1997 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Owners Manual

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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A CAUTIQN
Never do this.
Here
a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part
is b’ehind
the child.
If the child wears the belt in this way, in
a crash the child might slide under the belt. The
belt’s force would then be applied right on the
child’s abdomen. That could
cause serious or
fatal injuries.
Wherever the child sits, the lap porti’on of the belt
should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching
the child’s
thighs, This applies belt force to the child’s
pelvic bones in
a crash.
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Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your
dealer will order you an extender. It’s free. When you
go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you. The extender will
be just for you, and just for the seat in your vehicle that
you choose. Don’t let someone else use
it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to fit.
To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Yo1 Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts.
If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from
doing its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you
in a
crash. They
can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt is
torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a
Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be
if worn
during a more severe crash, then you need new belts.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean you will need to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even if
the belt wasn’t being used at
the time of the collision.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag
system
parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier in
this section.
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