1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA Owners Manual

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 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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Top Strap
If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. Anchor brackets for the rear outside seat
positions are located on the floor in the cargo area. Don't use the front set
of tie-down brackets. Anchor the
top strap to the rearmost bracket on the same side of the
vehicle as the child restraint.
Once you have the top strap anchored, you'll be ready to
secure the child restraint itself.
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Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
1.
2.
3.
Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
Secure the child
in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
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.
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. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor
to set the lock.
6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the
retractor while you
push down on the child restraint.
7. 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.
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I Center Seat Position Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
Oon’t use child restraints in these positions. The
restraints won’t work properly. 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.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
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.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
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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.
5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
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7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it
is secure. Adjust the bucket
seat forward until the
lap portion of the safety belt
holds the restraint firmly. But don’t move
it any
more than needed to tighten the lap belt.
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.
6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the
retractor while you
push down on the child restraint.
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