Restraint System

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Pontiac Aztek and 2003 Buick Rendezvous. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Seat belts are the primary means of occupant restraint. Seat belts help to keep the occupant(s) inside the passenger compartment and to gradually reduce the impact forces during the following events:

Frontal impact type crashes
Rear impact type crashes
Side impact type crashes
Roll-over type crashes

All seat belt retractors have emergency locks. The retractors remain unlocked during normal operation and under normal driving conditions. The retractors remain unlocked during normal conditions in order to allow free movement of the upper body of each occupant.

A pendulum locks the seat belt webbing into position. The pendulum causes a locking bar to engage a cog on the spool of the retractor mechanism when the following conditions occur:

A rapid extraction of the seat belt webbing from the retractor
An abrupt change in the vehicle speed
An abrupt change in the vehicle direction
Operation of the vehicle on a steep upgrade
Operation of the vehicle on a steep downgrade

By pulling the shoulder belt the lap belt will tighten and hold until unbuckled. This vehicle is also equipped with a supplemental inflatable restraint (SIR) system. Refer to DESCRIPTION & OPERATION in SIR.