2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

1-37
If your vehicle is a convertible or has a removable
roof panel, don't use a child restraint that requires a
top strap in your vehicle because the strap cannot be
anchored properly.
Once you have the top strap anchored, you'll be
ready to secure the child restraint itself. Tighten the
top strap when and as the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions say.
If your vehicle is a Z06, an anchor bracket for a top
strap is located behind the passenger's seat in the
cargo area. Anchor the top strap to the bracket.

1-38 Securing a Child Restraint in the
Passenger Seat Position
Your vehicle has a passenger air bag. There's an air bag
off switch in the glove box you can use to turn off
the passenger's air bag when you want to secure a
rear
-facing child restraint at the passenger's position.
See ªAir Bag Off Switchº in the Index for more on
this, including important safety information.
Unless the passenger's air bag has been turned off,
never put a rear
-facing child restraint in this vehicle.
Here's why:

1-39
CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the passenger's
air bag inflates. This is because the back of
the rear
-facing child restraint would be very
close to the inflating air bag. Do not use a
rear
-facing child restraint in this vehicle unless
the passenger's air bag has been turned off.
If a forward-facing child restraint is suitable
for your child, always move the passenger seat
as far back as it will go.
CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light ever comes on when
you have turned off the air bag, it means that
something may be wrong with the air bag system.
The passenger's air bag could inflate even though
the switch is off. If this ever happens, don't let
anyone whom the national government has
identified as a member of a passenger air bag
risk group sit in the passenger's position
(for example, don't secure a rear
-facing child
restraint in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced. See ªAir Bag Off Switchº in
the Index.

1-40
You'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier
part about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the
child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint
when and as the instructions say.
1. Your vehicle has a passenger's air bag. If you are
using a rear
-facing child restraint in this seat, make
sure the air bag is turned off. See ªAir Bag Off
Switchº in the Index. If your child restraint is
forward
-facing, always move the seat as far back as
it will go before securing it in this seat. See ªSeatsº
in the Index.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle's safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child's face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.

1-41
5. Pull the rest of the lap belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, feed the lap belt back into the
retractor while you push down on the child restraint.
You may find it helpful to use your knee to push
down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.

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To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult
or larger child passenger.
If you were using a rear
-facing child restraint, turn on
the passenger's air bag when you remove the rear
-facing
child restraint from the vehicle unless the person who
will be sitting there is a member of a passenger air bag
risk group. See ªAir Bag Off Switchº in the Index.
CAUTION:
If the passenger's air bag is turned off for a
person who isn't in a risk group identified by
the national government, that person won't have
the extra protection of an air bag. In a crash,
the air bag wouldn't be able to inflate and help
protect the person sitting there. Don't turn off the
passenger's air bag unless the person sitting there
is in a risk group. See ªAir Bag Off Switchº in
the Index for more on this, including important
safety information.
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle's safety belts.

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Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap
-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt should
not cross the face or neck. The lap belt should fit
snugly below the hips, just touching the top of the
thighs. It should never be worn over the abdomen,
which could cause severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt.
The belt can't properly spread the impact forces.
In a crash, the two children can be crushed
together and seriously injured. A belt must be
used by only one person at a time.

1-44
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child's face or neck?
A:Move the child toward the center of the vehicle,
but be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the
child's shoulder, so that in a crash the child's upper
body would have the restraint that belts provide.
CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap
-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind
the child. If the child wears the belt in this way,
in a crash the child might slide under the belt.
The belt's force would then be applied right on
the child's abdomen. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries.
The lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug
on the hips, just touching the child's thighs. This applies
belt force to the child's pelvic bones in a crash.