2003 CHEVROLET SSR Owners Manual

To remove the child restraint, simply unhook the top
strap from the top tether anchor and then disconnect
the anchor points.
If you were using a rear-facing child restraint, turn
on the passenger’s air bag when you remove the
rear-facing child restraint from the vehicle unless the
person who will be sitting there is a member of a
passenger airbag risk group. SeeAirbag Off Switch
on page 1-48.
{CAUTION:
If the passenger’s frontal airbag is turned
off for a person who is not in a risk group
identied by the national government, that
person will not have the extra protection of a
frontal airbag. In a crash, the airbag would not
be able to inate and help protect the person
sitting there. Do not turn off the passenger’s
frontal airbag unless the person sitting there
is in a risk group. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-48for more on this, including important
safety information.
1-35

Securing a Child Restraint in the
Passenger Seat Position
Your vehicle has a passenger air bag. There is an air
bag off switch in the glove box you can use to turn
off the passenger’s air bag. SeeAirbag Off Switch
on page 1-48for more on this, including important
safety information.
Unless the passenger’s air bag has been turned off,
neverput a rear-facing child restraint in this vehicle.
1-36

Here is why:
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the passenger’s
airbag inates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close
to the inating airbag. Do not use a rear-facing
child restraint in this vehicle unless the
passenger’s airbag has been turned off.
Even though the airbag off switch is designed
to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee
that an airbag will not deploy under some
unusual circumstance, even though it is turned
off. We recommend that rear-facing child
restraints be transported in vehicles with a
rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing
child restraint, whenever possible.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the passenger seat, always move
the passenger seat as far back as it will go.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the passenger’s
frontal airbag, it means that something may be
wrong with the airbag system. The passenger’s
frontal airbag could inate even though the
switch is off. If this ever happens, do not let
anyone whom the national government has
identied as a member of a passenger airbag
risk group sit in the passenger’s position
(for example, do not secure a rear-facing child
restraint in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-48.
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-31. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-29if the child restraint has one.
1-37

If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you will be using the lap-shoulder belt. 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. Your vehicle has a passenger’s air bag. If you are
using a rear-facing child restraint in this seat, make
sure the air bag is turned off. SeeAirbag Off
Switch on page 1-48. If your child restraint is
forward-facing, always move the seat as far back
as it will go before securing it in this seat. See
Power Seats on page 1-2.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. 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.
4. 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.
1-38

5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the
lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder
belt back into the retractor. You may nd it helpful
to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
1-39

To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety
belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an
adult or larger child passenger.
If you were using a rear-facing child restraint, turn on the
passenger’s air bag when you remove the rear-facing
child restraint from the vehicle unless the person who will
be sitting there is a member of a passenger air bag risk
group. SeeAirbag Off Switch on page 1-48.
{CAUTION:
If the passenger’s frontal airbag is turned off
for a person who is not in a risk group
identied by the national government, that
person will not have the extra protection of a
frontal airbag. In a crash, the airbag would not
be able to inate and help protect the person
sitting there. Do not turn off the passenger’s
frontal airbag unless the person sitting there
is in a risk group. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-48for more on this, including important
safety information.
Airbag Systems
This part explains the frontal and side impact air bag
systems.
Your vehicle has four air bags – a frontal air bag for the
driver, another frontal air bag for the passenger, a
side impact air bag for the driver, and another side
impact air bag for the passenger.
Frontal air bags are designed to help reduce the risk of
injury from the force of an inating frontal air bag.
But these air bags must inate very quickly to do their
job and comply with federal regulations.
Here are the most important things to know about the
air bag systems:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash
if you are not wearing your safety belt — even
if you have airbags. Wearing your safety belt
during a crash helps reduce your chance
CAUTION: (Continued)
1-40

CAUTION: (Continued)
of hitting things inside the vehicle or being
ejected from it. Airbags are designed to work
with safety belts but do not replace them.
Frontal airbags for the driver and passenger
are designed to deploy only in moderate to
severe frontal and near frontal crashes. They
are not designed to inate in rollover, rear or
low-speed frontal crashes, or in many side
crashes. And, for some unrestrained
occupants, frontal airbags may provide less
protection in frontal crashes than more
forceful airbags have provided in the past.
The side impact airbags for the driver and
passenger are designed to inate only in
moderate to severe crashes where something
hits the side of your vehicle. They are not
designed to inate in frontal, in rollover or in
rear crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety
belt properly — whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.
{CAUTION:
Both frontal and side impact airbags inate
with great force, faster than the blink of an
eye. If you are too close to an inating airbag,
as you would be if you were leaning forward, it
could seriously injure you. Safety belts help
keep you in position for airbag ination before
and during a crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with frontal airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible while still
maintaining control of the vehicle. Front
occupants should not lean on or sleep against
the door.
1-41

{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any airbag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbag
system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how,
seeOlder Children on page 1-20orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-22.
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
shows the air bag symbol.The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-25
for more information.Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
1-42