Page 39 of 352

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If the vehicle seat is
too far forward, or the child’s head is
thro wn forward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough force to kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
Whenever possible,
larg er children should sit in the back
seat, on a booster seat if needed, and
be properly restrained with a seat
belt (see page for important
info rmation about protecting larger
children).
Front
airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe frontal collision. To do this,
the passenger’s front airbag is quite
large, and it can inflate with enough
force to cause very serious injuries.
Even though your vehicle has an
advanced front airbag system that
automatically turns the passenger’s
front airbag off (see page ),
please f ollow these guidelines:
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
inflating front airbag when they ride
in the back. If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant.
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in a
back seat. The National Highway
Traf f ic Saf ety Administration and
Transport Canada recommend that
all children aged 12 and under be
properly restrained in a back seat.
Some states have laws restricting
where children may ride.
31
50
CONT INUED
All Children Should Sit in a Back
Seat The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Can Pose Serious RisksSmall Children
Placing a f orward-f acing child seat inthe f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag canbe hazardous.
Larger ChildrenChildren who have outgrown childseat s are also at risk of being injuredor killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag.
Inf ant s
Never put a rear-f acing child seat inthe f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
35
Page 56 of 352

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.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ag ed 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
If the passenger’s front airbag
inflates in a moderate to severe
frontal 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. A
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.
Of course, children vary widel y. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in front,
there are other important f actors you
should consider.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride. If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:
Caref ully read the owner’s manual,
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly and securely positioned.
Supervise the child. Even a mature
child sometimes needs to be
reminded to f asten the seat belt or
sit properly.
14 50
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting L arger Children
52
Page 321 of 352
The operator will load
your vehicle on the back of a truck.
Any other method of towing will
damage the drive system. When you
contact the towing agency, inform
th em a flat-bed is required.
If
your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a professional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous. Refer to
on page
for non-emergency towing
inf ormation. 250
On 4WD models
The only way you can saf ely tow
your vehicle is with f lat-bed
equipment. Towing Your Vehicle
Behind a Motorhome
Emergency Towing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
317
Towing with only two tires on the
ground will damage parts of the 4WD
system. It should be transported on a
f lat-bed truck or trailer.