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Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident -- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being
a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control9 such
as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds
of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies.
If a child will be
riding
in your vehicle, see the part of this manual
called “Children.” Follow those rules for
everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start
with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here‘s how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
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The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When
a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more
likely that the fetus
won’t be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women,
as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective
is wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s
safety belt properly, see “Driver Position” earlier in
this section.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt
-- except for one thing. If
you ever pull the lap portion of the belt out all the way,
you will engage
the child restraint locking feature. If
this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and
start again.
Air Bag System
This part explains the air bag system.
Your vehicle may have a
“Next Generation’‘
reduced-force frontal air
bag for the driver and
another “Next Generation”
reduced-force frontal air
bag for the right front
passenger. If
it does, it will
say AIR BAG
on the middle
part
of the steering wheel.
Reduced-force frontal air
bags are designed to help
reduce the risk of injury from the force of
an inflating
air bag. But even these air bags must inflate very
quickly
if they are to do their job and comply with
federal regulations.
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4. Pull the rest of the lap belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the
lock.
5. To tighten the belt, feed the lap belt back into the
retractor
while you push down on the child restraint.
You may find it helpful to use your knee to push
down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure
it is secure.
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5. Pull the rest of the lap belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock. 6. To tighten the belt, feed the lap belt back into the
retractor while you push down on the child restraint.
If you’re using a forward-facing child restraint, you
may find it helpful to use your knee to push down on
the child restraint as
you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
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Door Locks
A CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When
a door is
locked, the inside handle won't open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when
you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren't locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you
will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several cc.ays to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside. use your key or the Keyless Entry
System.
if your \:ellick has this option.
To lock the door from the
inside, slide
the lever on
your door down.
To unlock the door. slide the lever up.
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Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or
a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or
a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front
of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room.
That’s
the time for evasive action -- steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well
in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies’’ earlier in this section.)
It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or
right depending on the space available. An
emergency like this requires close attention
and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it
a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But
you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided
the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
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