2007 CADILLAC DTS 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.
49

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.
50

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 Should I Use a Child Restraint?
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. To help reduce injuries, an
add-on child restraint must be secured in
the vehicle. With built-in or add-on child
restraints, the child has to be secured within
the child restraint.
When choosing an add-on 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.
51

Securing an Add-on Child Restraint in
the Vehicle
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed
in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly secured in the vehicle. Make sure
the child restraint is properly installed in
the vehicle using the vehicle’s safety belt
or LATCH system, following the
instructions that came with that restraint,
and also the instructions in this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the child
restraint must be secured in the vehicle. Child
restraint systems must be secured in vehicle seats
by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder
belt, or by the LATCH system. SeeLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on
page 55for more information. A child can
be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is
not properly secured in the vehicle.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.
52

Securing the Child Within the Child
Restraint
There are several systems for securing the child
within the child 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.
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed
in a crash if the child is not properly
secured in the child restraint. Make sure
the child is properly secured, following
the instructions that came with that
restraint.
Because there are different systems, it is important
to refer to the instructions that come with the
restraint. A child can be endangered in a crash if
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
53

Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear rather than the front
seat. We recommend that children be secured in a
rear seat, including: an infant or a child riding in a
rear-facing child restraint; a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat; an older child riding in a
booster seat; and children, who are large enough,
using safety belts.
A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a
rear-facing child seat in the front.” This is because
the risk to the rear-facing child is so great, if the
airbag deploys.
{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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
restraint would be very close to the
inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal and
seat-mounted side impact airbag if the
system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, 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 airbags are off.
If you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front 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.
54

{CAUTION:
A child in a child restraint in the center
front seat can be badly injured or killed by
the right front passenger’s airbag if it
inates. Never secure a child restraint in
the center front seat. It is always better to
secure a child restraint in the rear 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. Be sure to properly
secure any child restraint in your vehicle — even
when no child is in it.
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH)
The LATCH system holds a child restraint during
driving or in a crash. This system is designed
to make installation of a child restraint easier. The
LATCH system uses anchors in the vehicle and
attachments on the child restraint that are made for
use with the LATCH system.
Make sure that a LATCH-compatible child restraint
is properly installed using the anchors, 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.
When installing a child restraint with a top
tether, you must also use either the lower anchors
or the safety belts to properly secure the child
restraint. A child restraint must never be installed
using only the top tether and anchor.
55

In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle,
you need a child restraint that has LATCH
attachments. The child restraint manufacturer will
provide you with instructions on how to use
the child restraint and its attachments. The
following explains how to attach a child restraint
with these attachments in your vehicle.
Not all vehicle seating positions or child restraints
have lower anchors and attachments or top
tether anchors and attachments.Lower Anchors
Lower anchors (A) are metal bars built into the
vehicle. There are two lower anchors for each
LATCH seating position that will accommodate a
child restraint with lower attachments (B).
56