2011 CADILLAC STS Owners Manual

Black plate (25,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
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.
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Black plate (26,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is behind the body.
{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.
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Black plate (27,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
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 to fix it.
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Black plate (28,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a
lap-shoulder belt.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats”in the
Index.
2. 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 you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the
belt go back all the way and start again.
3. 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, see Safety Belt
Extender
on page 2‑34.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the height that is right for you. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster” later in this section.
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Black plate (29,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on theshoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety
belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap
belt on smaller occupants.
6. This safety belt has a feature that will reduce the tension of the safety belt on the occupant's
shoulder if the vehicle is on. To set this feature,
gently pull on the belt, or lean forward and then sit
back. The belt will retract and rest lightly against
the occupant. When the safety belt is unbuckled or when the
vehicle is turned off, the tension reducer will
deactivate. The belt should go back out of the way.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
Before you close a door, be sure the belt is out of the
way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage both
the belt and your vehicle.
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Black plate (30,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Your vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger position.
Adjust the height so the shoulder portion of the belt is
on the shoulder and not falling off of it. The belt should
be close to, but not contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. SeeHow to
Wear Safety Belts Properly on page 2‑19.
To move it down, press
the release button (A) and
move the height adjuster
to the desired position.
You can move the height
adjuster up just by
pushing up on the
shoulder belt guide.
After you move the height adjuster to where you want it,
try to move it down without pressing the release button
to make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although you cannot see them,
they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help
tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crash if the
threshold conditions for pretensioner activation are met.
And, if your vehicle has side impact airbags, safety belt
pretensioners can help tighten the safety belts in a side
crash.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably
other new parts for your safety belt system. See
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash
on
page 2‑73.
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Black plate (31,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
This vehicle may have rear shoulder belt comfort
guides. If not, they are available through your dealer.
The guides may provide added safety belt comfort for
older children who have outgrown booster seats and for
some adults. When installed and properly adjusted, the
comfort guide positions the belt away from the neck
and head.
Here is how to install a comfort guide to the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the edge ofthe seatback and the interior body to remove the
guide from its storage clip.
2. Place the guide over the belt and insert thetwo edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.
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Black plate (32,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.The elastic cord must be under the belt and the
guide on top.
{WARNING:
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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