1996 BUICK REGAL Owners Manual

Children
4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described
in “Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
(4-Door Models)” earlier
in this section. Make sure
that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guides, just perform
these steps
in reverse order. Squeeze the belt edges
together
so that you can take them out from the guides.
Pull the guide upward to expose its storage clip, and
then slide the guide onto the clip. Rotate the guide and
clip inward and in between the seatback and the interior
body, leaving only the loop
of elastic cord exposed. 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.
laller Chilc en and Bat
Smaller children and babies should always be
restrained in a child or infant restraint. The
instructions for the restraint will say whether it is
the right type and size
for your child. A very
young child’s hip bones are
so small that a
regular belt might not stay low on the hips, as it
should. Instead, the belt will likely be over the
child’s abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply
force right on the child’s abdomen, which could
cause serious or fatal injuries.
So, be sure that
any child small enough for one is always properly
restrained in a child or infant restraint.
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‘A
A
Never hold a baby in your arms while riding in a
vehicle. A baby doesn’t weigh much -- until a
crash. During
a crash a baby will become so
CAUTION: (Continued)
I
heavy you can’t hold it. For example, in a crash
at only 25 mph
(40 km/h), a 12-lb. (5.5 kg) baby
will suddenly become
a 2404b. (110 kg) force on
your arms. The baby would be almost impossible
to hold.
Secure the baby in an infant restraint.
i
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Child Restraints
Be sure the child restraint is designed to be used in a
vehicle. If it is, it will have a label saying that it meets
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or in a
booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system in
your vehicle, but
the child also has to be secured within
the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury.
The instructions that come with
the infant or child
restraint will show you how to do that.
Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than
the front seat. We at
General Motors therefore recommend that
you put your
child restraint
in the rear seat. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in
the front passenger seat. Here’s why:
iAUTION:
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A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured if the right front passenger’s
air bag inflates. This is because the back
of a
rear-facing child restraint would be very close to
the inflating air bag. Always secure a rear-facing
child restraint in the rear seat.
You may, however, secure
a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat. Before you secure
a forward-facing child restraint, always move the
front passenger seat
as far back as it will go. Or,
secure the child restraint in the rear seat.
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Strap
A child in a child restraint in the center front seat
can be badly injured by the right front passenger
air bag if it inflates. Never secure a child restraint
in the center front seat. It’s always better to
secure
a child restraint in the rear seat. You may,
however, secure
a forward-facing child restraint
in the right front passenger seat, but only with
the seat moved all the
way back.
Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move
around
in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in
the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child
restraint in your vehicle
-- even when no child is in it. If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored.
If you need to have an anchor installed, you
can ask your Buick dealer to
put it in for you. If you
want to install an anchor yourself,
your dealer can tell
you how to do
it.
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For cars first sold in Canada, child restraints with a top
strap must be anchored according to Canadian law.
Your dealer can obtain the hardware kit and install it for
you, or you may install it yourself using the instructions
provided in the kit.
Use
the tether hardware kit available from the dealer.
The hardware and installation instructions were
specifically designed for this vehicle.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside
Seat Position (2-Door Models)
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap
if the child restraint has one.
1. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
If you have
a four-door model, see “Securing a Child
Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position (4-Door
Models)’’ later
in this section.
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Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child's face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint. 4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
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5. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt
and let it go back all the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult
or larger child passenger.
yodpush
down on the child restraint.
duections to be sure it is secure.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position (4-DoOr Models)
If you have a two-door model, see “Securing a Child
Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position (2-Door
Models)” earlier in this section.
You’ll be wing the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
1. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint, The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
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4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
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