1996 BUICK REGAL Owners Manual

6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the
retractor while you push down on the child restraint.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure
it is secure.
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.
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center
Rear Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap belt.
I
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.
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See the earlier part about the top strap if the child
restraint has one. 4. Run the vehicle's safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
vou how.
1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling it along the belt.
for the child restraint.
2. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
3. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
5. 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.
6. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
down on the child restraint.
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7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure. If it isn’t, secure
the
restraint in a different place in the vehicle and
contact the child restraint maker for their advice
about how to attach the child restraint properly.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt. It will be ready to work for an adult or larger
child passenger.
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
U
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. Here’s why:
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’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about
the top strap if the child restraint has one.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Because your vehicle has a right front passenger air
bag, always move the seat as far back as it will go
before securing a forward-facing child restraint. (See
“Seats”
in the Index.)
Put the restraint
on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
Secure the child
in the child restraint as the
instructions
say.
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.
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If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck,
put it behind the child restraint.
A
6. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
5. 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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7. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the
retractor while you push down on the child restraint.
8. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
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.
Larger Children
Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle’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 shoulder belt can provide.
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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.
I
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt. The
belt can’t properly spread the impact forces. In
a
crash, the two children can be crushed together
and seriously injured.
A belt must be used by
only one person at
a time.
e.’ 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 sitting in
a rear outside position of a
four-door model, see “Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides”
in the Index. 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 the center
seat position, the one that has only a lap belt.
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Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind
the child.
If the child wears the belt in this way, in
a crash the child might slide under the belt. The
belt’s force would then be applied right on the
child’s abdomen. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries.
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.
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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. iust attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other
loose
or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from
doing its job, have it repaired.
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a very minor collision, nothing
may be h&Wsary.
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.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag
system parts. See the part on
the air bag system earlier in
this section.
Torn or frayed safety 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.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
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