1996 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Owners Manual

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 Supplemental Inflatable Restraint, or “air bag” system.
t
Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. (See
“Safety Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In many 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!
1-18
ProCarManuals.com

Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest
vehicle. Suppose it's
just
a seat on wheels.
Put someone
on it.
Get it up to speed.
Then stop the vehicle.
The rider doesn't stop.
1-19
ProCarManuals.com

I
3
The person keeps
going until stopped by
something.
In a real vehicle, it
could be the
windshield
...
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.
1-20
ProCarManuals.com

Here Are Questions Many People Ask About
Safety Belts
- and the Answers
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I’m wearing a
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.
safety belt?
t Why don ’t they just put in air bags so people won ’t have to wear
safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in more 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.
Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from home, why should I
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an accident - even
wear safety belts?
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 kmk).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Proper/y
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 vehicle, 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.
1-21
ProCarManuals.com

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 the belt
get twisted.
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.
1-22
ProCarManuals.com

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 a crash.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster (&Door Utility Models)
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt adjuster to the height that
is right for you.
To move it down, push in at the word
PRESS and move the height adjuster to
the desired position. You can move the adjuster up just
by pushing up on the
shoulder belt guide. After you move the adjuster to where you want it,
try to
move it down without pushing
in 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.
1-23
ProCarManuals.com

Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly as much protection
this way.
1-24
ProCarManuals.com

Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
1-25
ProCarManuals.com