2008 PONTIAC VIBE Owners Manual

{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job because
it will not be against your body. Instead,
it will be in front of you. In a crash, you could
go into it, receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a
crash, the belt could go up over your
abdomen. The belt forces would be there,
not at your pelvic bones. This could cause
serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.
Head Restraints
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint is
at the same height as the occupant’s head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
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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 head
restraint down.
The rear seats may have head restraints that can be
adjusted in height like the front head restraints.Passenger Folding Seatback
{CAUTION:
If you fold the seatback forward to carry longer
objects, such as skis, be sure any such cargo
is not near an airbag. In a crash, an inating
airbag might force that object toward a person.
This could cause severe injury or even death.
Secure objects away from the area in which an
airbag would inate. For more information, see
Where Are the Airbags? on page 1-52and
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-19.
{CAUTION:
Things you put on this seatback can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn,
or in a crash. Remove or secure all items
before driving.
1-6

You can fold the front passenger’s seatback down to
allow for more cargo space or as a temporary table while
the vehicle is stopped. When the area is not being
used for more cargo space, the seatback should
be placed in the locked, upright position.
To fold the seatback down, do the following:
1. Lower the head restraint to the lowest position
and make sure the seatback is at the most
upright position and locked.
2. Pull up on one of the
levers located on
either side of the back
of the passenger’s
seatback.
3. Fold the seatback down.
To raise the seatback, do the following:
1. Pull up on one of the levers located on either side
of the back of the passenger’s seatback.
2. Pull the seatback up and push it back to lock it into
place. Make sure the safety belt is not twisted or
caught in the seatback.
3. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it
is locked into position.
4. Use the reclining front seatback lever to adjust the
seatback to a comfortable position.
1-7

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
You can fold either side of the seatback down for more
cargo space. The rear right side seatback can also
be used as a temporary table while the vehicle is
stopped. Make sure the front seatback is not reclined
or in the rearward most position. If it is, the rear
seatback will not fold down all the way.
{CAUTION:
A rear seatback folded forward, or any other
object contacting or pressing the front
seatback may affect the proper functioning of
the passenger sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-59.To fold either seatback down, do the following:
1. Pull up on the lock
release knob, located
on the top outboard
side of the seatbacks.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or
the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
2. Fold the seatback down. Each seatback can be
folded separately.
1-8

To raise the seatback, do the following:
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the seatback to be
sure it is locked.
1. Pull the seatback up and push it back to lock it
into place. Make sure the safety belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback.
2. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure
it is locked into position.
1-9

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle harder or be ejected
from it and be seriously injured or killed.
In the same crash, you might not be, if you
are buckled up. Always fasten your safety
belt, and check that your passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to
be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow
people to ride in any area of your vehicle that
is not equipped with seats and safety belts.
Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat
and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle your
safety belts. SeeSafety Belt Reminders on page 3-28.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the
law requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up
does matter... a lot!
1-10

Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat
on wheels.Put someone on it.
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Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle.
The rider does not stop.The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
1-12