Page 25 of 354
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 26 of 354

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine II
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.
Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will
be in most
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.
wear safety belts?
&: 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 fault -- 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/l-).
Safety belts are for everyone.
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Page 27 of 354

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 Cadillac, 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.
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.
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.
Don’t
let it
get twisted.
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Page 28 of 354
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 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.
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Page 29 of 354
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that
is right for you.
I!
i
the adjuster up just by pushing up on the bottom of the
release handle. After you
move the adjuster to where
you want it, try to move it down without squeezing the
release handle to make sure it has locked into position.
Adjust the height
so that the shoulder portion of the belt
is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away
from your face and neck, but not falling
off your
shoulder.
Shoulder Belt Tightness Adjustment
Your car has a shoulder belt tightness adjustment
feature.
If the shoulder belt seems too tight, adjust it
before you begin to drive.
1. Sit well back in the seat.
2. Start pulling the shoulder belt out.
To move it down, squeeze the release handle and move
the height adjuster to the desired position.
You can move
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Page 30 of 354
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 4
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3. Just, before it reaches the end, give it a quick pull.
4. Let the belt go back all the way. You should hear a
slight clicking sound.
If you don’t, the adjustment
feature won‘t set, and you’ll have
to start again.
5. Now you can add a small amount of slack. Lean
forward slightly,
then sit back. If you’ve added more
than
1 inch (25 mm) of slack, pull the shoulder belt
out as you did before and start again.
If you move around in the vehicle enough, or if you pull
out the shoulder belt. the belt will become tight again.
If
this happens, you can reset it.
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Page 31 of 354
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @ What’s wrong with this?
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You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is
too
loose. In a crash, you would move forward
too much, which
could increase injury. The
shoulder belt should fit against your body. Don’t
allow
more than 1 inch (25 mm) of slack.
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
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Page 32 of 354
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @' What's wrong with this?
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1 I 1 I I I I 1 I
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I A CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled in the wrong place
like this. In a crash,
the belt would
go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at the pelvic bones. This
could cause serious internal injuries. Always
buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
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