2011 BUICK LUCERNE Owner's Manual

Black plate (9,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING:
Sitting in a reclined position when the vehicle is in
motion can be dangerous. Even when buckled up,
the safety belts cannot do their job when 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 the safety belt properly.
Do not have the seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
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Black plate (10,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Manual Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver seat while the vehicle is
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you
do not want to. Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
{WARNING:
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.
To recline the seatback:1. Lift the lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, and then release the lever to lock the seatback in
place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
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Black plate (11,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
To return the seatback to the upright position:1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the seatback, and the seatback will return to the
upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
Power Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust a power seatback, if equipped:
.Tilt the top of the control rearward to recline.
.Tilt the top of the control forward to raise.
Center Seat
The vehicle may have a front center seat. This seat
can be converted to a storage area by lowering the
seatback. See Center Flex Storage Unit on page 3‑49.
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Black plate (12,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Pass-Through Door
The vehicle has a pass‐through door that provides
access to the trunk from the rear seats. See“Rear Seat
Pass‐Through Door” underTrunk on page 3‑12.
Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This section of the manual describes how to use safety
belts properly. It also describes some things not to do
with safety belts.
{WARNING:
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
(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
might not be, if you are buckled up. Always fasten
your safety belt, and check that your passenger(s)
are restrained properly too.
{WARNING:
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 the vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
This vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle the
safety belts. See Safety Belt Reminders
on page 4‑29for additional information.
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Black plate (13,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
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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Black plate (14,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Put someone on it.Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
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Black plate (15,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...or the instrument panel...
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Black plate (16,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
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 Iam wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be—whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so you canunbuckle
and get out, is muchgreater 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
work withsafety 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.
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