2010 CADILLAC DTS Owners Manual

Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, youshould use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, yourdealer/retailer will order you an extender. When yougo in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, sothe extender will be long enough for you. To helpavoid personal injury, do not let someone else use it,and use it only for the seat it is made to fit. The extenderhas been designed for adults. Never use itfor securing child seats. To wear it, attach it to theregular safety belt. For more information, see theinstruction sheet that comes with the extender.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats shouldwear the vehicle’s safety belts.
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The manufacturer’s instructions that come with thebooster seat, state the weight and height limitations forthat booster. Use a booster seat with a lap-shoulderbelt until the child passes the below fit test:
•Sit all the way back on the seat. Do the knees bend
at the seat edge? If yes, continue. If no, return tothe booster seat.
•Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does the shoulder belt
rest on the shoulder? If yes, continue. If no, tryusing the rear safety belt comfort guide. See “RearSafety Belt Comfort Guides” underLap-ShoulderBelt on page 2-26for more information. If theshoulder belt still does not rest on the shoulder,then return to the booster seat.
•Does the lap belt fit low and snug on the hips,
touching the thighs? If yes, continue. If no, return tothe booster seat.
•Can proper safety belt fit be maintained for
length of trip? If yes, continue. If no, return to thebooster seat.
If you have the choice, a child should sit in a positionwith a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint ashoulder 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 fit 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” underLap-Shoulder Belt on page 2-26.
According to accident statistics, children and infants aresafer when properly restrained in the rear seatingpositions than in the front seating positions.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strikeother people who are buckled up, or can be thrownout of the vehicle. Older children need to use safetybelts properly.
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{WARNING:
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.
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{WARNING:
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 includesinfants and all other children. Neither the distancetraveled nor the age and size of the traveler changesthe need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,the law in every state in the United States and inevery Canadian province says children up to some agemust be restrained while in a vehicle.
{WARNING:
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 adultsand older children, but not for young children and infants.Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbagsystem is designed for them. Every time infants andyoung children ride in vehicles, they should have theprotection provided by appropriate child restraints.
Children who are not restrained properly can strike otherpeople, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
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{WARNING:
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
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb) infant will
suddenly become a 110 kg (240 lb) force on a
person’s arms. An infant should be secured in an
appropriate restraint.
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{WARNING:
Never do this.
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
airbag when it inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the
right front seat. Secure a rear-facing child restraint
in a rear seat. It is also better to secure a
forward-facing child restraint in a rear seat. If you
must secure a forward-facing child restraint in the
right front seat, always move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go.
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Q:What are the different types of add-on childrestraints?
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. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{WARNING:
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.
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