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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Larger Children
Children who have outgrown child restraints should wear the veh\
icle'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 sh\
oulder belt can
provide.
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.
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Page 57 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q: What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt, but the 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 a seat that has a lap
belt, if your vehicle has
one.
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Page 58 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
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Page 59 of 340

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
Q: What’s v mg 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.
Before replacing
any safety belt, see your dealer for the correct part number.
You’ll need the model year and model number for your vehicle. The model
year is on your title and registration. And you can find the model number on
the CertificationEire label of your vehicle. See “CertificationEire Label” in
the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine P
0
The model number on the replacement belt must be listed on the safety belt
you want to replace. Pull the shoulder belt all the way out to see this label.
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Page 119 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The charging system light will come on briefly when you turn the ignition
on, but the engine is not running, as a check to show you the light is
working. Then
it should go out once the engine is running. If it stays on, or
comes on while you are driving, you may have a problem with the electrical
charging system. It could indicate that you have a loose accessory drive belt,
or another electrical problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while
this light
is on could drain your battery.
The charging system light is on the left bottom corner of your standard
cluster. It is part
of the digital cluster voltmeter.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be certain to turn off all
your accessories, such as the radio and heatedair conditioner.
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Page 156 of 340

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start
with a very important safety device in your vehicle: 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:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
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
20,000 motor
vehicle-related deaths occur each year because of alcohol, and thousands of
people are injured.
Just how much alcohol is too much if a person plans to drive? Ideally, no
one should drink alcohol and then drive.
But if one does, then what’s “too
much”? It can
be a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on
each person and situation, here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends
upon four things:
0 How much alcohol is in the drink.
0 The drinker’s body weight.
0 The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking.
0 The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol.
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Page 163 of 340

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of
a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery
should be fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in
the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to
1/4 turn until the right front tire contacts the
pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the
roadway.
I 1. Edge of Road
Surface
2. Slow Down
3. Left Approx. Quarter
Turn
4. Recover
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