
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the
driver and right front passenger. Although you
cannot see them, they are located on the retractor
part of the safety belts. They help the safety
belts reduce a person’s forward movement in a
moderate to severe frontal, near frontal, rear
or side crash, or a rollover.
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 107.
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. It is free. 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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Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats
should wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should sit in a seat
that has a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional
restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
Q:What is the proper way to wear
safety belts?
A:If possible, 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.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear seat.
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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A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint
for the child’s body with the harness and also
sometimes with surfaces such as T-shaped
or shelf-like shields.A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed
to improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt
system. Some booster seats have a shoulder belt
positioner, and some high-back booster seats
have a ve-point harness. A booster seat can also
help a child to see out the window.
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Q:How Should I Use a Child Restraint?
A:A child restraint system is any device designed
for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or
position children. A built-in child restraint
system is a permanent part of the motor
vehicle. An add-on child restraint system is a
portable one, which is purchased by the
vehicle’s owner. To help reduce injuries, an
add-on child restraint must be secured in
the vehicle. With built-in or add-on child
restraints, the child has to be secured within
the child restraint.
When choosing an add-on child restraint, be
sure the child restraint is designed to be
used in a vehicle. If it is, it will have a label
saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards. Then follow the instructions
for the restraint. You may nd these
instructions on the restraint itself or in a
booklet, or both.
Securing an Add-on Child Restraint in
the Vehicle
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed
in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly secured in the vehicle. Make sure
the child restraint is properly installed in
the vehicle using the vehicle’s safety belt
or LATCH system, following the
instructions that came with that restraint,
and also the instructions in this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the child
restraint must be secured in the vehicle. Child
restraint systems must be secured in vehicle seats
by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder
belt, or by the LATCH system. SeeLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on
page 73for more information. A child can
be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is
not properly secured in the vehicle.
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i(Top Tether Anchor):
Seating positions with
top tether anchors.
i(Top Tether Anchor):
Seating positions with
top tether anchors.For models with a three passenger third row seat,
see the information following for installing a child
restraint with a top tether in the third row, if your
vehicle has one. Never install two top tethers using
the same top tether anchor.
For models with 60/40 second row seating, the
rear right side passenger and center seating
positions have exposed metal anchors located in
the crease between the seatback and the seat
cushion.
For models with second row bucket seats, both
rear seating positions have exposed metal anchors
located in the crease between the seatback and
the seat cushion.
Third Row — Two
Passenger
Third Row — Three
Passenger
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If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat position, move the
seat as far back as it will go before securing
the forward-facing child restraint. SeePower Seats
on page 10orManual Seats on page 9.
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH) on page 73.
There is no top tether anchor at the right front
seating position. Do not secure a child seat in this
position if a national or local law requires that
the top tether be anchored or if the instructions
that come with the child restraint say that the top
tether must be anchored. SeeLower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 73if
the child restraint has a top tether.
You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure
the child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow
the instructions that came with the child restraint.
Secure the child in the child restraint when and as
the instructions say.1. Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s
frontal airbag. SeePassenger Sensing
System on page 100. General Motors
recommends that rear-facing child restraints
be secured in a rear seat, even if the airbag is
off. If your child restraint is forward-facing,
move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing the child restraint in this seat.
SeePower Seats on page 10orManual Seats
on page 9.
When the passenger sensing system has
turned off the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag, the off indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator should light and stay lit when
you turn the ignition to RUN or START. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on
page 228.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and
shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt
through or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show you how.
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