1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

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
control, 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 mand 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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“ .”. .. -.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Don’t let
it get twisted.
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. The lap part of the belt should
be worn low and snug on
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.
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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 handle and move
the height adjuster to the desired position. You can move
the adjuster up just
by pushing up on the bottom of the
release handle. After you move the adjuster to where
you
want it, try to move it down without squeezing the
release handle 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.
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Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection
this way.
A CAUTION:
-
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.
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Q: What’s wrong with this?
I I I I I I I I 1
A 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.
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.

What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the ann. 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.
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Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
A CAUTION:
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.
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To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should
go back out of the way.
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.
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.
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.
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