Page 24 of 209
Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Additional Saf ety Precautions
22
Page 25 of 209

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µ
Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many adults do not know
how to protect child
passengers.
If you ever need to drive with a child
in your vehicle, be sure to read this
section. It begins with important
general guidelines, then presents
special inf ormation f or inf ants, small
children and larger children.
Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of the death of children ages 12 and
under.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be properly
restrained when they ride in a
vehicle.
(see pages
). (see pages
).
3028 31
34
properly
All Children Must Be Restrained
Anychildwhoistoosmalltoweara
seat belt must be restrained in anapproved child seat t hat is properlysecured t o t he vehicle A larger child must be restrained
wit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride ona boost er seat unt il t he seat belt f it shim or her properly
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
23
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt and
use a booster seat if necessary.
Page 28 of 209

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If you are not wearing a seat
belt in crash, you could be thrown
f orward and crush the child
against the dashboard. If you are
wearing a seat belt, the child can
be torn f rom your arms and be
seriously hurt or killed.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash. Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch, and open the trunk, which
can lead to accidental injury or
death.
For example, a small child lef t in a
vehicle on a hot day can die f rom
heatstroke. A child lef t alone with
the key in the ignition switch can
accidentally set the vehicle in
motion, possibly injuring
themselves or others.
Children who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles. Know how to
operate the emergency trunk
opener and decide if your children
should be shown how to use this
feature(seepage ).
During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
55
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Never hold a small child on your
lap.
Never let two children use thesame seat belt . Do not leave children alone in a
vehicle. K eep vehicle keys and remot e
transmitters out of the reach ofchildren.
Lock both doors and the trunk when your vehicle is not in use.
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child.
26
Page 30 of 209

To provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:Look f or FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
Bef ore purchasing a child seat, or
using a previously purchased one, we
recommend that you test the seat to
make sure it f its properly in the
passenger’s seat. Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
there are three main steps in
installing a child seat:
All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt. A child
whose seat is not properly secured
to the vehicle can be endangered
in a crash.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure.
A child seat secured with a seat
belt should be installed as f irmly
as possible. However, it does not
need to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ Some side-
to-side movement can be expected
and should not reduce the child
seat’s ef f ectiveness. If the child seat is not secure, use
a dif f erent style of child seat that
can be f irmly secured.
Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
canbeseriouslyinjuredinacrash.
The f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a f orward-f acing child seat.
Selecting a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat
T he child seat should meet U.S. or
Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213.
T he child seat should be of theproper t ype and size t o f it t he child.
T he child seat should f it thepassenger’s seat . Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured. Secure the child in the child seat.
1.
2.3. 1.
2. 3.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
28
Page 31 of 209

With the child seat in position,
route the belt through the child
seat according to the seat maker’s
instructions, then insert the latch
plate into the buckle.
To activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt f eed back into the
retractor.
In this vehicle, a child seat must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of the lap/shoulder belt. In
addition, the passenger’s lap/
shoulder belt has a locking
mechanism that must be activated to
secure a child seat.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position. Moving the seat as
f ar back as possible reduces the
chance of a child being injured or
killed if the passenger’s airbag
inflates. After the belt has retracted, tug on
it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out. If you can pull
the belt out, it is not locked and
you will need to repeat these steps.
1.
2.
3.4.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
29
Page 32 of 209
To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,or
push on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt.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. If the child seat is not
secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to
retract f ully, then repeat these
steps.To deactivate the locking
mechanism and remove a child seat,
unlatch the buckle, unroute the seat
belt, and let the belt f ully retract.
Af ter conf irming that the belt is
locked, grab the shoulder part of
the belt near the buckle and pull
up to remove any slack from the
lap part of the belt. Remember, if
the lap part of the belt is not tight,
the child seat will not be secure.
5.
6.
Installing a Child Seat
30
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When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should sit in a back seat on a
booster seat and wear a lap/shoulder
belt.To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
put on the seat belt, then ask
yourself :Does the child sit all the way back
against the seat?
Do the child’s knees bend
comf ortably over the edge of the
seat?
Since this vehicle does not have a
back seat, we recommend that you
do not carry a larger child, age 12 or
under, as a passenger.
However, the following pages
provide guidelines to help you decide
when a given child may ride in this
vehicle, and how to properly protect
the child.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Checking Seat Belt Fit
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
31
Allowing a larger child age 12 or
under to ride in the vehicle can
result in injury or death if the
passenger’s front airbag inflates.
If a larger child must ride in the
vehicle, move the vehicle seat
as far back as possible, use a
booster seat if needed, have
the child sit up properly and
wear the seat belt properly.
Page 34 of 209

Does the shoulder belt cross
between the child’s neck and arm?
Is the lap part of the belt as low as
possible, touching the child’s
thighs?
Will the child be able to stay
seated like this f or the whole trip?
If you answer yes to all these
questions, the child is ready to wear
the lap/shoulder belt correctly. If
you answer no to any question, the
child needs to ride on a booster seat. A child who has outgrown a f orward- f acing child seat should use a
booster seat until the lap/shoulder
belt fits them properly without the
booster.
Some states and Canadian provinces
also require children to use a booster
seat until they reach a given age or
weight (e.g., 6 years or 60 lbs). Be
sure to check current laws in the
states or provinces where you intendto drive.
Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster meets f ederal
saf ety standards and that you f ollow
the booster seat maker’s instructions.
If a child who uses a booster seat
ridesinthisvehicle,movethe
vehicle seat as f ar 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 seat.
3.
4.
5.
Using a Booster Seat
Protecting L arger Children
32