2011 GMC ACADIA Owner's Manual

Black plate (17,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-17
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.
Put someone on it.Get it up to speed. Then stop the
vehicle. The rider does not stop.

Black plate (18,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
3-18 Seats and Restraints
The person keeps going until
stopped by something. In a real
vehicle, it could be the windshield...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.

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Seats and Restraints 3-19
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicleafter a crash if I am 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
with 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
40 km (25 mi) of home.
And the greatest number of
serious injuries and deaths
occur at speeds of less than
65 km/h (40 mph).
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, see Older Children on
page 3‑48 orInfants and Young
Children on page 3‑51. 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.

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3-20 Seats and Restraints
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 beworn low and snug on the hips,
just touching the thighs. 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.

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Seats and Restraints 3-21
{WARNING
You can be seriously hurt if the
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.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 the
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.

Black plate (22,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
3-22 Seats and Restraints
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is buckled in the wrong
buckle.
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured if
the 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 the belt
into the buckle nearest you. Q: What is wrong with this?
A:
The belt is over an armrest.

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Seats and Restraints 3-23
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured if
the 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.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.

Black plate (24,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
3-24 Seats and Restraints
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. Q: What is wrong with this?
A:
The belt is twisted across
the body.