1996 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position
reduces the chance
of a neck injury in a crash.
Seatback Latches
The front seat folds forward
to let people get into
the
back seat. Your seatback
will move back and
forth
freely, unless you come to
a sudden stop. Then it will
lock in place.
If your vehicle is parked facing down a fairly steep hill,
the seatback may not fold without some help from you.
To fold the locked seatback forward, push the seatback
toward the rear and lift this latch. Then the seatback will
fold forward. The latch must be down for the seat to
work properly.
Split Folding Rear Seat (Option)
Pull forward on the seat tab to fold the seat down. To
return the seat to its original position, push it back up
and make sure it latches.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the air bag system.
I A I
a CAUTION: I
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear
a safety belt properly.
If you are in a crash and
you’re not wearing
a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle
or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured
or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be if
you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts
are fastened properly too.
Your vehicle has a light that
comes on as a reminder to
buckle up. (See “Safety Belt Reminder Light’’
in
the Index.)
In most 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.
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!
1-6

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine WI - :ty Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
I
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on wheels. Put
someone
on it.
1-7

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 ...

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.
1-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q:
A:
&=
A:
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?
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.
If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
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.
.5
t
Q:
A:
If.1’m a good driver,, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety bdts?
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 ybu from things beyond your ’
control, such as bad drivers.
I
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 lun) sf
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths OCCUT at spee.cls .of less than 40 mph
(65 W). . ,
,Safety belts are for everyone. I
’ 1-10

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
Chevrolet, 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.
Don’t
let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock
if you pull the belt across
you very quickly.
if this happens, let the belt go back
slightly
to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end
of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt. 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, or
if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.