2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO child restraint

For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing
a child restraint, be sure it is designed to be
used in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will
have a label saying that it meets federal motor
vehicle safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that
come with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{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 should always 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 should always be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
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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.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.
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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 1-45for 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.
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. Because there are different
systems, it is important to refer to the
instructions that come with the restraint. Make
sure the child is properly secured, following the
instructions that came with that restraint.
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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 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’s airbag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inating airbag.
Even it the passenger sensing system or the
airbag off switch has turned off the right front
passenger’s 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.
Rear-facing child restraints should be secured
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.
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{CAUTION:
A child in a child restraint in the center front
seat can be badly injured or killed by the
frontal airbags if they inate. Never secure a
child restraint in the center front seat. It is
always better to secure a child restraint in a
rear seat.
Do not use child restraints in the center front seat
position.
When securing a child restraint in a rear seating
position, study the instructions that came with your child
restraint to make sure it is compatible with this vehicle.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat that will
accommodate a rear-facing child restraint, a rear-facing
child restraint should not be installed in the vehicle,
even if the airbag is off.
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.
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.
1-45

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).
Top Tether Anchor
A top tether (A, C) anchors the top of the child restraint
to the vehicle. A top tether anchor is built into the
vehicle. The top tether attachment (B) on the child
restraint connects to the top tether anchor in the vehicle
in order to reduce the forward movement and rotation
of the child restraint during driving or in a crash.
Your child restraint may have a single tether (A) or a
dual tether (C). Either will have a single attachment (B)
to secure the top tether to the anchor.
1-46

Some child restraints that have a top tether are
designed for use with or without the top tether being
attached. Others require the top tether always to be
attached. In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing
child restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be
attached. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for
your child restraint.
If the child restraint does not have a top tether, one can
be obtained, in kit form, for many child restraints. Ask
the child restraint manufacturer whether or not a kit
is available.
Lower Anchor and Top Tether Anchor
Locations
i(Top Tether Anchor):
Seating positions with top
tether anchors.
Do not install a child restraint in the center front seat
position. SeeSecuring a Child Restraint in the Center
Front Seat Position on page 1-57for more information.
Regular
Cab — Two-Passenger
Front Seat
Regular
Cab — Three-Passenger
Front Seat
1-47

i(Top Tether Anchor):
Seating positions with top
tether anchors.
j(Lower Anchor):
Seating positions with
two lower anchors.
For crew and extended cab models, the rear outboard
seating positions have exposed metal lower anchors
located in the crease between the seatback and the
seat cushion.
For regular cab models,
there is an anchor symbol
on the covers to assist
you in locating the
top tether anchors.Do not install a child restraint in the center seat position.
SeeSecuring a Child Restraint in the Center Front
Seat Position on page 1-57for more information.
For regular cab models, the top tether anchors are
located under covers on the back panel behind the
passenger seat. Remove the trim plug to access the
anchor. 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. Crew and Extended Cab
Rear Seat
Regular Cab
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