Page 17 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to
buckle up. (See “Safety Belt Reminder Light” in the
Index.) A few crashes
are mild, and some crashes
can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes
are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt or
killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts
are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it
goes.
In many states and Canadian provinces,
the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
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Page 18 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I ..
. .. . .. . ..
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat on
wheels.
Put someone on it.
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Page 19 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop. The
person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ,..
Page 20 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine or the instrument panel . . . or 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 strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such
good sense.
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Page 21 of 386

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
@ 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 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.
@ Why don’t they just put in air bags so people
A: Air bags are in many 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.
won’t have to wear safety belts?
QC If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
home, why should I wear safety belts?
accident -- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passenger 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
OCCUT at speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part 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 Corvette, see the part of this manual called
“Children.” 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.
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Page 22 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
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 “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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Page 23 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 abdom’en. 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.
Lap Belt Cinch Feature
If you do not want the lap belt to move freely, push the
“cinch” button.
To loosen the belt, unbuckle it, let it
retract, and buckle
up again.
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Page 24 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
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