Head Restraints
The front seats have adjustable
head restraints in the outboard
seating positions.
The rear seats have head rests in
the outboard seating positions.
They are not adjustable.
{CAUTION
With head restraints that are
not installed and adjusted
properly, there is a greater
chance that occupants will
suffer a neck/spinal injury in
a crash. Do not drive until
the head restraints for all
occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.Adjust the head restraint so that the
top of the restraint is at the same
height as the top of the occupant’s
head. This position reduces the
chance of a neck injury in a crash.Pull the head restraint up to raise it.
To lower the head restraint, press
the button, located on the top of
the seatback, and push the
restraint down.
Push down on the head restraint
after the button is released to make
sure that it is locked in place.
The vehicle’s head restraints are not
designed to be removed.
1-4 Seats and Restraints
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how your vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around your vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer and the service
manual have information about
servicing your vehicle and the airbag
system. To purchase a service
manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 12-15.
{CAUTION
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an
airbag can still in ate during
improper service. You can be
injured if you are close to an
airbag when it in ates. Avoid
yellow connectors. They are
probably part of the airbag
system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person
performing work for you is
quali ed to do so.
Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add
to or change about the
vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working
properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle’s frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules,
the inside rearview mirror, ceiling
headliner or pillar garnish trim,
front sensors, or airbag wiring can
affect the operation of the airbag
system.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual
The manufacturer’s instructions that
come with the booster seat, state
the weight and height limitations for
that booster. Use a booster seat
with a lap-shoulder belt until
the child passes the below t test:
Sit all the way back on the
seat. Do the knees bend at the
seat edge? If yes, continue.
If no, return to the booster seat.
Buckle the lap-shoulder
belt. Does the shoulder belt rest
on the shoulder? If yes,
continue. If no, then return to the
booster seat.
Does the lap belt t low and
snug on the hips, touching
the thighs? If yes, continue.
If no, return to the booster seat.
Can proper safety belt t
be maintained for the length of
the trip? If yes, continue. If
no, return to the booster seat.
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.
This applies belt force to
the child’s pelvic bones in a
crash. 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 and infants are safer when
properly restrained in a child restraint
system or infant restraint system
secured in a rear seating position.
In a crash, children who are not
buckled up can strike other people
who are buckled up, or can bethrown out of the vehicle. Older
children need to use safety belts
properly.
{CAUTION
Never do this.
Never allow two children to wear
the same safety belt. The safety
belt can not properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, the
two children can be crushed
together and seriously injured.
A safety belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
Seats and Restraints 1-33
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual
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.
For most basic types of child
restraints, there are many
different models available. When
purchasing a child restraint,
be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the
restraint will have a label saying
that it meets federal motor
vehicle safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s
instructions that come with the
restraint state the weight
and height limitations for a
particular child restraint. Inaddition, there are many kinds of
restraints available for children
with special needs.
{CAUTION
To reduce the risk of neck and
head injury during a crash,
infants need complete support.
This is because an infant’s
neck is not fully developed and
its head weighs so much
compared with the rest of its
body. In a crash, an infant in a
rear-facing child restraint
settles into the restraint, so the
crash forces can be distributed
across the strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and
shoulders. Infants should
always be secured in
rear-facing child restraints.
{CAUTION
A young child’s hip bones are
still so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not
remain low on the hip bones,
as it should. Instead, it may
settle up around the child’s
abdomen. In a crash, the belt
would apply force on a body
area that is unprotected by any
bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal
injuries. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during
a crash, young children should
always be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
1-36 Seats and Restraints
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual