1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

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.
Don’t let
it get twisted.
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.
1-10
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 crash.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that is right for you.
To move it down, squeeze the release handle and move
the height adjuster to the desired position. You
can move
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 fkom
your face and neck, but not falling off your shailder.
1-11
ProCarManuals.com

@ What's wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won't give nearly
as much protection this way.
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.
ProCarManuals.com

&: What’s wrong with this?
I I I I I I I I 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.
1-13
ProCarManuals.com

e.'' What's wrong with this?
CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm.
In a crash, your
body would move too
far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too
much force to the
ribs, which aren't as strong as shoulder bones.
You could also severely injure internal organs
like your liver or spleen.
A,: The shuulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
'I , ;* . ,.
.. . I
ProCarManuals.com

@' What's wrong with this?
I I I I I I 1 I I I I J
ITTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In
a crash, you wouldn't have the full width of the
belt to spread impact forces.
If a belt is twisted,
make it straight
so it can work properly, or ask
~ your dealer to fix it.
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
ProCarManuals.com

To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should
go back out of the way.
Before
you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the
way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the
belt
and your vehicle.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
This part explains the Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) or .air bag system.
Your Pontiac has two air bags -- one ,air bag for the
driver and another air bag for the right front passenger.
Here are the most important things to know about the air
bag system:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you aren’t wearing your safety belt
-- even if you
have an air bag. Wearing your safety belt during
a crash helps seduce your chance of hitting things
inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. The air
bag
is only a “supplemental restraint.” That is, it
works with safety belts but doesn’t replace them.
Air bags
are designed to work only in moderate
to severe crashes where the front of your vehicle
hits something. They aren’t designed to inflate
at
all in rollover, rear, side or low-speed frontal
crashes. Everyone in your vehicle, including
the driver, should wear
a safety belt
properly
-- whether or not there’s an air bag
for that person.
1-16
ProCarManuals.com

Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye.
If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position for an air bag inflation
in
a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with an
air bag. The driver should sit as far back
as possible while still maintaining control of the
vehicle.
I A CAUTIO,. :
An inflating air bag can seriously injure small
children. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle.
To read how, see the part of this manual
called “Children” and the caution label on the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
I
L
There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR
The system checks the air bag’s electrical systemfor
malfunctions. The light tells
you if there is an electric-al
problem. See
“Air Bag Readiness Light” in the Index
for more information.
.. ,.-
ProCarManuals.com