2007 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Owners Manual

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.
Right Front Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s
safety belt properly, seeDriver Position on page 24.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the
same way as the driver’s safety belt — except
for one thing. If you ever pull the shoulder portion
of the belt out all the way, you will engage the
child restraint locking feature. If this happens,
let the belt go back all the way and start again.
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.
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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.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 40.
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.
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3. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder part.
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.
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{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.
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.
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There is one guide for each outside 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.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.
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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.
{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.
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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 in between the seatback and interior body,
leaving only the loop of 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
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 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
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, just attach it to the regular safety belt.
For more information see the instruction sheet
that comes with the extender.
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