1999 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

First Edition for Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual ± 1999
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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
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 manual called
ªChildren.º 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 ªSeatsº in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.

First Edition for Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual ± 1999
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AV120221
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn't long enough, see ªSafety Belt
Extenderº 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.
AM120007
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.

First Edition for Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual ± 1999
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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.
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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.

First Edition for Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual ± 1999
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Q:What's wrong with this?
AM120015
A:The shoulder belt is too loose. It won't give nearly
as much protection this way.
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.

First Edition for Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual ± 1999
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Q:What's wrong with this?
AM120016
A:The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
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.

First Edition for Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual ± 1999
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Q:What's wrong with this?
AM125001
A:The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
CAUTION:
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.

First Edition for Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual ± 1999
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Q:What's wrong with this?
AM125002
A:The belt is twisted across the body.
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.

First Edition for Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual ± 1999
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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.
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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.