1997 GMC JIMMY Owner's Manual

n /----.. 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
cross 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.
On four-door models, the safety belt also locks if you
pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
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.
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,
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To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
for Children
and Small Adults
(4-Door Models)
Four-door models have rear shoulder belt comfort
guides. This feature 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:
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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.
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.
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I I'

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. 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.
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Center Rear Passenger Position
(4-Door Models)
Lap Belt
When you sit in the center rear seating position, you
have a lap safety belt which has a retractor.

Children
4. Position and release it the same way as the lap part
of a lap-shouldel- 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. Everyone
in 21 vehicle needs protection! That includes
infanls and
all children smaller than adult size. 111 fdct.
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 r bi
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
i child's abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply
force right on the child's abdomen, which could
l 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.

Never hold a baby in your arms while riding in a
vehicle.
A baby doesn’t weigh much -9 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 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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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 the 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, but 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 a rear seat outside position unless the
child is an infant and you’re the only adult
in the
vehicle.
In that case, you might want to secure the
restraint
in the right front seat where you can keep an
eye on the. baby.
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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