2008 CADILLAC CTS belt

{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Never allow two children to wear the same
safety belt. The safety belt can not properly
spread the impact forces. In a crash, the two
children can be crushed together and seriously
injured. A safety belt must be used by only
one person at a time.
{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Never allow a child to wear the safety belt with
the shoulder belt behind their back. A child
can be seriously injured by not wearing the
lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, the child
would not be restrained by the shoulder belt.
The child could move too far forward
increasing the chance of head and neck injury.
The child might also slide under the lap belt.
The belt force would then be applied right on
the abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal
injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the
shoulder and across the chest.
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Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province says children up to some age must
be restrained while in a vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled
if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck
and the safety belt continues to tighten. Never
leave children unattended in a vehicle and never
allow children to play with the safety belts.
Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles,
they should have the protection provided by appropriate
restraints. Children who are not restrained properly can
strike other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
In addition, young children should not use the vehicle’s
adult safety belts alone; they need to use a child restraint.
1-35

{CAUTION:
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. To reduce the risk
of serious or fatal injuries during a crash,
young children should always be secured
in appropriate child restraints.
Child Restraint Systems
A rear-facing infant seat (A)
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 (B) provides restraint
for the child’s body
with the harness.
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A booster seat (C-D) is a child restraint designed to
improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt system.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window.
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. Secure the child restraint
properly in the vehicle using the vehicle’s
safety belt or LATCH system, following the
instructions that came with that child restraint
and the instructions in this manual.
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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 1-43for 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 the vehicle — even when no
child is in it.Securing the Child Within the Child
Restraint
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed in a
crash if the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint. Secure the child properly
following the instructions that came with that
child restraint.
1-41

Where to Put the Restraint
According to accident statistics, children and infants
are safer when properly restrained in a child restraint
system or infant restraint system secured in a rear
seating position.
We recommend that children and child restraints
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 the 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 airbag inates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger
airbag inates and the passenger seat is in
a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has
turned off the right front passenger frontal
airbag, no system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
CAUTION: (Continued)
1-42

CAUTION: (Continued)
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear
seat, even if the airbag is off. If you 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.
SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-65
for additional information.
When securing a child restraint in a rear seating
position, study the instructions that came with the
child restraint to make sure it is compatible with this
vehicle.
Wherever a child restraint is installed, 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 the 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.
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.
1-43

The top tether anchors are located under the covers on
the rear seatback ller panel. Be sure to use an anchor
located on the same side of the vehicle as the seating
position where the child restraint will be placed.
Do not secure a child restraint in a position without a
top tether anchor if a national or local law requires that
the top tether be attached, or if the instructions that
come with the child restraint say that the top tether
must be attached.Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. See
Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-42for additional
information.
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System
{CAUTION:
If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached
to anchors, the child restraint will not be able
to protect the child correctly. In a crash, the
child could be seriously injured or killed.
Install a LATCH-type child restraint properly
using the anchors, or use the vehicle’s safety
belts to secure the restraint, following the
instructions that came with the child restraint
and the instructions in this manual.
1-46