1997 PONTIAC FIREBIRD belt

Children
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
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
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
€or one is always properly
restrained in a child
or 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 kelp reduce the chancle
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
rearfacing 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 vehicl’e. Be sure to properly secure any child
restraint in your vehicle
-- even when no child is in it.
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Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear 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. 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.
4. 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.
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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 up on the shoulder belt while
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
you
push down on the child restraint.
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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Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position , .
U
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. Here’s why:
A child in a rearfacing child restraint can be
seriously injured if the right front pass’enger’s
air bag inflates. This is because the back of a
rearfacing child restraint would be very close to
the inflating #air bag. Always secure a rear-facing
child restraint in the rear seat.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger air
bag, always
move the seat as far back as it will go
before securing a forward-facing child restraint.
(See “Se,ats”
in the Index.)
2. Put the restraint on the seat, Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
3. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions
say.
4. 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.
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5. 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.
I*
6. 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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7. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
8. Push and pull the child restraint in different
you push down on the child restraint.
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.
Larger Children
Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
Accident
statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
a crash.
people who
are.
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Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt.
The
belt can’t properly spread the impact forces. In a
crash, the two children can be crushed together
and seriously injured.
A belt must be used by
only one person at
a time.
What
if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child
is so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child’s face or neck?
A: Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
be sure
that the shoulder belt still is on the child’s
shoulder,
so that in a crash the child’s upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide.
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