2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE belt

Lap Belt
If your vehicle has bucket seats, someone can sit in the
center position bucket seat.
When you sit in the center position bucket seat, you
have a lap safety belt which has a retractor.
1. Pick up the latch plate and, in a single motion, pull
the belt across you. Don't let it get twisted.2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. If
the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, let it go
back all the way and start again. Pull up on the
latch plate to make sure it is secure.
3. Feed the lap belt into the retractor to tighten it.
4. Position and release it the same way as the lap
part of a lap-shoulder belt.
If the belt isn't long enough, see
Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-54.
1-46

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.
Center Passenger Position
(Bench Seat)
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has a third row rear bench seat, someone
can sit in the center position.
When you sit in the center position of the bench seat,
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.
1-47

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
Safety Belt Extender on page 1-54.
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.
1-48

Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows 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.
In the third row, if the belt stops before it reaches
the buckle, tilt the latch plate and keep pulling
until you can buckle it.
1-49

Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way,
it will lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and
start again.
If the belt is not long enough, see
Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-54.
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.3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part. Third Row Outside Passenger Position
1-50

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 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 ®t against your body.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
1-51

Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Your vehicle may have rear shoulder belt comfort
guides. This feature 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.
If your vehicle has bucket seats in the second row,
there is one guide for each outside passenger position.
If your vehicle has a bench seat in the second row,
there is one guide for the driver's side outside passenger
position. To provide added safety belt comfort for
children who have outgrown child restraints and booster
seats 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
side of the seatback.
1-52

2. 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 ¯at.
The guide must be on top of the belt.
1-53