1997 PONTIAC PONTIAC Owners Manual

Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides 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:
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.
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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.
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.
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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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Children
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
7
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
forcle right on the child’s abdomen, which could
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.
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A CAUTION:
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
heavy you can’t hold it. For example, in a crash
CAUTION: (Continued)
I
CAUTION: (Continued)
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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Built-in Child Restraint (Option) The child should also be at least one year old. It is
important to use a rear-facing infant restraint until the
child is about
a year old. A rear-facing restraint gives
the infant’s head, neck and body the support they would
need
in a crash. See “Child Restraints” later in this
section €or more information.
If your vehicle has this option, there’s a built-in child
restraint in
the center rear seat position. This child
restraint system conforms
to all applicable ~ Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
This child restraint is designed for use only by children
who weigh between
22 and 60 pounds (10 and 27 kg)
and whose height is between 33.5 and 51 inches (850 and
1 295 mm) and who are capable of sitting upright alone.
With this built-in child restraint, YOU can adjust the height
of the harness. Depending on the seated height of the
child, you can route it through the upper pair of slots (A),
the middle pair of slots (B) or the lower pair of slots (C).
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&: Which slots should I use for my ild?
A: With the child seated on the child restraint cushion,
use the pair of slots that is at or just above the top
of the child’s shoulders.
For the child shown here, the harness should go through
the middle pair
of slots (B).
&: What if the top of my child’s shoulders is above
the highest pair
of slots?
A: A child whose shoulders are above the highest slots
shouldn’t use this child restraint. Instead, the child
should sit on the vehicle’s seat cushion
and use the
vehicle’s safety belts.
1
/! CAUTION:
MAKE SURE THE TOP OF THE CHILD’S
SHOULDERS
IS BELOW THE SLOTS THAT
THE HARNESS GOES THROUGH.
A CHILD
WHOSE SHOULDERS ARE ABOVE THOSE
SLOTS COULD BE IN JURED DURING A
SUDDEN STOP OR CRASH. IF THE TOP OF
THE CHILD’S SHOULDERS IS ABOVE
THE SLOTS, DON’T USE THIS CHILD
RESTRAINT. INSTEAD, THE CHILD SHOULD
SIT ON THE VEHICLE’S REGULAR SEAT
AND USE THE REGULAR SAFETY BELTS.
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Adjusting the Harness Height
1. Lower the child restraint cushion.
2. If the left and right halves of the shoulder harness
clip are fastened together, separate them.
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