1994 CHEVROLET TRACKER Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go
as fast as it goes.
For example, if the bike is going 10 mph
( 16 km/h), so is the child.
. . .I6
When the bike hits the block, it stops. But
the child keeps going!
Fdke the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's
just a seat on wheels.
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Put someone on it. Get
it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle.
I'he rider doesn't stop. The
person keeps going until stopped by
something.
In
a real vehicle, it could be the
windshield
. . .
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Seats and Restraint Systems
or the instrument panel ... x the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the
vehicle does.
You get more time to stop.
You stop over more distance, and your
;trongest bones take the forces. That’s
why safety belts make such good sense.
Many People Ask about
Safety Belts - and the
Answers
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle
after an accident if
I’m wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be - whether you’re
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 an unbuckle
and get out, is much greater
if you are
belted.
Q: Why don’t they just put in air bags
so people won’t have to wear safety
belts?
A: Air bags 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
. . .la
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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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