2002 GMC YUKON XL belt

1-58 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. 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.

1-60 CAUTION: Children who are up against, or very close to, any
air bag when it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Air bags plus lap
- shoulder belts offer
outstanding protection for adults and older
children, but not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle's safety belt system nor its air
bag system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide.

1-62 CAUTION:The body structure of a young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child's hip
bones are still so small that the vehicle's regular
safety belt may not remain low on the hip bones,
as it should. Instead, it may settle up around the
child's abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply
force on a body area that's unprotected by any
bony structure. This alone could cause serious or
fatal injuries. Young children always should be
secured in appropriate child restraints. Restraint Systems for Children
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a
motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed to
restrain or position a child on a continuous flat surface.
Make sure that the infant's head rests toward the center
of the vehicle.

1-64 A booster seat (F
- G) is a child restraint designed
to improve the fit of the vehicle's safety belt system.
Some booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner,
and some high
- back booster seats have a five
- point
harness. A booster seat can also help a child to see out
the window. Q: How do child restraints work?
A: A child restraint system is any device designed for
use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position
children. A built
- in child restraint system is a
permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add
- on
child restraint system is a portable one, which is
purchased by the vehicle's owner.
For many years, add
- on child restraints have used
the adult belt system in the vehicle. To help reduce
the chance of injury, the child also has to be
secured within the restraint. The vehicle's belt
system secures the add
- on child restraint in the
vehicle, and the add
- on child restraint's harness
system holds the child in place within the restraint.
One system, the three
- point harness, has straps that
come down over each of the infant's shoulders and
buckle together at the crotch. The five
- point
harness system has two shoulder straps, two hip
straps and a crotch strap. A shield may take the
place of hip straps. A T
- shaped shield has shoulder
straps that are attached to a flat pad which rests low
against the child's body. A shelf
- or armrest
- type
shield has straps that are attached to a wide,
shelf
- like shield that swings up or to the side.

1-65When choosing a child restraint, be sure the child
restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle. If it is,
it will have a label saying that it meets federal motor
vehicle safety standards.
Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or in a
booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system in
your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured within
the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury.
When securing an add
- on child restraint, refer to the
instructions that come with the restraint which may be
on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both, and to this
manual. The child restraint instructions are important, so
if they are not available, obtain a replacement copy from
the manufacturer.
Where to Put the Restraint Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
General Motors, therefore, recommends that child
restraints be secured in a rear seat including an infant
riding in a rear
- facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward
- facing child seat and an older child riding in a
booster seat. Never put a rear
- facing child restraint in
the right front passenger seat. Here's why: CAUTION: A child in a rear
- facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger's air bag inflates. This is because the
back of the rear
- facing child restraint would be
very close to the inflating air bag. Always secure
a rear
- facing child restraint in a rear seat.
You may secure a forward
- facing child restraint
in the right front seat, but before you do, always
move the front passenger seat as far back as it
will go. It's better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move
around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people
in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child
restraint in your vehicle
-- even when no child is in it.

1-69In order to use the system, you need either a
forward
- facing child restraint that has attaching
points (B) at its base and a top tether anchor (C), or a
rear
- facing child restraint that has attaching points (B),
as shown here.
With this system, use the LATCH system instead of the
vehicle's safety belts to secure a child restraint.

1-70 CAUTION:If a LATCH
- type child restraint isn't attached
to its anchorage points, the restraint won't be
able to protect a child sitting there. In a crash,
the child could be seriously injured or killed.
Make sure that a LATCH
- type child restraint
is properly installed using the anchorage points,
or use the vehicle's safety belts to secure the
restraint. See ªSecuring a Child Restraint in the
Rear Seatº in the Index for information on how
to secure a child restraint in your vehicle using
the vehicle's safety belts. Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System
1. Find the anchors for the seating position you want to
use, where the bottom of the seatback meets the back
of the seat cushion.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Attach the anchor points on the child restraint to the
anchors in the vehicle. The child restraint
instructions will show you how.
4. If the child restraint is forward
- facing, attach the top
strap to the top strap anchor. See ªTop Strapº in the
Index. Tighten the top strap according to the child
restraint instructions.
5. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, simply unhook the top
strap from the top tether anchor and then disconnect the
anchor points.

1-71Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, see ªLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH)º in the Index.
You'll be using the lap
- shoulder belt. See the earlier
part about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the
child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint
when and as the instructions say.
1. Put the restraint on the seat. 2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle's safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child's face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.