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1-47
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System
1. Find the anchors for the seating position you want to
use, where the bottom of the seatback meets the back
of the seat cushion.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Attach the anchor points on the child restraint to the
anchors in the vehicle. The child restraint
instructions will show you how.
4. If the child restraint is forward
-facing, attach the top
strap to the top strap anchor. See ªTop Strapº in the
Index. Tighten the top strap according to the child
restraint instructions.
5. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, simply unhook the top
strap from the top tether anchor and then disconnect the
anchor points.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, see ªLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH)º in the Index.
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. Put the restraint on the seat.
2. 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.
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1-49
5. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into
the retractor while you push down on the child
restraint. If you're using a forward
-facing child
restraint, you may find it helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child restraint as you tighten
the belt.
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
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.
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1-50 Center Seat Position
Don't use child restraints in this position.
The restraints won't work properly.
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
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1-51
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, see ªLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH)º in the Index.
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear
-facing child restraint in this seat. Here's why:
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. Always secure
a rear
-facing child restraint in the rear seat.
Although a rear seat is a safer place, you can secure a
forward
-facing child restraint in the right front seat.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. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger air
bag, always move the seat as far back as it will go
before securing a forward
-facing child restraint.
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.
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1-53
6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder 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.
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.
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1-54
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle's safety belts.
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.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat.
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.
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1-55
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.
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:If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window,
move the child toward the center of the vehicle. If
the child is sitting in the center rear seat passenger
position, move the child toward the safety belt
buckle. In either case, 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. If the child is sitting in a rear seat
outside position, see ªRear Safety Belt Comfort
Guidesº in the Index.
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4-48
Using heavier suspension components to get added
durability might not change your weight ratings. Ask
your dealer to help you load your vehicle the right way.
NOTICE:
Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because of overloading.
If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else
-- they will go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly,
or if there is a crash, they'll keep going.
CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
Put things in the cargo area of your vehicle.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
Don't leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Don't leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
There's also important loading information for off-road
driving in this manual. See ªLoading Your Vehicle for
Off
-Road Drivingº in the Index.
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