2007 SATURN VUE Owners Manual

Q:If I am a good driver, and I never drive
far from home, why should I wear safety
belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you are
in an accident — even one that is not your
fault — you and your passengers can be hurt.
Being a good driver does not protect you
from things beyond your control, such as
bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know
about safety belts and children. And there are
different rules for smaller children and babies.
If a child will be riding in your vehicle, seeOlder
Children on page 42orInfants and Young Children
on page 45. Follow those rules for everyone’s
protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint
systems your vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
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Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to
wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To
see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across
you. Do not let it get twisted.The lap-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.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it
clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is
secure. If the belt is not long enough,
seeSafety Belt Extender on page 41.
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.
5. Move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the
height that is right for you. Improper shoulder
belt height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment on page 34.
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6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the
safety belt through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.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 crash.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give
nearly as much protection this way.
{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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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 belt is over an armrest.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt
goes over an armrest like this. The belt
would be much too high. In a crash, you
can slide under the belt. The belt force
would then be applied at the abdomen,
not at the pelvic bones, and that could
cause serious or fatal injuries. Be sure the
belt goes under the armrests.
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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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