2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Owners Manual

1-42
4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described in ªRear Seat Passenger Positions
(Extended Cab and Crew Cab)º earlier in this
section. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses
the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the
belt edges together so that you can take them out of the
guides. Slide the guide onto the storage clip.
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes the
need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact, the
law in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province says children up to some age must be
restrained while in a vehicle.
Infants and Young Children
Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles,
they should have the protection provided by the
appropriate restraint. Young children should not use the
vehicle's safety belts, unless there is no other choice.

1-43
CAUTION:
People should never hold a baby in their arms
while riding in a vehicle. A baby doesn't weigh
much
-- until a crash. During a crash a baby will
become so heavy it is not possible to hold it.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
For example, in a crash at only 25 mph
(40 km/h), a 12
-lb. (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly
become a 240
-lb. (110 kg) force on a person's
arms. A baby should be secured in an
appropriate restraint.

1-44
CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
air bag when it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Air bags plus lap
-shoulder belts offer
outstanding protection for adults and older
children, but not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle's safety belt system nor its air
bag system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide.
Q:What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle's owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take into
consideration not only the child's weight, height
and age but also whether or not the restraint will be
compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing
a child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used in
a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer's instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In
addition, there are many kinds of restraints
available for children with special needs.

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CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This is
necessary because a newborn infant's neck is
weak and its head weighs so much compared with
the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in a
rear
-facing seat settles into the restraint, so the
crash forces can be distributed across the
strongest part of an infant's body, the back and
shoulders. Infants always should be secured in
appropriate infant restraints.
CAUTION:
The body structure of a young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child's hip
bones are still so small that the vehicle's regular
safety belt may not remain low on the hip bones,
as it should. Instead, it may settle up around the
child's abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply
force on a body area that's unprotected by any
bony structure. This alone could cause serious or
fatal injuries. Young children always should be
secured in appropriate child restraints.

1-46
Restraint Systems for Children
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a
motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed to
restrain or position a child on a continuous flat surface.
Make sure that the infant's head rests toward the center
of the vehicle.
A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with the
seating surface against the back of the infant. The
harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash,
acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint.

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A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for
the child's body with the harness and also sometimes
with surfaces such as T
-shaped or shelf-like shields.
A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to
improve the fit of the vehicle's safety belt system. Some
booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and some
high
-back booster seats have a five-point harness. A
booster seat can also help a child to see out the window.

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Q:How do child restraints work?
A:A child restraint system is any device designed for
use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position
children. A built
-in child restraint system is a
permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add
-on
child restraint system is a portable one, which is
purchased by the vehicle's owner.
For many years, add
-on child restraints have used
the adult belt system in the vehicle. To help reduce
the chance of injury, the child also has to be
secured within the restraint. The vehicle's belt
system secures the add
-on child restraint in the
vehicle, and the add
-on child restraint's harness
system holds the child in place within the restraint.
One system, the three
-point harness, has straps that
come down over each of the infant's shoulders and
buckle together at the crotch. The five
-point
harness system has two shoulder straps, two hip
straps and a crotch strap. A shield may take the
place of hip straps.A T
-shaped shield has shoulder straps that are
attached to a flat pad which rests low against the
child's body. A shelf
- or armrest-type shield has
straps that are attached to a wide, shelf
-like shield
that swings up or to the side.
When choosing a child restraint, be sure the child
restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle. If it is, it
will have a label saying that it meets federal motor
vehicle safety standards.
Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or in a
booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system in
your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured within
the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury.
When securing an add
-on child restraint, refer to the
instructions that come with the restraint which may be
on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both, and to this
manual. The child restraint instructions are important, so
if they are not available, obtain a replacement copy from
the manufacturer.

1-49 Where to Put the Restraint
(Regular Cab Pickup)
The child restraint must be secured properly in the right
front passenger seat. If you want to secure a rear
-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger's seat, turn off
the passenger's air bag. See ªAir Bag Off Switchº and
ªSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat
Positionº in the Index for more on this, including
important safety information.
CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
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. Be sure to turn
off the air bag before using a rear
-facing child
restraint in the right front seat position.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move
around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in
the vehicle
-- even when no child is in it.
Where to Put the Restraint
(Extended Cab Pickup)
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
General Motors, therefore, recommends that child
restraints be secured in the rear seat, including an infant
riding in a rear
-facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward
-facing child seat and an older child riding in a
booster seat. There is limited space in the rear seating
area of an extended cab model. If you want to secure a
child restraint in a rear seating position of an extended
cab model, especially in the rear center position, be sure
to study the instructions that came with your child
restraint to see if there is enough room to secure your
seat properly.
If a forward
-facing child seat must be secured in the
vehicle's right front seat, the seat should be moved back
as far as possible. However, it is better to secure the
restraint in a rear seat.
If you want to secure a rear
-facing child restraint in the
right front passenger's seat, turn off the passenger's air
bag. See ªAir Bag Off Switchº and ªSecuring a Child
Restraint in the Right Front Seat Positionº in the Index
for more on this, including important safety information.