1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across
you very quickly.
If this happens, let the belt go back
slightly
to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can
buckle
the belt.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If
the belt isn’t long enough, see “Safety Belt
Extender’’
at the end of this section.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt. The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug 6fi
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be less likely \
to slide under the lap belt.
If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force at your abdomen.
This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries.
The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the
body are best able to
take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks
if there’s a sudden stop or crash, or
if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
1-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that
is right for you.
To move it down, squeeze the release button and move
the adjuster to the desired position. You can move the
adjuster up just by pushing up on the shoulder belt
guide. After you move the adjuster to where you want it,
try to move it down without squeezing the release button
to make sure it has locked into position.
Adjust the height
so that the shoulder portion of the
belt is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be
away from your face and neck, but not falling
off
your shoulder.
,
1-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine e.’ What’s wrong with this?
I
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is
too loose.
In a crash, you would move forward
too much, which could increase injury. The
shoulder belt should fit against your body.
I
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q.' What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
I , CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash,
the belt would go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not
at the pelvic
bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
Always buckle your belt into the buckle
nearest you.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q: What's wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be
worn over the shoulder at all times.
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm. In
a crash, your
body would move
too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also,
the belt would apply too much force to the
ribs, which aren't
as strong as shoulder bones.
You could also severely injure internal organs
like your liver or spleen.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @' What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
A * UTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In
a crash, you wouldn't have the full width of the
belt to spread impact forces. If
a belt is twisted,
make it straight
so it can work properly, or ask
your dealer to
fix it.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should go back out
of the way.
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they don’t wear safety belts.
0 I
Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the
way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the
belt and your vehicle.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below
the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.