2007 CHEVROLET COBALT Owners Manual

Rear Seat Passengers
It is 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 are not 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.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All rear seat positions have lap-shoulder belts.
Here is how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across
you. Do not 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, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 39.
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 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 would 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 is a sudden stop or
a crash.
{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.
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To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide
added safety belt comfort for older children
who have outgrown booster seats and for some
adults. When installed on a shoulder belt, the
comfort guide positions the belt away from
the neck and head.
There is one guide for each outboard passenger
position in the rear seat. Here is how to install
a comfort guide to the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the
edge of the seatback and the interior body
to remove the guide from its storage clip.
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2. Slide the guide under and past the belt.
The elastic cord must be under the belt.
Then, 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 elastic cord must be under the belt
and the guide on top.
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{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is not properly worn may
not provide the protection needed in a
crash. The person wearing the belt could
be seriously injured. 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.
4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt
as described inRear Seat Passengers on
page 33. Make sure that the shoulder
belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guide, squeeze
the belt edges together so that you can take
them out of the guide. Pull the guide upward to
expose its storage clip, and then slide the guide
onto the clip. Turn the guide and clip inward
and slide them in between the seatback and the
interior body, leaving only the loop of the
elastic cord exposed.
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Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the
driver and right front passenger. Although you
cannot see them, they are part of the safety belt
assembly. They help tighten the safety belts during
the early stages of a moderate to severe frontal
and near frontal crash if the threshold conditions
for pretensioner activation are met. And, if your
vehicle has side impact airbags, safety belt
pretensioners can help tighten the safety belts
in a side crash.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in
a crash, you will need to get new ones, and
probably other new parts for your safety belt
system. SeeReplacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash on page 85.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you,
you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your
dealer/retailer will order you an extender. When
you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will
wear, so the extender will be long enough for
you. To help avoid personal injury, do not
let someone else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to t. The extender has been
designed for adults. Never use it for securing child
seats. To wear it, attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the instruction
sheet that comes with the extender.
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Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats
should wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:An older child should wear a lap-shoulder belt
and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt
can provide. The shoulder belt should not
cross the face or neck. The lap belt should t
snugly below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. It should never be worn over
the abdomen, which could cause severe or
even fatal internal injuries in a crash.
According to accident statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating positions.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can
strike other people who are buckled up, or can be
thrown out of the vehicle. Older children need
to use safety belts properly.
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