1994 BUICK REGAL belt

7. Run the belt through or around the child restraint.
The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
8. Put the hook on the free end through the slot in the
latch plate.
x
9. To make it tight, pull the belt while you push down
on the child restraint. If the belt won't stay tight,
switch
it end for end.
10. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure
it is secure.
63
ProCarManuals.com

To remove the infantlchild seat restraint:
1. Push the button on the safety belt buckle and remove
the special latch plate. Leave the latch plate on the
special belt.
A
4. Remember to reattach the automatic belt again, once
the child restraint is removed. Be sure it isn’t twisted.
Larger Children
2. Push the spring on the hook near the door and
remove
the special belt.
3. Put the belt away in a safe place in your vehicle, so it
won’t fly around in a crash and injure someone.
A
Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
If you have
the choice, a child should sit next to a
window
so the child can wear a lap-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
64
ProCarManuals.com

Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained
in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
a crash.
Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
people who are.
I &!, CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here
two children are wearing the same belt. The
belt can’t properly spread the impact forces.
In a
CAUTlON: (Continued)
65
ProCarManuals.com

What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but fhe child is so small that the shoulder belt is
’very close to the child’s face or neck?
A: Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but be
sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder,
so that in a crash the child’s upper body would have the
restraint that
belts provide. If the child is so small that
the shoulder belt
is still very close to the child’s face or
neck, you might want to place
the child in the center seat
position, the one that has only a lap belt.
See “Rear
Safety Cornfort Guides” in the Index.
ProCarManuals.com

Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt
should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching
the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s
pelvic bones
in a crash.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it. The automatic lap-shoulder belt has plenty
of extra length built
in, so it will fasten around almost
all people.
But
if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your
dealer will order you an extender. It’s free. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will
be long enough for you. The extender will
be just for you, and just for the seat
in your vehicle that
you choose. Don’t let someone else use it, and use
it
only for the seat it is made to fit. To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure all your belts, buckles, latch
plates, retractors, anchorages and reminder systems are
working properly.
Look for any loose parts or damage.
If you see anything that might keep a restraint system
from doing its job, have
it repaired.
67
ProCarManuals.com

Replacing Safety Belts After a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be
if worn
during a more severe crash, then you need new belts.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean you will need
to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even if
the belt wasn’t being used at
the time
of the collision.
@’ What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is torn.
Torn
or frayed belts may not protect you in a crash.
They can rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt is torn
or frayed, get a new one right away.
68
ProCarManuals.com

F
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
Buick: Buckle
up. (See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.” Assume that
pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be,
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions
are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to the
highway death toll, claiming thousands
of victims every
year. Alcohol takes away three things that anyone needs
to drive a vehicle:
0 Judgment
0 Muscular Coordination
0 Vision
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol
- a driver, a
passenger or someone else, such as
a pedestrian, had
been drinking. In most cases, these deaths are the result
of someone who was drinking and driving. About
140
ProCarManuals.com

Your Buick can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. It is better to remove as
much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then
steer around the problem,
to the left or right depending
on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn
it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand.
But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
148
ProCarManuals.com