1997 BUICK REGAL Owners Manual

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,
or if
you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
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.
~~
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
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Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides will provide added
safety belt comfort for children who have outgrown
child restraints and for small adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide pulls the belt away
from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each outside passenger position
in the rear seat. To provide added safety belt comfort
for children who have outgrown child restraints and for
smaller adults, the comfort guides may be installed on
the shoulder belts. Here’s how to install a comfort guide
and use the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the edge of
the seatback and
the interior body to remove the
guide from its storage clip.
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2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The elastic
cord must be under the belt.
Then, place the guide
over the belt, and insert the two edges
of the belt into
the
slots of the guide.
3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.
The elastic cord must be under the belt and the
guide on top.
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4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described in “Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions’
earlier in this section. Make sure that the shoulder
belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guides, 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
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Belt
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.
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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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
"N:
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
child's abdomen.
In a crash, the belt would apply
force right on the child's 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
heavy you can't hold it. For example, in a crash
CAUTION: (Continued) at
only
25 mph (40 km/h), a 12-lb. (5.5 kg) baby
will suddenly become
a 240-lb. (110 kg) force on
your arms. The baby would be almost impossible
to hold.
Secure the baby in an infant restraint.
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Built-in Child Restraint (Option) If your vehicle has this option, there’s a built-in
child restraint in the center rear seat position. This
child restraint system conforms to ali applicable
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
This child restraint is designed for use only by
children who weigh between
22 and 60 pounds
(10 and 27 kg) and whose height is between 33.5 and
51 inches (850 and 1 295 mm) and who are capable
of sitting upright alone.
The child should also be at least one year old. It is
important
to use a rear-facing infant restraint until
the child is about a year old.
A rear-facing restraint
gives the infant’s head, neck and body the support
they would need in a crash. See “Child Restraints”
later in this section for more information.
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