2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Owners Manual

Q: What’s wrong with this?
I I I I
T You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt.
In a crash, you wouldn’t have the full width of
the belt to spread impact forces.
If a belt is
twisted, make it straight
so it can work
properly, or ask your dealer to fix it.
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
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To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should go back out
of the way.
Before you close the door, be sure the belt
is out of the
way.
If you slam the door on it, you can damage
both the belt and your vehicle.
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Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured
if they don’t wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt,
and the lap portion should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When
a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more
likely that the fetus won’t be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety
belt properly, see
Driver Position on page 7-12.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt
- except for one
thing.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out
all the way, you will engage the child restraint locking
feature.
If this happens, just let the belt go back all
the way and start again.
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Center Passenger Position
Lap Belt
U
When you sit in the center 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 Safety Belt Extender
on page 1-28.
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.
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Rear Seat Outside Passenger
Lap-Shoulder Belt Positions
The positions next
to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s
how to wear one properly.
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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2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
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
1-28.
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.
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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.
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder beDt
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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