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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.
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
fmlt - 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 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
w How to Wear Safety
Belts Properly
Adults
This section is only for people of adult
size.
Be aware that there are special things to
know about safety belts and children.
And there are different rules for smaller
children and babies.
If a child will be
riding
in your Geo, see the section after
this one, called “Children.”
Follow those
rules for everyone’s protection. Safety Belt Reminder
Light
Nhen the key is turned to “ON” or
‘START,” a light will come on for about
:ight seconds
to remind people to fxten
heir safety belts. Unless the driver’s
afety belt is already buckled, a chime
vill also sound.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
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.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shouldcr bclt. Here‘s
how 10 wear il 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.
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.
Pull up
on the latch plate to make sure
it is secure. If the belt isn’t long
enough, see “Safety Belt Extender” at
the end of
this section.
Make sure the release button on the
buckle is positioned
so you would be
able
to unbuckle the safety belt
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. 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 shoulder
and across 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 crash, or
if you pull the belt very
quickly out of the retractor.
2: What’s wrong with this?
\: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t
give nearly as much protection this
way.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
8
Q: What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong
place.
m
: What's wrong with this?
: The shoulder- belt is worn under the
arm. It should be worn over- the
shoulder
at all times.
A CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if you
wear the shoulder belt under your
arm. In a crash, your budy 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.
C
P
2: What's wrong with this?
\: The belt is twisted across the body.
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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.
Safety 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.
L
1
Passenger Positions
Right Front Passenger Position
The right front passenger’s safety belt
works the same way as
the driver’s safety
belt. See “Driver Position,’’ earlier in this
part.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all
the way, it will lock.
If it does, let it go
back all the way and start again.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
L
Rear Seat Passengers
It‘s very important for rear seat
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.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The rear seats have lap-shoulder belts.
Here’s how
to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the
belt across you. Don’t
let it get
twisted.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle
until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it
is secure.
When the shoulder belt
is pulled out all
the way,
it will lock. If it does, let it go
back all the way and start again.
If the belt is not long eqough, see “Safety
Belt Extender” at the end of this section.
Make sure the release button
on the
buckle is positioned
so you would be able
to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if you
ever had to.
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3. To make the lap part tight, pull down
on the buckle end of the belt as you
pull up on the shoulder part. 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 shoulder
and across
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, or if you pull
the belt veri
quickly out of the retractor.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
0 To unlatch the belt, just push the
button on the buckle.
I
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection!
That includes infants and all children
smaller than adult size. In fact, the law
in
every state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says children
up
to some age must be restrained while in a
vehicle.
Smaller Children and Babies
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