2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The lap belt is too loose. It will not give nearly
as much protection this way.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt
is too loose. In a crash, you could slide
under the lap belt and apply force at your
abdomen. This could cause serious or
even fatal injuries. The lap belt should be
worn low and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled in the wrong place like this. In a
crash, the belt would go up over your
abdomen. The belt forces would be there,
not at the pelvic bones. This could cause
serious internal injuries. Always buckle
your belt into the buckle nearest you.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It
should be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if you wear
the shoulder belt under your arm. In a
crash, your body would move too far
forward, which would increase the chance
of head and neck injury. Also, the belt
would apply too much force to the ribs,
which are not as strong as shoulder
bones. You could also severely injure
internal organs like your liver or spleen.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across the body.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted
belt. In a crash, you would not 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/retailer to x it.
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To unlatch the belt, 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.
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 do not 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.
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The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it
is more likely that the fetus will not be hurt
in a crash. For pregnant women, as for anyone,
the key to making safety belts effective is wearing
them properly.
Passenger Position
The passenger’s safety belt works the same way
as the driver’s safety belt. To learn how to
wear the passenger’s safety belt properly, see
Driver Position on page 22.
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 67.
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:Move the child toward the center of the
vehicle, but 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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