Installing a Child Seat
Mter selecting a proper child seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:
1. Secure the child seat to the car
with a
seat belt. All child seats
must be secured to the car with
the lap part of a lap/shoulder belt.
A child whose seat is not properly
secured to
the car can be
endangered
in a crash. See page
27 for instructions on how to
secure a forward-facing child seat
in this car.
2. Make sure the child seat is firmly
secured. Mter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
forward and from side to side to
verify that it is secure. To
provide security during normal
driving maneuvers as well as during
a collision, we recommend that
parents secure a child seat as firmly
as possible.
However, a child seat does not need
to be
"rock solid." It may be difficult
to install a child seat so that it does
not move at
all. Some side-to-side or
back-and-forth movement can be
expected and should not reduce the
child seat's effectiveness.
Protecting Children
3. Secure the child in the child seat.
Make sure the child is properly
strapped in the child seat
according to
the child seat maker's
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
can be thrown out of the seat
in a
crash and seriously injured.
Storing a Child Seat
When you are not using a child seat,
either remove it and store it in a safe
place, or make sure it is properly
secured. An unsecured child seat can
be thrown around the car during a
crash or sudden stop and injure
someone.
Driver and Passenger Safety 25
