2005 CHEVROLET KODIAK child restraint

{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck.
This is necessary because a newborn infant’s
neck is weak and its head weighs so much
compared with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into
the restraint, so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants
always should be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
{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.
We know securing a child can present real problems
in a medium-duty vehicle like yours.
If your vehicle is a regular cab model with an
air-suspension seat in the right front passenger’s
position, there is no place in your vehicle to secure a
child restraint. The only answer is to have smaller
children make the trip in another vehicle, where they
can get the protection they need.
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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 flat
surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward
the center of the vehicle.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.
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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.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,
and some high-back booster seats have a five-point
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 shield may take the place of 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 swings up or to the side.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.
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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Where to Put the Restraint
(Regular Cab Models)
If your vehicle is a regular cab model with an
air-suspension seat in the right front passenger’s
position, there is no place in your vehicle to secure a
child restraint. The only answer is to have smaller
children make the trip in another vehicle, where they
can get the protection they need.
{CAUTION:
A child restraint cannot be secured properly in
an air-suspension type seat. This is because
an air-suspension seat is designed to move up
and down for an adult passenger. Do not use a
child restraint in an air-suspension seat.If your vehicle is a regular cab model with a static seat
in the right front passenger’s position, or if it has a
bench seat, the child restraint must be secured properly
in the right front passenger’s seat. If your vehicle has
airbags and you need to secure a child restraint in
the right front passenger’s seat, there is a switch on
the instrument panel that you can use to turn off
the passenger’s airbag. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-56andSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position on page 1-44for more on this,
including important safety information.
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Unless the passenger’s airbag has been turned off,
never put 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 airbag has been turned off.
Even though the airbag off switch is designed
to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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 right front static seat or the
right front bench seat, always move the
passenger seat as far back as it will go.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can
move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle — even when no child is in it.
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Where to Put the Restraint
(Crew Cab Models)
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
We recommend that child restraints be secured in a rear
seat position, including an infant riding in a rear-racing
infant seat, a child riding in a forward-facing child
seat and an older child riding in a booster seat.
If your vehicle has airbags and you need to secure a
child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat, there is
a switch on the instrument panel that you can use to
turn off the passenger’s airbag. SeeAirbag Off Switch
on page 1-56andSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position on page 1-44for more on this,
including important safety information.Unless the passenger’s airbag has been turned off,
never put 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 right front
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 right front
seat position.
Even though the airbag off switch is designed
to turn off the passenger’s airbag, 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 secured in the rear seat, even if the airbag
is off.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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CAUTION: (Continued)
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front static seat or right
front bench seat, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go.
It is better to secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
If your vehicle has an air-suspension seat in the right
front passenger’s position, do not secure a child restraint
there. Here is why:
{CAUTION:
A child restraint cannot be secured properly in
an air-suspension type seat. This is because
an air-suspension seat is designed to move up
and down for an adult passenger. Do not use a
child restraint in an air-suspension seat.Wherever you install a child restraint, 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 — even when no child is in it.
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.
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