2009 SATURN ASTRA Owners Manual

Head Restraints
The vehicle’s front seats have
adjustable head restraints.
{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.To adjust the head restraint, press
the button located on the side
of the head restraint. Pull up or push
down on the restraint to adjust it.
Try to move the head restraint after
the button is released to make
sure that it is locked in place.
The vehicle’s front seat head
restraints are not designed to be
removed.
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Active Head Restraint System
The vehicle has an active head
restraint system in the front seating
positions.
These automatically tilt forward to
reduce the risk of neck injury if
the vehicle is hit from behind.
Rear Seat Headrests
The vehicle has headrests in all
seating positions of the rear seats.
The headrests in the rear outboard
positions adjust like the front
seat head restraints.To adjust the headrest in the rear
seat center position, pull up to
raise it.
To lower the headrest, press the
buttons located on the top of
the seatback and push the head
rest down.
The vehicle’s rear seat headrests
are not designed to be removed.
Heated Seats
On vehicles with heated front seats,
the controls for each seat are
located on the center of the
instrument panel. To operate the
heated seats the ignition must
be on.
M(Heated Seat):Press this button
to turn on the heated seat.
The light on the button will come on
to indicate that the feature is
working. Press the button to cycle
through the temperature settings
of high, medium, and low and to turn
the heat to the seat off. The number
of indicator lights above the button
will show the level of heat selected:
three for high, two for medium,
and one for low.
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Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
{CAUTION
If either 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
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
{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.
Folding the Seatback
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.
Before folding the seatback down,
the safety belt must be unbuckled
and not in the storage clip.The front seat must be moved all
the way forward, and not reclined.
The headrest must be completely
lowered.
To lower the seatback:
1. Press the button located on the
top of the seatback to release it.
2. Fold the seatback forward.
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To return the seat to the sitting
position:
1. Make sure the safety belt is
through the storage clip.
2. Lift the seatback and push it
rearward until it is locked in
the sitting position.3. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.
4. Remove the safety belt from the
storage clip.
The seatback must be locked or you
will not be able to pull out and
use the rear center safety belt.
Always push and pull on the
seatback to be sure it is locked.Safety Belts
This section of the manual describes
how to use safety belts properly.
It also describes some things not to
do with safety belts.
{CAUTION
Do not let anyone ride where a
safety belt cannot be worn
properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
safety belts, the injuries can be
much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be
ejected from the vehicle. You and
your passenger(s) can 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.
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{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.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
SeeSafety Belt Reminders on
page 4-13for additional information.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
safety 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!
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.
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Put someone on it. 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...
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or the instrument panel... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as
the vehicle does. You get more
time to stop. You stop over more
distance, and your strongest bones
take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:
Will I be trapped in the vehicle
after a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not. But
your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident,
so youcanunbuckle and get out,
ismuchgreater if you are
belted. And you can unbuckle a
safety belt, even if you are
upside down.
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Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why
should I have to wear safety
belts?
A:Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they workwith
safety belts — not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants
still have to buckle up to get the
most protection. That is true
not only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other
collisions.
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 a crash — even
one that is not your fault — you
and your passenger(s) 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 section 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 infants. If a child will be riding in
the vehicle, seeOlder Children on
page 1-38orInfants and Young
Children on page 1-40. Follow those
rules for everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up
can be thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash. And they can strike
others in the vehicle who are
wearing safety belts.
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