2000 GMC SONOMA Owner's Manual

1-4
But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
CAUTION:
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.

1-5 Seatback Latches
The front seatback folds
forward to let people get
into the back seat or to
access the storage area
behind the seat.
To fold the front seatback forward, turn the handle on the
side of the seat rearward and pull the seatback forward.
To return the seatback to the upright position, push the
seatback all the way back until the latch catches. If the
seatback was reclined before being folded forward, it
will return to the reclined position.CAUTION:
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 Models)
The right front bucket or split-bench seat of your vehicle
makes it easy to get in and out of the rear vehicle area.

Tilt the right front seatback completely forward and
the whole seat will slide forward.

Move the seatback to its original position after
someone gets into the rear seat area. Then move the
seat rearward until it locks.

1-6
CAUTION:
If an easy entry right front seat isn't locked, it
can move. In a sudden stop or crash, the person
sitting there could be injured. After you've used
it, be sure to push rearward on an easy entry seat
to be sure it is locked.

Tilt the seatback completely forward again
to get out.
Jump Seat (Extended Cab Models)
Your extended cab pickup
has a jump seat in the
rear area.
To fold the jump seat down, pull down on the pull tab on
the bottom of the seat until the seat is in place, then
move the seatback to a vertical position. To store the
seat, fold the seatback down on the cushion, then push
the entire seat up until it is flush with the trim panel.
Don't let the safety belts be damaged by the hinges or
the latches. Safety belts should be folded and stored
between the seat cushion and seatback.

1-7
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.
CAUTION:
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.
CAUTION:
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 ªSafety Belt
Reminder Lightº in
the Index.)

1-8
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here's why: They work.
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.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter ... a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast
as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat
on wheels.

1-9
Put someone on it.Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.

1-10
The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...or the instrument panel ...

1-11
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
Q:
Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I'm wearing a safety belt?
A:You could be -- whether you're wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you're upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will
be in most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts
-- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you're in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That's true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.