1996 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Securing a Child Restraint in the Center
Rear Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap belt.
See the earlier part about the top strap if the child
restraint .has one.
1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
2. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
3. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
plate
and pulling it along the belt.
for the child restraint.
instructions say.
4. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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
n
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
4. 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.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
1. 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.)
2. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
3. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions
say.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 up on the shoulder belt while
7. 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. ,
you push down on the child restraint.
directions to be sure it is secure.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Accident statistics show that children are safer
if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
0, Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
a crash.
0 Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
people who are.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I A CAUTION:
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.
&: 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 seat outside position, 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
I
1-45

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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, just 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. 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.)
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 necessary.
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.