2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

{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 is
unprotected by any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
Child Restraint Systems
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 at
surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward
the center of the vehicle.
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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.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.
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A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to
improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Some
booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and
some high-back booster seats have a ve-point harness.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window.
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 ve-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 at 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.
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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
nd 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.
The child restraint must be secured properly in the
passenger seat. If you want to secure a rear-facing child
restraint in the passenger’s seat, turn off the passenger’s
airbag. SeeAirbag Off Switch on page 1-48and
Securing a Child Restraint in the Passenger Seat
Position on page 1-35for more on this, including
important safety information.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the passenger’s
airbag inates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close
to the inating airbag. Be sure to turn off the
airbag before using a rear-facing child restraint
in the passenger 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. Be sure to properly secure
any child restraint in your vehicle – even when no child
is in it.
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Top Strap
Some child restraints have a top strap, or “top tether,”
which can help hold the child restraint during a
crash. For it to work, a top strap must be properly
anchored to the vehicle. Some child restraints with a top
strap are designed to be used whether or not the top
strap is anchored. Others require that the top strap
be anchored. Also, a national or local law may require
that the top strap be anchored.
If your child restraint top strap must be anchored, then
do not use the restraint in this vehicle, because in
it, a top strap cannot be properly anchored.
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
for Children (LATCH System)
Your vehicle has the LATCH system. There are anchors
for the passenger seat.
This system, designed to make installation of child
restraints easier, does not use the vehicle’s safety belts.
Instead, it uses vehicle anchors and child restraint
attachments to secure the restraints. Some restraints
also use another vehicle anchor to secure a top
tether strap. However, your vehicle does not have ananchor for a top tether strap. If the instructions that
come with the child restraint say that it must be secured
at all three anchors, do not use that child restraint in
this vehicle. SeeTop Strap on page 1-31.
A. Lower Anchorage
B. Lower Anchorage
C. Top Tether
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A. Lower Anchorage
B. Lower Anchorage
In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you
need a child restraint designed for that system.
To assist you in locating the lower anchors for this child
restraint system, the passenger’s seat has a label on
the seat cushion at each lower anchor position.The labels are located
near the seatback of the
passenger seat.
{CAUTION:
If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached
to its anchorage points, the restraint will not
be able to protect the child correctly. 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, following the
instructions that came with that restraint, and
also the instructions in this manual.
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Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System
Your vehicle has airbags. There is an airbag off switch
in the glove box you can use to turn off the passenger’s
frontal airbag and side impact airbag (if equipped).
SeeAirbag Off Switch on page 1-48for more on this
including important safety information.
A. Canadian Switch
B. United States Switch
Unless the passenger’s airbag or airbags have been
turned off,neverput a rear-facing child restraint in this
vehicle. Here is why:
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the passenger’s
airbag inates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close
to the inating airbag. Do not use a rear-facing
child restraint in this vehicle unless the
passenger’s frontal airbag and side impact
airbag (if equipped) have been turned off.
Even though the airbag off switch is designed
to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag and
side impact airbag (if equipped), no system is
fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an
airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is turned off. We
recommend that rear-facing child restraints be
transported in vehicles with a rear seat that
will accommodate a rear-facing child restraint,
whenever possible.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the passenger seat, always move
the passenger seat as far back as it will go.
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{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the passenger’s
frontal airbag and side impact airbag
(if equipped), it means that something may
be wrong with the airbag system. The
passenger’s frontal airbag and side impact
airbag (if equipped) could inate even though
the switch is off. If this ever happens, do not
let anyone whom the national government has
identied as a member of a passenger airbag
risk group sit in the passenger’s position
(for example, do not secure a rear-facing child
restraint in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-48.
There are no top strap anchors in your vehicle. Do not
secure a child seat in your vehicle if a national or
local law requires that the top strap be anchored, or ifthe instructions that come with the restraint say that the
top strap must be anchored.
1. Your vehicle has airbags. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-48. If your child restraint is forward-facing,
always move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing it in this seat. SeeManual Seats on
page 1-2orSix-Way Power Seats on page 1-2.
Never use a rear-facing child restraint in this seat
unless the airbag is off.
2. Find the LATCH anchorages in the passenger seat.
SeeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-31.
3. Put the child restraint on the seat.
4. Attach and tighten the LATCH attachments on the
child restraint to the LATCH anchorages in the
vehicle. The child restraint instructions will show you
how. SeeTop Strap on page 1-31if your child
restraint has one.
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
tether from the top tether anchorage and then
disconnect the LATCH anchorages.
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