2010 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS Owners Manual

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.
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.
Seats and Restraints 2-9

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 2-35
orInfants and Young Children on
page 2-37. 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.First, before you or your
passenger(s) wear a safety belt,
there is important information
you should know.
Sit up straight and always keep
your feet on the floor in front of
you. The lap part of the belt
should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs.
2-10 Seats and Restraints

In a crash, this applies force to the
strong pelvic bones and you would
be less likely to slide under the lap
belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force on your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even
fatal injuries. 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.
The shoulder belt locks if there is a
sudden stop or crash.Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is too loose.
It will not give as much
protection this way.
{WARNING
You can be seriously hurt if your
shoulder belt is too loose. In a
crash, you would move forward
too much, which could increase
injury. The shoulder belt should fit
snugly against your body.
Seats and Restraints 2-11

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The lap belt is too loose.
It will not give nearly as
much protection this way.
{WARNING
You can be seriously hurt if your
lap belt is too loose. In a crash,
you could slide under the lap belt
and apply force on your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even
fatal injuries. The lap belt should
be worn low and snug on the
hips, just touching the thighs.
Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is buckled in the wrong
buckle.
2-12 Seats and Restraints

{WARNING
You can be seriously injured if
your belt is buckled in the wrong
place like this. In a crash, the belt
would go up over your abdomen.
The belt forces would be there, not
on the pelvic bones. This could
cause serious internal injuries.
Always buckle your belt into the
buckle nearest you.
Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is over an armrest.
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured if
your belt goes over an armrest like
this. The belt would be much too
high. In a crash, you can slide
under the belt. The belt force
would then be applied on the
abdomen, not on the pelvic bones,
and that could cause serious or
fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes
under the armrests.
Seats and Restraints 2-13

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is worn under
the arm. It should be worn over
the shoulder at all times.
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured if you
wear the shoulder belt under your
arm. In a crash, your body would
move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and
neck injury. Also, the belt would
apply too much force to the ribs,
which are not as strong as
shoulder bones. You could also
severely injure internal organs like
your liver or spleen. The shoulder
belt should go over the shoulder
and across the chest.
Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is behind the body.
2-14 Seats and Restraints

{WARNING
You can be seriously injured by
not wearing the lap-shoulder belt
properly. In a crash, you would
not be restrained by the shoulder
belt. Your body could move
too far forward increasing the
chance of head and neck injury.
You 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.
Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across
the body.
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured by a
twisted belt. In a crash, you would
not have the full width of the belt
to spread impact forces. If a belt
is twisted, make it straight so it
can work properly, or ask your
dealer/retailer to fix it.
Seats and Restraints 2-15

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. If the seat has a safety belt
guide, and the safety belt is
not routed through the guide,
snap the guide around the belt
webbing. Be sure the belt is not
twisted.2. Adjust the seat, if the seat is
adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull
the belt across you. Do not let
it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out
all the way, the child restraintlocking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.
4. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 2-20.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
2-16 Seats and Restraints