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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,
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 sirieici rnay iake ihe piace oi 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
S?..,l!?cJS up or io the side.
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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.
Where to Put the Restraint
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 a 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.
Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the front
passenger seat. Here’s why:
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 a rear seat.
You may secure a forward-facing child restraint
in the right front seat, but before you do, always
move the front passenger seat as far back as
it
will go. It’s better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move
around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in
the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child restraint
in your vehicle
- even when no child is in it.
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With this system, use the LATCH system instead of the
vehicle’s safety belts
to secure a child restraint. If a
LAT4-type child restraint isn’t attached to
its anchorage points, the restraint won’t be
able to protect
a child sitting there. In a crash,
the child could be seriously injured or killed. Make sure that a LATCH-type child restraint
is
properly installed using the anchorage points,
or use the vehicle’s safety belts to secure the
restraint. See “Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH System’’ or “Securing
a Child Restraint
in a Rear Outside Seat
Position”
in the Index for information on how
to secure a child restraint
in your vehicle.
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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.
2.
Put the restraint on the seat.
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.
In the third row, tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt
if needed.
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3. 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.
4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
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5.
6.
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.
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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Securing a Child Restraint in a
Center Seat Position
3
You’ll be using the lap belt. 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. See the earlier part about the top strap
if the child restraint has one.
1.
2.
3.
Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling it along the belt.
Put the restraint on the seat.
Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
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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.
5. To tighten the belt, pull its free end 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. It will be ready to work for an adult or
larger child passenger.
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