1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS Owners Manual

Children
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Never hold a baby in your arms while ridiqg i;a a
vehicle. A baby doesn't wei,gh much -- until a
crash. Daring a crash a baby will become so
heavy you can't hold it. For example, in a crash
CAUTION: (Conthiued)
I
L
~~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~
it orily 25'mph (40 kaalh),, 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 the rear seat.
Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the front passenger seat. Here’s why:
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 a
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
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Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside seat Position
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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 quickfy if you ever had to.
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5. Buckle tkbelt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly
if you everhad to.
6. To tighten the belt, pull its free end whileyou push
down on the
child restraint. ,
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