2007 CHEVROLET COLORADO Owners Manual

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 37. Make sure that the shoulder
belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store a comfort guide, squeeze
the belt edges together so that you can take them
out of the guide. Slide the guide back on its
storage clip located between the interior body
and the seatback.
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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
or near frontal crash if the threshold conditions
for pretensioner activation are met.
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 96.
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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{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same
belt. The belt cannot properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, the two children
can be crushed together and seriously
injured. A belt must be used by only
one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder
belt, but the child is so small that the
shoulder belt is very close to the child’s
face or neck?
A:If the child is sitting in a seat next to a
window, move the child toward the center
of the vehicle. Also seeRear Safety Belt
Comfort Guides on page 40. If the child is
sitting in the center rear seat passenger
position, move the child toward the safety
belt buckle. In either case, be sure that
the shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder,
so that in a crash the child’s upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide.
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{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is
behind the child. If the child wears the belt
in this way, in a crash the child might slide
under the belt. The belt’s force would then
be applied right on the child’s abdomen.
That could cause serious or fatal injuries.Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt
should be worn low and snug on the hips, just
touching the child’s thighs. This applies belt force
to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash.
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This
includes infants and all other children. Neither
the distance traveled nor the age and size of
the traveler changes the need, for everyone, to
use safety restraints. In fact, the law in every
state in the United States and in every Canadian
province says children up to some age must
be restrained while in a vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or
strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped
around their neck and the safety belt
continues to tighten. Never leave children
unattended in a vehicle and never allow
children to play with the safety belts.
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Every time infants and young children ride in
vehicles, they should have the protection provided
by appropriate restraints. Young children should
not use the vehicle’s adult safety belts alone,
unless there is no other choice. Instead, they
need to use a child restraint.
{CAUTION:
People should never hold a baby in their
arms while riding in a vehicle. A baby does
not weigh much — until a crash. During a
crash a baby will become so heavy it is
not possible to hold it. For example,
in a crash at only 25 mph (40 km/h), a
12 lb (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly become
a 240 lb (110 kg) force on a person’s
arms. A baby should be secured in an
appropriate restraint.
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{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inates can
be seriously injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer protection for
adults and older children, but not for
young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbag
system is designed for them. Young
children and infants need the protection
that a child restraint system can provide.
Q:What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by
the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic
types. Selection of a particular restraint should
take into consideration not only the child’s
weight, height, and age but also whether or not
the restraint will be compatible with the motor
vehicle in which it will be used.
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