GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
46 Seats and Restraints
8. Connect the mini-latch platesfor the lap-shoulder belts by
inserting the latch plates into
the mini-buckles attached at
the outboard positions of the
bench seat. Do not twist the
belts.
9. Check that all locking pins are locked into place before
operating the vehicle.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.
{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, 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
are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 098.
Why Safety Belts Work
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
48 Seats and Restraints
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.
{Warning
You 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. If you are
using a rear seating position with a
detachable safety belt and the
safety belt is not attached, see
“Reinstalling the Rear Seats” under
Rear Seats 043 for instructions on
reconnecting the safety belt to the
mini-buckle.
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.
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 the shoulder portion of a
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 053.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Seats and Restraints 51
Adjustable comfort guides are
available through your dealer for the
left rear outboard seating positions
of the three-passenger bench seats
and for the outboard seating
positions of the four-passenger
bench seats. For these seating
positions, the adjustable comfort
guide attaches to a loop on the
outboard side of the seatback.
Comfort Guide Installation and
Removal (Pocket Style)
To install:
1. Locate the guide in a pocket onthe side of the seatback.
2. Place the guide over the belt,and insert the two edges of the
belt into the slots of the guide.
3. Be sure that the belt is not
twisted and it lies flat. The
elastic cord must be behind the
belt with the plastic guide on
the front.
{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
(Continued)
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
52 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
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.
4. Buckle, position, and releasethe safety belt as described
previously in this section. Make
sure 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. To remove and store the comfort
guide, squeeze the belt edges
together so that the safety belt can
be removed from the guide. Slide
the guide into its storage pocket on
the side of the seatback.
Comfort Guide Installation and
Removal (Adjustable Style)
{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.Adjustable comfort guides are
available through your dealer for the
left rear outboard seating positions
of the three-passenger bench seats
and for the outboard seating
positions of the four-passenger
bench seats. Instructions are
included with the guides.
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.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Seats and Restraints 53
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. For more information, 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
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 098.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
See Safety Belt Care 053.
Safety Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
{Warning
Do not bleach or dye safety belt
webbing. It may severely weaken
the webbing. In a crash, they
might not be able to provide
adequate protection. Clean and
rinse safety belt webbing only
with mild soap and lukewarm
water. Allow the webbing to dry.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
54 Seats and Restraints
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts after a
Crash
{Warning
A 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.
See 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 098.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbag:
.
A frontal airbag for the driver.
The vehicle may have the following
airbags:
. 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.
Seat-mounted side impact
airbags are only available on
vehicles equipped with roof-rail
airbags.
. A roof-rail airbag for the driver
on vans with single row seating.
. A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger on vans
with single row seating.
. A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver on
vans with two row seating.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Seats and Restraints 55
.A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger and the
passenger seated directly
behind the front outboard
passenger on vans with two row
seating.
If the van is equipped with a
sliding door, the roof-rail airbag
for the front outboard passenger
is separate from the roof-rail
airbag for the passenger seated
directly behind the front outboard
passenger. If the van is
equipped with a 60/40 swing-out
door, a single roof-rail airbag
covers both seating positions.
. A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the second and third row
passengers seated directly
behind the driver on vans with
three or more seating rows.
. A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger and the
second and third row
passengers seated directly
behind the front outboard
passenger on vans with three or
more seating rows. If the van is equipped with a
sliding door, the roof-rail airbag
for the front outboard passenger
is separate from the roof-rail
airbag for the second and third
row passengers seated directly
behind the front outboard
passenger. If the van is
equipped with a 60/40 swing-out
door, a single roof-rail airbag
covers all three seating
positions.
All vehicle airbags have the word
AIRBAG on the trim or on an
attached label near the deployment
opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the center 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 AIRBAG is on the
side of the seatback closest to
the door.
For roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the ceiling or trim. 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 airbag, 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,
airbags are not designed to inflate
in every crash. In some crashes
safety belts are the only restraint.
See
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? 058.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce the chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or
being ejected from it. Airbags are (Continued)
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
56 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
“supplemental restraints”to the
safety belts. Everyone in the
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly, whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{Warning
Because airbags inflate with great
force and faster than the blink of
an eye, anyone who is up
against, or very close to any
airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not
sit unnecessarily close to any
airbag, as you would be if sitting
on the edge of the seat or leaning
forward. Safety belts help keep
you in position before and during
a crash. Always wear a safety
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle. The safety belts and
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the front outboard passenger
airbags are most effective when
you are sitting well back and
upright in the seat with both feet
on the floor.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children 065 or
Infants and Young Children 067.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel, which
shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light 098.
Where Are the Airbags?