SEAT BELT EXTENDER ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY

SEVERAL STATES ARE CONSIDERING OR HAVE ENACTED MANDATORY SEAT BELT LEGISLATION. THE STATE OF NEW YORK ENACTED A MANDATORY SEAT BELT LAW EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 1985. GENERAL MOTORS STRONGLY ENDORSE AND SUPPORT EFFORTS TO ENACT LEGISLATION REQUIRING THE USE OF SEAT BELTS AND CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS. WITH THIS NEW LEGISLATION, THERE MAY BE INCREASED INTEREST BY DEALERS REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF SEAT BELTS TO SUPPLY CUSTOMER REPLACEMENT NEEDS. SEAT BELTS ARE AVAILABLE AS COMPLETE ASSEMBLIES ONLY. REPAIRS (AS OPPOSED TO REPLACEMENTS) ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. DEALERS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO STOCK SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES FOR ALL MODEL YEARS COVERED BY MANDATORY STATE LAWS, SINCE THERE ARE TOO MANY VARIATIONS. NEW SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES SHOULD BE ORDERED AS NEEDED FROM GMWDD IN THE NORMAL MANNER. IN ADDITION, SPECIAL SEAT BELT EXTENDERS ARE AVAILABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE PEOPLE WHO CANNOT FIT THE SEAT BELT AROUND THEMSELVES. PARTS AND ACCESSORIES INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. 84-212 AND 84-230 AS UPDATED BY ACCESSORY INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. 85-54A PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT SEAT BELT EXTENDERS. COPIES OF BOTH BULLETINS ARE ENCLOSED. RECENT INQUIRIES REGARDING SEAT BELT EXTENDERS AVAILABILITY INDICATE THAT SOME SERVICE MANAGERS, BODY SHOP MANAGERS, SHOP FOREMAN, SERVICE ADVISORS OR SALES PERSONNEL WERE NOT FULLY AWARE GM OFFERED THEM FOR SALES. PLEASE BE CERTAIN ALL APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL IN YOUR DEALERSHIP ARE INFORMED. BOTH INCREASED USE OF SEAT BELTS AND IMPROVED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SHOULD RESULT. COPIES OF THE THREE PAGE QUESTIONNAIRE SHOULD BE MADE AS REQUIRED. GENERAL MOTORS PARTS IS PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 1985, SEAT BELT EXTENDERS WILL BE A NO CHARGE ITEM TO ALL GM CUSTOMRS WHO REQUEST THEM FOR THEIR SPECIFIC VEHICLES. EXTENDERS ARE AVAILABLE AS DETAILED IN PARTS INFORMATION BULLETIN #84-212. (SEE TEXT BELOW) WE URGE YOU TO PROMOTE THE USE OF SEAT BELTS. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF AUTOMOTIVE FATALITIES AND MANY SERIOUS INJURIES COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE OCCUPANTS HAD BEEN WEARING SEAT BELTS. GM VEHICLE RESTRAINT SYSTEMS HAVE SUFFICIENT BELT LENGTH TO ACCOMMODATE MOST DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS. CONSEQUENTLY, REQUESTS FOR BELT EXTENSIONS ARE MINIMAL. IN THE EVENT A CUSTOMER DOES MAKE SUCH A REQUEST, THE ATTACHED "QUESTIONNAIRE" MUST BE COMPLETED AND SENT TO THE FLINT ORDER DEPARTMENT, ATTENTION NATIONAL SECTION, WHERE IT WILL BE PROCESSED AS A DEALER ORDER. THE EXTENSION IS AVAILABLE FOR MOST GM VEHICLES PRODUCED IN RECENT YEARS. THE DESIGN IS SUCH THAT IT CAN BE COUPLED TO THE EXISTING BELTS INCLUDED IN EACH VEHICLE. SINCE THE EXTENTION MAKES THE BELT ARRANGEMENT A "CUSTOM FIT", USE BY ANYONE ELSE, OR IN A DIFFERENT VEHICLE, WILL LESSEN OR NULLIFY THE PROTECTION AFFORDED BY THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM. THEREFORE, BEFORE THE ORDER FOR THE EXTENSION CAN BE PROCESSED, THE "QUESTIONNAIRE" MUST BE COMPLETED IN EVERY RESPECT, PARTICULARLY THE SIGNATURE OF THE PERSON WHO WILL BE USING THE EXTENSION. A WORD OF CAUTION -- ORDERS FOR SEAT BELT EXTENSIONS SHOULD NOT BE SUBMITTED IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE INTENT IS SIMPLY TO PROVIDE A VEHICLE OCCUPANT WITH MORE SLACK FOR THE SAKE OF COMFORT. SINCE EACH EXTENSION IS MADE UP INDIVIDUALLY AFTER RECEIPT OF ORDER, THE CUSTOMER SHOULD EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE A REASONABLE DELAY IN AVAILABILITY. THE TIME WILL VARY DEPENDING ON THE VENDOR AND HIS INVENTORY OF MATERIALS. QUESTIONNAIRE SEAT BELT EXTENDER WE HAVE RECEIVED YOUR REQUEST FOR A SEAT BELT EXTENSION. IN ORDER TO RESPOND, SPECIFIC INFORMATION MUST BE SUPPLIED REGARDING THE INDIVIDUAL AND VEHICLE INVOLVED. PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: 1. WRITE IN THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) OF THE CARS IN WHICH YOU NEED THE LONGER BELT. THE VIN IS LOCATED ON THE LEFT FRONT TOP SURFACE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND IS VISIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. NOTE THE VIN BELOW. 2. PART NUMBER, IF SHOWN, MANUFACTURER'S NAME AND MODEL NUMBER THAT APPEARS ON THE LABEL OF THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ALONG WITH THE COLOR OF THE WEBBING. COLORED EXTENDERS FOR PAST MODEL VEHICLES ARE FURNISHED ON AN "AS MATERIAL AVAILABLE BASIS" ONLY. IF WEBBING OF THE COLOR DESIGNATED FOR A PAST MODEL VEHICLE IS NOT AVAILABLE, THE EXTENSION WILL BE FURNISHED IN BLACK. THE LABEL (FIGURE 2) WHICH IS STITCHED TO THE WEBBING IS LOCATED EITHER SLIGHTLY ABOVE WHERE THE WEBBING ATTACHES TO THE FLOOR (NEAR THE DOOR) OR IN THE RETRACTOR. THE LABEL ON THE WEBBING STOWED INSIDE THE RETRACTOR CAN BE FOUND BY FULLY EXTRACTING THE WEBBING FROM THE RETRACTOR. NOTE INFORMATION BELOW: 3. MEASUREMENT IN INCHES PLACE THE SEAT IN THE POSITION THAT IT IS IN WHEN YOU DRIVE OR RIDE IN THE CAR. WITH YOU SITTING IN THE SEAT MAKE SURE THAT THE BUCKLE IS EXTENDED AS FAR THROUGH THE SEAT AS POSSIBLE. THIS MAY BE DONE BY GIVING THE BUCKLE A HARD PULL. WITH THE BUCKLE RESTING AGAINST YOUR HIP, MEASURE THE LAP AREA DIRECTLY BELOW THE NAVEL TO THE FRONT EDGE OF THE BUCKLE (FIGURE 3) AND NOTE DIMENSION BELOW. *NOTE: IF MEASUREMENT IS 12 INCHES (304.8MM) OR LESS A SEAT BELT EXTENDER IS NOT AVAILABLE. WITH THIS INFORMATION, WE CAN SUPPLY A SEAT BELT EXTENDER TAILORED FOR YOUR PERSONAL USE THAT WILL MAINTAIN THE PROPER SEAT BELT ORIENTATION. ALL SEAT BELT EXTENTION ORDERS MUST INCLUDE BUCKLE TYPE AS PART OF THE DATA INCLUDED IN SECTION 3 THIS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS AVALIBLE IN THE PARTS CATALOGUE AS FOLLOWS: MODEL YEARS 1982-PRESENT ------------------------ THE BUCKLE TYPE CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY UE OF THE PARTS AND ILLUSTRATION CATALOGUE - GROUP 14 THE PRODUCTION PART NUMBER (FROM THE LABEL ON THE SEAT BELT WEBBING) CAN BE USED TO FIND THE BUCKLE TYPE THROUGH THE PRODUCTION NUMBER TO SERVICE NUMBER CROSS REFERENCE. THE BUCKLES CAN ALSO BE IDENTIFIED BY THE USE OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE CATALOGUE. MODEL YEARS PRIOR TO 1982 ------------------------- THE BUCKLE TYPES CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY USE OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE PARTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS CATALOGUE. - GROUP 14 BODY OF LETTER TO BE INCLUDED WITH THE SEAT BELT EXTENDER ENCLOSED SEAT BELT EXTENDER WAS MADE ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION YOU SUPPLIED ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE. THIS EXTENDER WILL ALLOW YOU TO USE YOUR SEAT BELT PROPERLY. WE MUST STRESS THAT THIS SEAT BELT EXTENDER WAS CUSTOM MADE FOR YOU AND SHOULD BE USED BY YOU IN THE PARTICULAR VEHICLE FOR WHICH IT WAS MADE. AS NOTED ON THE LABEL AFFIXED TO THE SEAT BELT EXTENDER, IT MUST NOT BE USED BY OTHER PERSONS BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT BE AFFORDED THE FULL PROTECTION OF THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM. ALSO, ITS USE BY YOU IN ANOTHER VEHICLE MAY NOT OFFER YOU THE FULL PROTECTION OF THAT VEHICLE'S SEAT BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM. 4. CUSTOMER INFORMATION NAME: ADDRESS: CITY, STATE: CUSTOMER SIGNATURE: 5. DEALER INFORMATION NAME: ADDRESS: CITY, STATE: DEALER PARTS CODE: PARTS MANAGER'S SIGNATURE MAIL COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE TO: WAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTION DIVISION OF GM 6060 WEST BRISTOL ROAD FLINT, MI 48554 ATTENTION: NATIONAL ORDER DEPARTMENT "ILLUSTRATIONS ON PRINTED BULLETIN"

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