2001 CADILLAC DEVILLE belt

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Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners. You'll find
them on the buckle end of the safety belts for the driver
and right front passenger. They help the safety belts reduce
a person's forward movement in a moderate to severe
crash in which the front of the vehicle hits something.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a crash,
you'll need to get new ones, and probably other new
parts for your safety belt system. See ªReplacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crashº in the Index.
Center Front Passenger Position
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has a front bench seat, someone can sit in
the center position.
When you sit in the center front seating position,
you have a lap safety belt, which has no retractor.
To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it
along the belt.

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To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until
the belt is snug.
Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap
part of a lap
-shoulder belt. 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.
Rear Seat Passengers
It's very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up!
Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear
seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who aren't safety belted can be thrown
out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
Rear Seat Passenger Positions

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Lap-Shoulder Belt
All three rear seating positions have lap
-shoulder belts.
Here's how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across
you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not 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.

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3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.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.

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The safety belt locks if there's a sudden stop or a crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
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.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.

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Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides will provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have
outgrown booster seats and for small adults. When
installed on a shoulder belt, the comfort guide better
positions the belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each outside passenger position
in the rear seat. To provide added safety belt comfort
for children who have outgrown child restraints and for
smaller adults, the comfort guides may be installed on
the shoulder belts. Here's how to install a comfort guide
and use the safety belt:
1. Remove the guide from its storage pocket on the top
of the seatback.

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2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The elastic
cord must be under the belt. Then, place the guide
over the belt, and insert the two edges of the belt
into the slots of the guide.3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.
The elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide
on top.

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4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described in ªRear Seat Passenger Positionsº earlier
in this section. Make sure that the shoulder belt
crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the
belt edges together so that you can take them out from
the guides. Slide the guide into its storage pocket on the
top of the seatback.
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province says children up to some age must
be restrained while in a vehicle.
Infants and Young Children
Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles,
they should have the protection provided by the
appropriate restraint. Young children should not use
the vehicle's safety belts, unless there is no other choice.