Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-16500419) -
2023 - CRC - 5/6/22
56 Seats and Restraints
Why Seat 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 seat
belts!
When you wear a seat 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 fromthe seat belts. That is why
wearing seat belts makes such
good sense.
Questions and Answers
About Seat Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the
vehicle after a crash if I am
wearing a seat belt?
A: You could be —whether you
are wearing a seat 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
seat belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only. They work
with seat 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
seat belts.
Buckle To Drive
If equipped, this feature delays
the vehicle from shifting out of
P (Park) when the driver seat
belt is not buckled. The Buckle
to Drive feature must be
turned ON in the infotainment
system to work. To turn the
Buckle to Drive feature on or
off, select Settings > Vehicle >
Buckle to Drive. See Teen
Driver
0219, if equipped.
If the vehicle is on and the
brake pedal is pressed with
the vehicle in P (Park) but the
driver seat belt is not buckled,
a message displays in the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
and the vehicle will be delayed
from shifting out of P (Park).
Buckle the driver seat belt to
clear the message and shift
out of P (Park). Shifting from
Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-16500419) -
2023 - CRC - 5/6/22
Seats and Restraints 57
P (Park) will be delayed once
for each time the vehicle is
started.
For some fleet vehicles, the
feature is always ON and
cannot be turned OFF in the
infotainment system. The
vehicle will be delayed from
shifting from P (Park) each
time the driver attempts to do
so while the driver seat belt is
not buckled. Turning the
vehicle off then on will not
change this condition.
On some models, Buckle to
Drive may also delay shifting
out of P (Park) if a front
passenger seat belt is
unbuckled. A message displays
in the DIC. Buckle the front
passenger seat belt to shift
out of P (Park). This feature
may delay the vehicle from
shifting out of P (Park) if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device, is
on the front passenger seat.If this happens, remove the
object from the seat or buckle
the seat belt to shift out of
P (Park).
If the driver, or on some
vehicles, the present front
passenger remains unbuckled,
the DIC message will turn off
after several seconds and the
vehicle can be shifted out of
P (Park). See
“Seat Belts”and
“Child Restraints” in the Index
for information about the
importance of proper
restraint use.
If the driver seat belt or the
front passenger seat belt is
unbuckled when driving, the
seat belt reminder chime and
light(s) will come on. See Seat
Belt Reminders 0122. This
feature may not function
properly if the airbag
readiness light is on. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0123.How to Wear Seat
Belts Properly
Follow these rules for
everyone's protection.
There are additional things to
know about seat belts and
children, including smaller
children and infants. If a child
will be riding in the vehicle, see
Older Children 079 or
Infants and Young Children
0 81. Review and follow the
rules for children in addition to
the following rules.
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 seat belts.
There are important things to
know about wearing a seat
belt properly.
Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-16500419) -
2023 - CRC - 5/6/22
Seats and Restraints 71
But airbags would not help in
many types of collisions,
primarily because the
occupant's motion is not
toward those airbags. See
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?069.
Airbags should never be
regarded as anything more
than a supplement to seat
belts.
What Will You See
after an Airbag
Inflates?
After frontal, knee, and
seat-mounted side impact
airbags inflate, they quickly
deflate, so quickly that some
people may not even realize
the airbags inflated. Roof-rail
airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time
after they inflate. Some
components of the airbag
module may be hot for several
minutes. For location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? 067. The parts of the airbag that
come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot
to touch. There may be some
smoke and dust coming from
the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does
not prevent the driver from
seeing out of the windshield or
being able to steer the vehicle,
nor does it prevent people
from leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates,
there may be dust in the air.
This dust could cause
breathing problems for
people with a history of
asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this,
everyone in the vehicle
should get out as soon as it
is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but
cannot get out of the vehicle
after an airbag inflates, then
get fresh air by opening a
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
window or a door. If you
experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that
may automatically unlock the
doors, turn on the interior
lamps and hazard warning
flashers, and shut off the fuel
system after the airbags
inflate. The feature may also
activate, without airbag
inflation, after an event that
exceeds a predetermined
threshold. After turning the
ignition off and then on again,
the fuel system will return to
normal operation; the doors
can be locked, the interior
lamps can be turned off, and
the hazard warning flashers
can be turned off using the
controls for those features.
If any of these systems are
damaged in the crash they
may not operate as normal.
Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-16500419) -
2023 - CRC - 5/6/22
72 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
A crash severe enough to
inflate the airbags may have
also damaged important
functions in the vehicle, such
as the fuel system, brake
and steering systems, etc.
Even if the vehicle appears
to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may
be concealed damage that
could make it difficult to
safely operate the vehicle.
Use caution if you should
attempt to restart the
engine after a crash has
occurred.
In many crashes severe
enough to inflate the airbag,
windshields are broken by
vehicle deformation. Additional
windshield breakage may also
occur from the front outboard
passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to
inflate only once. After an
airbag inflates, you will need
some new parts for the
airbag system. If you do not
get them, the airbag system
will not be there to help
protect you in another crash.
A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service
manual for the vehicle
covers the need to replace
other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash
sensing and diagnostic
module which records
information after a crash.
See Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy 0498 and
Event Data Recorders 0499.
.Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag system.
Improper service can mean
that an airbag system will
not work properly. See your
dealer for service.
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front
outboard passenger position.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will light on the
overhead console when the
vehicle is started.
The words ON and OFF, and
the symbols for on and off, will
be visible during the system
check. When the system check
is complete, either the word
ON or OFF, and the symbol for
on or off, will be visible. See
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator 0124.
The passenger sensing
system turns off the front
outboard passenger frontal
airbag and knee airbag under
Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-16500419) -
2023 - CRC - 5/6/22
Seats and Restraints 73
certain conditions. No other
airbag is affected by the
passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing
system works with sensors
that are part of the front
outboard passenger seat and
seat belt. The sensors are
designed to detect the
presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the
front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag
should be allowed to inflate
or not.
According to accident
statistics, children are safer
when properly secured in a
rear seat in the correct child
restraint for their weight
and size.
Whenever possible, children
aged 12 and under should be
secured in a rear seating
position.Never put a rear-facing child
seat in the front. This is
because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag inflates.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the
passenger frontal airbag
inflates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very
close to the inflating airbag.
A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if
the passenger frontal airbag
inflates and the passenger
seat is in a forward position.
Even if the passenger
sensing system has turned
off the front outboard
passenger airbag(s), no
system is fail-safe. No one
can guarantee that an
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
airbag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance,
even though the airbag(s)
are off.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat,
even if the airbag is off.
If securing a forward-facing
child restraint in the front
outboard passenger seat,
always move the seat as far
back as it will go. It is better
to secure child restraints in
the rear seat. Consider
using another vehicle to
transport the child when a
rear seat is not available.
The passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off
the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee
airbag if:
.The front outboard
passenger seat is
unoccupied.
Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-16500419) -
2023 - CRC - 5/6/22
74 Seats and Restraints
.The system determines an
infant is present in a child
restraint.
.A front outboard passenger
takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the
front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag,
the OFF indicator will light and
stay lit as a reminder that the
airbags are off. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator 0124.
The passenger sensing
system is designed to turn on
the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag,
anytime the system senses
that a person of adult size is
sitting properly in the front
outboard passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbag
to be enabled, the ON
indicator will light and stay lit
as a reminder that the airbags
are active. For some children, including
children in child restraints, and
for very small adults, the
passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the
front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag,
depending upon the person's
seating posture and body
build. Everyone in the vehicle
who has outgrown child
restraints should wear a seat
belt properly
—whether or not
there is an airbag for that
person.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light
ever comes on and stays on,
it means that something may
be wrong with the airbag
system. To help avoid injury
to yourself or others, have
the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light 0123 for more
information, including
important safety
information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit
for a Child Restraint
The passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off
the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag,
if the system determines that
an infant is present in a child
restraint. If a child restraint
has been installed and the ON
indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such
as blankets, cushions, seat
covers, seat heaters,
or seat massagers.
Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-16500419) -
2023 - CRC - 5/6/22
Seats and Restraints 75
4. Reinstall the child restraintfollowing the directions
provided by the child
restraint manufacturer and
refer to Securing Child
Restraints (With the Seat
Belt in the Rear Seat) 094
or
Securing Child Restraints
(With the Seat Belt in the
Front Seat) 096.
Make sure the seat belt
retractor is locked by
pulling the shoulder belt all
the way out of the
retractor when installing
the child restraint, even if
the child restraint is
equipped with a seat belt
lock off. When the
retractor lock is set, the
belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the
retractor.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and
restarting the vehicle, the
ON indicator is still lit, turn
the vehicle off. Then
slightly recline the vehicle seatback and adjust the
seat cushion, if adjustable,
to make sure that the
vehicle seatback is not
pushing the child restraint
into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child
restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head
restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint.
See Head Restraints
043.
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing
system may or may not turn
off the airbags for a child in a
child restraint depending upon
the child’s size. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat. Never put a
rear-facing child restraint in
the front seat, even if the ON
indicator is not lit.If the Off Indicator Is Lit
for an Adult-Sized
Occupant
If a person of adult size is
sitting in the front outboard
passenger seat, but the OFF
indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not
sitting properly in the seat or
that the child restraint locking
feature is engaged. Use the
following steps to allow the
system to detect that person
and enable the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and
knee airbag:
Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-16500419) -
2023 - CRC - 5/6/22
76 Seats and Restraints
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additionalmaterial from the seat,
such as blankets, cushions,
seat covers, seat heaters,
or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat,
centered on the seat
cushion, with legs
comfortably extended.
5. If the shoulder portion of the belt is pulled out all the
way, the child restraint
locking feature will be
engaged. This may
unintentionally cause the
passenger sensing system
to turn the airbag off for
some adult-sized
occupants. If this happens,
unbuckle the belt, let the
belt go back all the way,
and then buckle the belt
again without pulling the
belt out all the way. 6. Restart the vehicle and
have the person remain in
this position for two to
three minutes after the ON
indicator is lit.
{Warning
If the front outboard
passenger airbag is turned
off for an adult-sized
occupant, the airbag will not
be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a
crash, resulting in an
increased risk of serious
injury or even death. An
adult-sized occupant should
not ride in the front
outboard passenger seat,
if the passenger airbag OFF
indicator is lit.
Additional Factors
Affecting System
Operation
Seat belts help keep the
passenger in position on the
seat during vehicle maneuvers and braking, which helps the
passenger sensing system
maintain the passenger airbag
status. See
“Seat Belts” and
“Child Restraints” in the Index
for additional information
about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional
material, such as a blanket or
cushion, or aftermarket
equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well
the passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that
you not use seat covers or
other aftermarket equipment
except when approved by GM
for your specific vehicle. See
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 077
for more information about
modifications that can affect
how the system operates.
The ON indicator may be lit if
an object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device, is