1998 GMC SIERRA Owners Manual

Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t
do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead,
it will be in
front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not
at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle
is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.
~~
Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Seatback Latches
The front seatback of the base-level bench seat folds
forward
to let you access the rear of the cab. Your
seatback will move back and forth freely, unless you
come to a sudden stop. Then it will lock into place.
If
you have a Crew Cab, your front seatback is designed
not to fold forward. Access to the rear of the cab is
available by using the rear doors.
The front seatback
of the split bench seat and bucket
seats fold forward to let you access the rear of the cab.
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~ ~ ~~ ~~
~~ ~ ~~ To fold a front split bench
or bucket seatback forward,
pull this lever forward and
fold the seatback forward.
To return the seatback to the upright position, just push
the seatback rearward until it latches. After returning the
seatback to its upright position, pull the seatback
forward to make sure it is locked.
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in
a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure
it
is locked.
Easy Entry Seat (Extended Cab Only)
The manual driver and passenger front bucket seats
and the manual
60/40 split bench seat of your vehicle
have an easy entry feature. This makes it easy to get in
and out of the rear seat. On vehicles with the power
driver’s seat, only the front passenger’s seat has the
easy entry feature.
To operate the seat, pull
forward on the top of this
lever and tilt the back
forward toward the front of
the vehicle.
When you do, the seat bottom will release. Just pull or
push the seat forward until it stops.
To return the seat to its regular position, return the
seatback to its upright position, then push the whole seat
rearward until it latches.
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After returning the seat to its regular position, try to
move the seat with your body in order to make sure the
seat is locked into place.
I A LAUTION:
If any easy entry seat isn’t locked, it can move. In
a sudden stop or crash, the person sitting there
could be injured. And, even if there
is no crash or
sudden stop, a driver sitting in an unlocked easy
entry seat could be startled by the sudden
movement and hit the wrong control or pedal,
causing an accident. After you’ve used it, be sure
to push rearward on any easy entry seat to be
sure it is locked.
Rear Seat (Extended Cab)
Folding the Rear Seat
The Extended Cab may have a rear folding seat which
can be folded up
to provide more cargo space. To fold
the seat:
’ 1. Pull forward on the
RELEASE lever under
the seat cushion, behind
the passenger’s side
front seat. Fold the
seatback forward until
it latches with the
seat cushion.
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2. Lift the entire seat
and push it rearward
into place.
3. Make sure the seat is secure.
The Extended Cab’s rear seat can also be folded open
for more seating space.
To use the seat:
1. Pull the entire seat forward until it is flat.
2. Then pull forward on the RELEASE lever under the
seat cushion,
on the passenger’s side of the rear seat.
Push the seatback rearward until it latches.
3. After pushing the seatback upright into position, pull
the seatback forward to make sure it is locked.
Rear Seat (Crew Cab)
The rear seatback without a center armrest can be folded
forward to let you reach the area behind it. Your
seatback will move back and forth freely, unless you
come to a sudden stop. Then, it will lock into place.
The rear seatback with
a center armrest folds forward to
let
you access the area behind it.
To fold a seatback forward,
pull this lever forward and
fold the seatback forward.
To return the seatback to the upright position, just push
the seatback rearward until it latches. After returning the
seatback to its upright position, pull the seatback
forward to make sure it is locked.
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Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things
you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the air bag system.
’
A CAUTION:
I
- -
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in
a crash and
you’re not wearing
a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse.
You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts
are fastened properly too. It
is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle.
In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes
on as a reminder
to buckle
up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index,)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says
to
wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
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You never Know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people
who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
After more than
30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Take the
simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.
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c
Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
-
or the instrument panel ...
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