2005 PONTIAC GTO Owners Manual

Reclining Seatbacks
Use the vertical switch on the outboard side of the front
seat cushion to recline the seatbacks.
Press the switch forward or rearward to recline or raise
the seatback to the desired position. SeePower
Seats on page 1-2.
But do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a
crash the belt could go up over your abdomen.
The belt forces would be there, not at your
pelvic bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
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Head Restraints
The head restraints on both the front and rear seats are
adjustable. Press the button at the base of the head
restraint to lower it. Pull up on the restraint to raise it.
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Seatback Latches
The front seatbacks fold
forward to let people get
into the back seat.
To fold a front seatback, lift the lever located near the
top of either front seat to tilt the seatback forward. Press
and hold the button located below the seatback lever
to move the entire seat forward all the way.
A weight sensor has been built into the front seats.
The seat will not move forward if there is more than
27 lbs (12 kg) on the seat sensor.
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{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
To return the seat to the original position after it has
been moved forward, do the following:
1. Make sure there are no objects in front of or behind
the seat.
2. Tilt the seatback
rearward until
the seatback
latches upright.3. Press and hold the
button under the front
seat lever to return
the seat to its original
position. The seat
will pause for
two seconds when
it reaches its
original position.
The seatback must first be returned upright before
pressing the button, otherwise it will not pause for
two seconds at the original position, and instead will
continue rearward until the button is released.
When rear seat passengers are entering or exiting the
vehicle, it may be helpful to move the seat belt
anchor arm toward the rear of the vehicle.
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Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she can not
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-24.
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In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why:They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter...a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat
on wheels.
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Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...or the instrument panel...
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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 is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident
if I am wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you are upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater if
you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they workwith
safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has
airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
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