Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
3-8 Seats and Restraints
{ WarningIf 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.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked in place. Safety Belts This section of the manual
describes how to use safety belts
properly. It also describes some
things not to do with safety belts.
{ WarningDo 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, injuries can be much
worse than if you are wearing
safety belts. You can be seriously
injured or killed by hitting things
inside the vehicle harder or by
being ejected from the vehicle. In
addition, anyone who is not
buckled up can strike other
passengers in the vehicle.
It is extremely dangerous to ride
in a cargo area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision,
passengers riding in these areas
(Continued) Warning (Continued) are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow
passengers to ride in any area of
the vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts.
Always wear a safety belt, and
check that all passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5-9 .
Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
Seats and Restraints 3-9Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts!
When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from the safety belts. That is why wearing
safety belts makes 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: You could be — whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not.
Your chance of being conscious
during and after a crash, so you
can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.
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. Also, in nearly all states and in
all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts.
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly This section is only for people of
adult size.
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 3-30 or Infants
and Young Children on page 3-32 .
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.
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
3-10 Seats and Restraints There are important things to know
about wearing a safety belt properly.
.
Sit up straight and always keep
your feet on the floor in front
of you. .
Always use the correct buckle
for your seating position. .
Wear the lap part of the belt 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. .
Wear the shoulder belt 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.
{ WarningYou can be seriously injured,
or even killed, by not wearing
your safety belt properly. .
Never allow the lap or
shoulder belt to become
loose or twisted. .
Never wear the shoulder belt
under both arms or behind
your back. .
Never route the lap or
shoulder belt over an
armrest. 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. Adjust the seat, if the seat is
adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “ Seats ”
in the Index.
Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 3-112. 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 the
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, 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 3-13 .
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary. 4. If equipped with a shoulder belt
height adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you. See
“ Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster ”
later in this section for
instructions on use and
important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull
up on the shoulder belt.
Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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3-12 Seats and Restraints
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt
height adjuster for the driver.
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. See How
to Wear Safety Belts Properly on
page 3-9 .
To adjust, pull out the adjustment
button (1) and move the height
adjuster (2) to the desired position
so the belt passes over the center of
the shoulder. The belt should be
away from your face and neck, but
not falling off your shoulder. Release the adjustment button (1) to
lock the shoulder belt height
adjuster into position.
After the height adjuster is set to the
desired position, make sure it is
locked in place. Try to move the
height adjuster up or down without
pulling out on the button (1).
Safety Belt Pretensioners This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for front outboard
occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the safety belt assembly.
They can help tighten the safety
belts during certain types of frontal
crashes if the threshold conditions
for pretensioner activation are met.
Safety belt pretensioners can also
help tighten the safety belts in a
side crash or rollover event.
When a pretensioner activates,
smoke is released and a loud noise
may be heard. This smoke is not
harmful and does not indicate a fire.
Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 3-13This could cause breathing
problems for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
they will need to be replaced, and
the vehicle's safety belt system will
probably need other new parts. See
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts
after a Crash on page 3-14 .
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts. A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap
portion should be worn as low as
possible, below the rounding,
throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a safety
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making safety
belts effective is wearing them
properly. Safety Belt Extender If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer will order you
an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to fit. The extender
has been designed for adults. Never
use it for securing child seats. To
wear it, attach it to the regular safety
belt. See the instruction sheet that
comes with the extender.
Safety System Check Now and then, check that the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors, and
anchorages are all working properly.
Look for any other loose or
damaged safety belt system parts
that might keep a safety belt system
from doing its job. See your dealer
Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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3-14 Seats and Restraints to have it repaired. Torn or frayed
safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, get a new one right away.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. See Safety Belt
Reminders on page 5-9 .
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
See Safety Belt Care on page 3-14 .
Safety Belt Care .
To clean the safety belt webbing,
apply a mild soap solution or any
solution recommended for
cleaning upholstery or carpet.
Then, wipe with a cloth and
allow the safety belts to dry in
the shade. Do not allow the
safety belts to retract until they
are completely dry. .
If dirt builds up in the shoulder
belt guide of the safety belt
anchors, the safety belts may
retract slowly. Wipe the shoulder
belt guide with a clean, dry cloth.
Periodically check to see that
the safety belt and the metal
components, such as buckles,
tongues, retractors, flexible wires
and anchors, work properly.
If loose parts, deterioration, cuts,
or other damage on the webbing
is found, the entire safety belt
assembly should be replaced.
{ Warning
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
It may severely weaken them. In
a crash, they might not be able to
provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water. Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts after a
Crash
{ WarningA crash can damage the safety
belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system
may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure the
safety belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies that
were used during any crash may
have been stressed or damaged.
Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 3-15See your dealer to have the safety
belt assemblies inspected or
replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle
or while you are driving. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5-9 .Airbag System The vehicle has the following
airbags: .
A frontal airbag for the driver. .
A frontal airbag for the front
outboard passenger. .
A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver. .
A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the front outboard
passenger. .
A roof-rail airbag for the driver. .
A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger.
All of the airbags have the word
SRS AIRBAG on the trim or on a
label near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word SRS
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for the
driver and on the instrument panel
for the front outboard passenger. For seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word SRS AIRBAG is
on the side of the seatback closest
to the door.
For roof-rail airbags, the word SRS
CURTAIN AIRBAG is at the top of
the pillar behind the front seats.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today's airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
inflating bag, all airbags must inflate
very quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{ Warning
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt, even
with airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, not replace them. Also,
(Continued)