2007 CADILLAC CTS V Owners Manual

Head Restraints
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the
restraint is at the same height as the occupant’s
head. This position reduces the chance of a
neck injury in a crash.Pull the head restraint
up to raise it. To lower
the head restraint,
press the button,
located on the top of the
seatback, and push
the head restraint down.
All the head restraints can tilt forward and
rearward.
The rear head restraints can be removed from the
seatback. To do this, press the button, located
on the top of the seatback, and pull the head
restraint all the way out.
17

Rear Seats
Split Folding Rear Seat
Your vehicle may have a split folding rear seat.
A split folding rear seat allows you to carry
long cargo by folding down part or all of the
rear seat.
Use the following steps to lower one or both of the
rear seatbacks:
1. Your vehicle may
have a detachable
anchor on the center
safety belt. Insert
a tool with a
small tip into the slot
to unlatch the
safety belt buckle.
Then move the
belt to the side so it
is not in your way.2. There is a tab
located on the
outboard sides of
the seatback.
Pull forward on the
tab to unlock the
seatback.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety
belts still fastened may cause damage to the
seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle
the safety belts and return them to their normal
stowed position before folding a rear seat.
3. Fold the seatback down. This will allow you
direct access to the trunk.
18

To return the seatback to the upright position,
do the following:
{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 push and pull on the
seatback to be sure it is locked.
1. Lift the seatback up and push it back into place.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed,
not properly attached, or twisted will not
provide the protection needed in a crash.
The person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. After raising the rear
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
seatback, always check to be sure that
the safety belts are properly routed and
attached, and are not twisted.
2. Reconnect the
center safety belt
latch plate to
the buckle.
3. Make sure the seatback is locked into place
by pushing and pulling on it.
4. Repeat Steps 1 and 3 for the other seatback.
When the seatback is not in use, it should be
kept in the upright, locked position.
19

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
cannot 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.
SeeSafety Belt
Reminder Light on
page 201.
20

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 40 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.
21

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle.
The rider does not stop.
22

The person keeps going until stopped by
something. In a real vehicle, it could be the
windshield...or the instrument panel...
23

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 supplemental systems only; so
they workwithsafety 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.
24