enough, see the
Index under Safety Belt Extender.
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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r
5. To make the lap part tight, pun down
on the buckle end of the belt as you
pull up
on the shoulder belt. 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
serious or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It
won’t give nearly as much protection
this way.
shoulder and across the chest. These
parts of the body are best able
to take
belt restraining forces. 1 I
The safety belt locks 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 wouId move
forward too much, which could
increase injury. The shoulder belt
should
fit against your body.
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Seats & Safety Belts
apshoulder Belt (WNX)
2: What’s wrong with this?
\: The belt is buckled in the wrong
place.
I
A
You can be seriously injured if
your belt is buckled in the
wrong place like this. In a crash,
the belt would go up over your
abdomen. The belt forces would
be there, not at the pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal
injuries. Always buckle your belt
into the buckle nearest you.
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is over an armrest.
A
You can be seriously injured if
your belt goes over an armrest
like this. The belt would be much
too high. In
a crash, you can slide
under the belt. The belt force
would then be applied at the
abdomen, not at the pelvic bones,
and that could cause serious or
fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes
under the armrests.
I
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the
arm. It should be worn over the
shoulder at all times.
You can be seriously injured if
you wear the shoulder belt
under your arm. In a crash, your
body would move too far forward,
which would increase the chance
of head and neck injury. Also, the
belt would apply too much force to
the ribs, which aren’t as strong as
shoulder bones. You could
also
severely injure internal organs like
your liver or spleen.
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Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
bAU I IUlV
A
You can be seriously injured
by a twisted belt.
In a crash,
you wouldn’t have the
full width of
the belt to spread impact forces. If
a belt is twisted, make it straight
so it can work properly, or ask
I your dealer to fix it.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button
on the buckle. The belt should go back
out of the way.
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 vehicle.
Satety Belt 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, and the lap portion should
be worn as low
as possible throughout
the pregnancy.
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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Seats & Safety Belts
30
Right Front Passenger Position
The right front passenger’s safety belt
works the same way as the driver’s
safety belt. See the
Index under Driver
Position.
Rear Seat Passengers
It’s very important for rear sear
passengers to buckle up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in
the rear seat are hurt more often in
crashes than those who are wearing:
safety belts.
Rear passengers
who aren’t safety belted
can be thrown out of the
vehicle in a
crash. And they can strike others in the
vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
Rear Seat Outside Passenger
Positions
The positions next to the windows have
lap-shoulder belts.
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