2003 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Owners Manual

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. 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.
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Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should
I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident
- even one that isn’t your fault - you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies.
If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see
Older Children on page 1-45
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-48. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
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Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to
wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. 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.
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4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn't long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page
1-44.
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.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt. 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
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 crash,
or
if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
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Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that is right for you.
To move it down, push down on the button and move
the height adjuster to the desired position. You can
move the adjuster up just by pushing up on the shoulder
belt guide. After you move the adjuster
to where you
want it, try to move it down without pushing the button
down to make sure it has locked into position.
Adjust the height
so that the shoulder portion of the belt is
centered
on your shoulder. The belt should be away from
your face and neck, but not falling
off your shoulder.
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Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
YOL ,an be se. sly hur, . .. sl._-. Jer 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.
1-31

Q: What's wrong with this?
L
A: The belt is over an armrest. You can be seriously injured if your belt goes
over an armrest like
this. The belt would be
much too high.
In a crash, you can slide under
the belt. The belt force would then be applied
at the abdomen, not at the pelvic bones, and
that could cause serious or fatal injuries.
Be sure the belt goes under the armrests.
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