2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

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.
There is one guide for each outboard 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. 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 previously in this section. Make sure
that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guide, squeeze the belt
edges together so that the safety belt can be removed
from 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 slide them in between
the seatback and the interior body, leaving only the loop
of the elastic cord exposed.
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below
the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
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.
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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/retailer
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, attach it
to the regular safety belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with the extender.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
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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, try using
the rear safety belt comfort guide. See “Rear Safety
Belt Comfort Guides” underLap-Shoulder Belt on
page 1-26for more information. If the shoulder belt
still does not rest on the shoulder, 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.
If you have the choice, a child should sit in a position
with 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: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.
Also see “Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides” under
Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-26.
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 be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
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{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.
{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Never allow a child to wear the safety belt with the
shoulder belt behind their back. A child can be
seriously injured by not wearing the lap-shoulder
belt properly. In a crash, the child would not be
restrained by the shoulder belt. The child could
move too far forward increasing the chance of
head and neck injury. The child might also slide
under the lap belt. The belt force would then be
applied right on the abdomen. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should
go over the shoulder and across the chest.
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Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says children up to some age
must be restrained while in a vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a
shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to tighten. Never leave
children unattended in a vehicle and never allow
children to play with the safety belts.
Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but not for young
children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety
belt system nor its airbag system is designed for
them. Every time infants and young children
ride in vehicles, they should have the protection
provided by appropriate child restraints.
Children who are not restrained properly can strike
other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
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{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Never hold an infant or a child while riding in a
vehicle. Due to crash forces, an infant or a child will
become so heavy it is not possible to hold it during
a crash. For example, in a crash at only 25 mph
(40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg) infant will suddenly
become a 240 lb (110 kg) force on a person’s arms.
An infant should be secured in an appropriate
restraint.
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