Warning! Taking seat belt use seriously is the key to minimizing the risk of serious injury or death in a crash! Remember that airbags should by no means be considered as an alternative to seat belts, neglecting the use of the latter!
General information
All car seats are equipped with seat belts - two front and three rear. All belts have a diagonal lap (three anchor) construction.
One of the anchor points is equipped with an inertial return device with automatic blocking in case of jerks. Belts of this type do not need to be adjusted in length. Inertial belts practically do not constrain the movements of the person fastened by them, allowing him to freely change his position. In the event of a traffic accident or sudden braking of the car, the return device automatically locks the belt, ensuring that the body is fixed from dangerous movements. To check the proper functioning of the locking mechanism, pull the belt sharply by the shoulder section - if the belt is blocked, then the mechanism is functioning properly. The front and rear outboard seat belts can be equipped with automatic emergency retractors. The procedure for using such belts is similar to the procedure for using belts of conventional design. The principle of operation of emergency tensioners is discussed in more detail in Section 13.
Attention! It is forbidden to make changes to the design of the belt assemblies, as well as in any way prevent the automatic removal of the belt slack by winding it onto the return mechanism drum!
The design and layout of the seat belts were calculated taking into account the structural features of the human skeleton. The belt should fit snugly against the body of the person sitting in the pelvis area (waist section) and chest and shoulder (shoulder section). Make sure that the waist strap is lowered as low as possible to the level of the hips and in no case is located on the stomach of the seated person. The shoulder section of the harness must not be passed under the arm or placed over the neck. Make sure the belt is not twisted. Improper use of seat belts can result in serious injury in an accident. The maximum effectiveness of the seat belt is achieved when the seatback is in an upright position. Excessive tilt of the backrest increases the likelihood of the occupant slipping in the event of an impact.
The seat belt should fit as closely as possible to the body of the driver or passenger, without causing significant inconvenience and without restricting freedom of action. Even a slight loosening of the belt dramatically reduces the effectiveness of its protective action in an accident.
All people in the vehicle must wear seat belts at all times while driving. Under no circumstances should more than one person, including a child seated on the lap, be used with the same seat belt! In the instrument cluster (see Section 16) a special control lamp is mounted, reminding the driver and passengers of the need to fasten their seat belts, which turns off only when the belts are fastened. See Section 11 for information on seating options for child safety seats.
Rules for using seat belts
General rules
Warning! Negligence in the use of seat belts is fraught with serious injury in an accident and even death! An improperly used seat belt will not provide adequate protection for the driver/passenger! If you are not sure that the seat belt adjustments are correct, contact a service station.
Slowly pull the belt out of the retractor, slung it over your shoulder and snap the belt buckle buckle into the buckle, then pull up on the shoulder section strap, checking that the buckle is secure in the buckle. Make sure the strap is not twisted - a twisted strap is dangerous in itself.
Note: The 3-hunker rear seat center seat belt will only pull out of the retractable retractor when the bench seat backrest is locked in the upright position.
Lower the lap section of the belt as far as possible, placing it as low as possible on the hips. By pulling on the shoulder section, take up the slack in the strap and try to achieve a snug fit to the body (see illustration 10.1).
10.1 Correct seat belt position
The strap should pass diagonally across the ribcage of the seated person so that the impact load is mainly on the strongest upper torso, if necessary, follow the procedure for adjusting the position of the upper anchorage of the belt. To adjust the height of the upper anchor, it is necessary to press the corresponding lock (see illustration 10.2) and move to the required position, then release the button and fix the anchor - a characteristic click should be heard.
10.2 Adjusting the position of the upper anchor of the front and rear outboard seat belts
Note: After completing the adjustment, make sure that the anchor is secure by pulling it up and down.
When fastened, the driver must ensure that all passengers are also properly fastened. Persons not wearing seat belts in the event of an accident not only risk serious injury, but also pose a danger to other passengers.
To unfasten the belt, press the red button located on the buckle housing (see illustration 10.3). When winding the belt with the return device drum, hold it by the lock bracket. When exiting the vehicle, make sure that the belt does not get into the door opening and is not caught when the latter is slammed.
10.3 Unfastening the seat belt
Recommendations for pregnant women
Ensuring the safety of a pregnant woman is also the best way to save the fetus in the event of an accident, so when traveling by car (as driver or passenger) a pregnant woman must wear a seat belt without fail, paying special attention to the correct placement of its sections relative to her body. When using belts with a diagonal-waist design, it should be remembered that the lap section of the belt should be located as low as possible on the hips and in no case be placed on the stomach, while the diagonal should pass over the middle of the shoulder and further through the chest to the hip.
A pregnant woman should also occupy an upright position on the seat, while the front seat should be moved as far as possible from the instrument panel, which will reduce the risk of injury and injury not only for the mother, but also for the fetus in the event of an accident or when the frontal airbag is deployed.
For personalized advice, please contact your physician. At each visit to the antenatal clinic, inquire whether it is desirable for you to drive a car.
Recommendations for the disabled
Opel strongly recommends that all disabled people wear seat belts when driving. The belts must be adjusted according to the nature of the injury or injury. For personalized advice, please contact your physician.
Additional information on seat belts
The compilers of this Guide recommend replacing the assembly of belts that have been overloaded during an accident, regardless of the severity of its consequences, even if their external condition has not changed in any way. Those belts that were not in use at the time of the collision should be checked for suitability for further use by specialists. To replace and check the condition of the seat belt assemblies, contact a service station. Remember to check the general condition of the seat belts from time to time. If there are signs of a malfunction in the functioning of the buckles, tensioning mechanisms, the reliability of tightening the anchor fasteners and other defects that interfere with the normal functioning of the seat belts, the failed components should be replaced without delay.
Attention! If tears, abrasions and heavily soiled sections of the tape are detected, the seat belt must be replaced without fail!
During the entire life of the seat belts, protect the surface of their tapes from contamination with polishes, oils, and other chemicals. Never expose the tapes to sulfuric acid, which is the basis of battery electrolyte. Belts should be cleaned gently using a brush, mild soap and water or other cleaning products recommended for upholstery and carpeting. After cleaning, the belts must be thoroughly dried in the extended state - in no case do not allow wet belts to be wound onto the return drum.
Note: Avoid drying the belts by exposing them to direct sunlight.
Do not attach any pads or other objects to the seat belt straps. Attaching attachments, modifying the design of the seat belt components, or changing the position of the shoulder section can reduce the effectiveness of the seat belt and increase the risk of injury in a crash. Do not place any objects between your body and the front airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp objects on your knees, or driving with a smoking pipe or other sharp objects in your mouth in an accident can result in serious injury. In order to prevent the risk of unauthorized deployment of the front airbags, try not to press your hands to the locations of their modules on the instrument panel and in the steering wheel hub.
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