1996 PONTIAC GRAND-AM Owners Manual

To remove and store the comfort guides, just perform
these steps in reverse order. Squeeze the belt edges
together
so that you can take them out from the guides.
Pull the guide upward to expose its storage clip, and
then slide the guide onto'the clip. Rotate the guide and
clip inward and in between the seatback and the interior
body, leaving only the loop
of elastic cord exposed.
Center Passenger Position
Lap Belt
When you sit in the center seating position, you have a
lap safety belt, which has no retractor. To make the belt
longer, tilt the latch plate and pull
it along the belt.
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To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until
the belt
is snug.
Buckle, position and release
it the same way as the lap
part of a lap-shoulder belt. 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.
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! That includes
infants and
all children smaller than adult size. In fact,
the law
in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province
says children up to some age must be
restrained while in a vehicle.
Smaller Children and Babies r
Smaller children and babies should always be
restrained in
a child or infant restraint. The
instructions for the restraint will
say whether it
is the right type and size for your child. A very
young child’s hip bones are
so small that a
regular belt might not stay low on the hips, as it
should. Instead, the belt will likely be over the
child9s abdomen.
In a crash, the belt would apply
force right on the child% abdomen, which could
cause serious or fatal injuries.
so, be sure that
any child small enough for one
is always properly
restrained in
a child or infant restraint.
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Never hold a baby in your arms while riding in a
vehicle. A baby doesn’t weigh much -- until a
crash. During a crash a baby will become so
,. CAUTION: (Continued) heavy
you can’t
hold it. For example, in a crash
at only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 124b. (5.5 kg) baby
will suddenly become
a 240-1b. (110 kg) force on
your arms. The baby would be almost impossible
Secure the baby in an infant restraint.
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Child Restraints
Be sure the child restraint is designed to be used in a
'vehicle. If it is, it will have a label saying that it meets
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Then follow thle instructions for the restraint.
You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or
in a
booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system in
your vehicle, b'ut the child also has to be secured within
the restraint to help reduce the chance
of personal injury.
The instructions that come with the infant or child
restraint will,
show you how to do that.
.Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained
in the rear rather than the front seat. ,We at
General Motors therefore recommend that
you put your
child restraint in the rear seat. Never put a rear-faciig
child restraint in the front passenger seat, Here's
wkv:
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 SI
rear-facing child restraint would be very close to
the inflating air
bag. Always secure a rear-facing
child restraint in the rear seat.
You may, however, secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat. Before
you secure
a forward-facing child restraint, always move the
front passenger seat as far back as it will go. Or,
secure the child restraint in the rear seat.
Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in mind that
an unsecured child restraint can move
around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in
the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child
restraint in
your vehicle -- even when no child is in it,
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Top Strap Your dealer can obtain the hardware kit and install it for
you, or you may install it yourself using the instructions
provided in the kit.
Use the tether hardware kit available from the dealer.
The hardware and installation instructions were
specifically designed for this vehicle.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. If you need to have an anchor installed, you
can
ask your Pontiac dealer to put it in for you. If you
want to install an anchor yourself, your dealer can tell.
you how to do
it.
For cars first sold in Canada, child restraints with a top
strap must be anchored according to Canadian law. You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt.
See the earlier part
about the top strap
if the child restraint has one.
1. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
instructions say.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
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3. 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.
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.
4. 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,
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5. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
you push down on the child restraint.
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure
it is secure.
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.
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.
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1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
2. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
plate
and pulling
it along the belt.
for the child restraint.
3. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
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.
4. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the
restraint.
The child restraint instructiom will show
you how.
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