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According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in the
back seat. The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration and
Transport Canada recommend that
all children age 12 and under be
properly restrained in the back seat.
Children who ride in back are less
likely to be injured by striking
interior vehicle parts during a
collision or hard braking. Also,
children cannot be injured by an
inf lating airbag when they ride in the
back. Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision. To do this
the passenger’s f ront airbag is quite
large and it can inf late with enough
f orce to cause very serious injuries.
To help prevent airbag-caused
injuries to children, this vehicle has
an advanced airbag system.
With this system, the front
passenger’s airbag is turned of f if
sensors detect a total weight of less
thanabout65lbs(30kg)ontheseat
(see pages f or additional
inf ormation about how the f ront
passenger’s advanced airbag works).
Even if the passenger’s f ront airbag
is turned of f , we strongly
recommend that children age 12 and
under ride properly restrained in a
back seat where they will be saf er.
24 26
CONT INUED
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
All Children Should Sit in the
Back Seat
The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Can Pose Serious Risks
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A child who has outgrown a forward-
f acing child seat should ride in the
back seat and use a booster seat
until the lap/shoulder belt f its them
properly without the booster.
Some states also require children to
use a booster until they reach a
given age or weight (e.g., 6 years or
60lbs).Besuretocheckcurrent
laws in the state or states where you
intend to drive.The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat.
Even with advanced front airbag, the
back seat is the safest place for a
child of any age or size.
If the passenger’s f ront airbag is on,
and it inflates in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the airbag
can cause serious injuries to a child
who is unrestrained, improperly
restrained, sitting too close to the
airbag, or out of position.
The side airbag also poses risks. If
any part of a larger child’s body is in
the path of a deploying side airbag,
the child could receive possibly
serious injuries.
Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster meets f ederal
saf ety standards (see page ) and
that you f ollow the booster seat
maker’s instructions.
If a child who uses a booster must
ride in f ront, move the vehicle seat
as far to the rear as possible, and be
sure the child is wearing the seat
belt properly.
A child may continue using a booster
seat until the tops of their ears are
even with the top of the vehicle’s or
booster’s seat-back. A child of this
height should be tall enough to use
the lap/shoulder belt without a
booster.
40
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Using a Booster Seat
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
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