Page 46 of 374

When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should sit in the back seat on a
booster and wear a lap/shoulder belt.
We recommend that the child use a
booster seat until the child is tall
enough to use the seat belt without a
booster.
The f ollowing pages give
instructions on how to check proper
seat belt f it, what kind of booster
seat to use if one is needed, and
important precautions f or a child
who must sit in the f ront seat.To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
sit in the rear seat, all the way back
against the seat and have them put
on the seat belt. Follow the
instructions on page . Then check
how the belt f its.
17
Protecting L arger Children
Checking Seat Belt Fit
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety42
Allowing a larger child to sit
improperly in the front seat can
result in injury or death if the
passenger’s front airbag inflates.
If a larger child must sit in front,
make sure the child moves the
seat as far back as possible,
uses a booster seat if needed,
and wears the seat belt properly.
Page 47 of 374

Whichever style you select, f ollow
the booster seat maker’s instructions. If a child needs a booster seat, we
recommend choosing a high or low-
back style that allows the child to be
directly secured with the lap/
shoulder belt.
This could cause
very serious injuries during a crash.
It also increases the chance that the
child will slide under the belt in a
crash and be injured.
Devices intended to improve
occupant comf ort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt, severely
compromise the protective capability
of the seat belt and increase the
chance of serious injury in a crash.
If they do, they could
be very seriously injured in a crash.
If the shoulder part of the belt rests
over the child’s collarbone and
against the center of the chest, and if
the lap belt rests over the child’s
hipbones and touches the tops of
their thighs as shown, the child is
probably big enough to wear the seat
belt.
However, if the shoulder belt
touchesorcrossesthechild’sneck,
or if the lap belt crosses the child’s
stomach, the child needs to use a
booster seat.
This could result in serious neck and
internal injuries during a crash.
CONT INUED
Using a Boost er Seat
Do not let a child put the shoulder
part of a seat belt behind t he back orunder t he arm.
Do not put any accessories on a seatbelt.
T wo children should never use t hesame seat belt .
Do not let a child wear a seat belt
across t he neck or over t he st omach.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety43
Page 48 of 374

The back seat is the saf est place f or
a child of any age or size. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat.
In addition, the passenger’s f ront
airbag poses serious risks to children.
If the seat is too f ar f orward, or the
child’s head is thrown f orward
during a collision, or the child is
unrestrained or out of position, an
inf lating f ront airbag can kill or
seriously injure the child.
The side airbag also poses risks. If
any part of a larger child’s body is in
the path of a deploying airbag, the
child could receive possibly serious
injuries.Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in the
f ront, there are other important
f actors you should consider.
A child should continue using a
booster seat until they exceed the
booster seat manuf acturer’s
requirements.
Even then, they may still need to use
a booster seat. Note that some states
now require children to use boosters
until they reach a certain age and/or
weight.Besuretocheckcurrent
laws in the state or states where you
intend to drive.
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety44
Page 49 of 374
If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it over the hips, chest, and
shoulder (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
the child should not sit in the f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
17 42Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety45
Page 50 of 374
Your vehicle has three tether
anchorage points on the ceiling near
the tailgate opening f or securing a
tether-style child seat to the vehicle.Remove the head restraint where
you want to place the child seat.
You can remove the head restraint in
each outside position by pressing the
release button. The head restraint in
the center position can be removed
by pulling it up (see page ).
The tether anchorage points are
located under plastic covers. Select
the anchorage point you want to use,
and remove the cover with a small
f lat-tipped screwdriver or f ingernail
f ile.
Since a tether can provide additional
security, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available. 99
Using Child Seats with T ethers
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety46
COVER
TETHER ANCHORAGE POINT
Page 51 of 374
Make sure the removed head
restraints are secured in the cargo
area. Reinstall the head restraints
when the child seat is removed.Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchorage point as shown in
the illustration, then tighten the
strap according to the child seat
maker’s instructions. Make sure the
strap is not twisted.Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children) at the outer
rear seats. The lower anchors are
located between the seat-back and
seat bottom and are to be used only
with a child seat designed f or use
with LATCH.
The exact location of each lower
anchor is marked with a small circle
above the lower anchor point.
CONT INUED
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children
Using L A T CH
47
TETHER ANCHORAGE POINT
TETHER STRAP HOOK LOWER ANCHORSMARKS
Page 52 of 374
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:Store the seat belt buckle in the
pocket in the seat cushion and
move the center seat belt away
f rom the lower anchors.
Make sure there are no f oreign
objects around the anchors.
Foreign objects could get in the
way of a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors. Put the child seat in the rear lef t
or right vehicle seat and attach the
child seat to the lower anchors
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions.Follow the child seat maker’s
instructions f or any additional
advice on adjusting or tightening
the fit.
1.
2.
4.
3.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety48
Rigid type Flexible type
Page 53 of 374
Remove the head restraint (see
page ).
Make sure the removed head
restraints are secured in the cargo
area. Reinstall the head restraints
when the child seat is removed. Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchorage point, and
tighten the strap according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Make sure the strap is not twisted.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure enough to
stay upright during normal driving
maneuvers.This symbol on rear or f orward
f acing child seats or booster
cushions indicates the presence of
LATCH compatible hardware.
5.
6.
7.
99
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
L ower Universal Anchorage
System Symbol
49
TETHER ANCHORAGE POINT
TETHER STRAP HOOK