2008 DODGE SPRINTER Owners Manual

55 Safety
Occupant safety
2
If a child is traveling in the vehicle:\4
secure the child in a child restraint
system appropriate to his/her age
and size, preferably on a suitable
seat in the rear
\4
ensure that the child is strapped in
throughout the trip
You can obtain child seats and informa-
tion about the correct child restraint sys-
tem from any authorized Sprinter
Dealer.Children in the vehicle
Warning
G
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could:\4injure themselves on parts of the
vehicle\4be seriously or even fatally injured by
prolonged exposure to extreme heat
or cold
Do not expose child restraint systems to
direct sunlight. Metallic parts of the child
restraint system could heat up, for exam-
ple, and the child could burn him / herself
on the hot parts.
Warning
G
If the children open a door, they could:\4cause injury to others as a result\4get out of the vehicle and could either
injure themselves when doing so or
they could be injured by passing vehi-
cles\4sustain serious injuries if they were to
fall out of the vehicle, due in particular
to the height of the passenger com-
partment from the ground
Continued
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56 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Child restraint systemsWe recommend all infants and children
be properly restrained at all times while
the vehicle is in motion.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retrac-
tors for secure fastening of child re-
straints.To fasten a child restraint, follow child
restraint instructions for mounting. Then
pull the shoulder belt out completely
and let it retract. During seat belt retrac-
tion, a ratcheting sound can be heard to
indicate that the special seat belt retrac-
tor is activated. The belt is now locked.
Push down on child restraint to take up
any slack.
Warning (Continued)
G
Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside
the vehicle or load compartment unless
they are secured. You will find further in-
formation under “Transporting”
(\2page 276) and “Features”
(\2page 287) in the “Controls in detail”
section.An unsecured or incorrectly positioned load
increases the risk of injury to occupants, par-
ticularly children, in the event of:\4sharp braking
\4a sudden change of direction
\4an accident
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57 Safety
Occupant safety
2
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle
and let seat belt retract completely. The
seat belt can again be used in the usual
manner.Warning
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while
the vehicle is in motion, since the special
seat belt retractor will be deactivated.
Warning
G
T o r e d u c e t h e r i s k o f s e r i o u s o r f a t a l i n j u r y
to a child in the event of an accident,
sharp braking or a sudden change in di-
rection:\4Always secure children less than 5 ft
(1.50 m) tall or under 12 years of age
in a special child restraint system in-
stalled on a suitable vehicle seat,
since the seat belts are not designed
for this body size.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
It is not permitted to secure a child in the
passenger’s seat or the center position of
the front bench seat if the vehicle is
equipped with a passenger’s airbag.Only secure a rearward-facing child re-
straint system on a suitable rear seat.
Continued
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58 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Warning (Continued)
G
A child must never be carried sitting on
the lap of a vehicle occupant. It would not
be possible to restrain the child as a result
of the forces acting in the event of an ac-
cident, braking or abrupt changes in di-
rection. The child would be thrown
against parts of the vehicle interior and be
seriously or fatally injured.Vehicle occupants must wear their seat
belt correctly at all times.
Warning
G
If the child restraint system is not in-
stalled correctly on a suitable vehicle
seat, the child may not be restrained in
the event of an accident or sudden brak-
ing and may be seriously or fatally injured.
For this reason, always observe the instal-
lation instructions issued by the child re-
straint system manufacturer and the
intended use for the child restraint sys-
tem when fitting it.It is advisable to install the child restraint
system on one of the rear seats. The child
is generally better protected there.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Do not place objects (for example a cush-
ion) underneath the child restraint sys-
tem. The entire base of the child restraint
system must be in contact with the seat
cushion at all times.Child restraint systems must not be used
without the original cover. Replace dam-
aged covers only with original covers.On the rear seats, only use child restraint
systems recommended by the manufac-
turer.
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59 Safety
Occupant safety
2
Warning
G
If you no longer require the child restraint
system, remove it from the vehicle or se-
cure it with the seat belt.
The restraint system could otherwise be
thrown through the vehicle interior in the
event of an accident.
Warning
G
A child secured in a child restraint system
could be seriously or fatally injured in the
event of an accident, braking or a sudden
change in direction if the child restraint
system or its securing system is already
damaged or has been subjected to a load
in an accident.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Have restraint systems and their securing
systems which have been damaged or
subjected to a load in an accident
checked and, if necessary, replaced im-
mediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop which has the necessary specialist
knowledge and tools for the work re-
quired.The manufacturer recommends that you
use an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this
purpose. All work relevant to safety or on
safety-related systems must be carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop.
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60 SafetyOccupant safety
2
The use of infant or child restraints is re-
quired by law in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia, the U.S. territories and all
Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be
seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system properly secured by a
lap / shoulder belt or, if so equipped, a
top tether anchorage point and a child
restraint lower anchorage system that
complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehi-
cle Safety Standards 213 and 225 and
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
213 and 210.2.A statement by the child restraint manu-
facturer of compliance with this stan-
dard can be found on the instruction
label on the restraint and in the instruc-
tion manual provided with the restraint.
When using any infant or child restraint
system, make sure to carefully read and
follow all manufacturer’s instructions for
installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to inside of vehicle and to infant
or child restraints.
Passenger sun visor with warning sticker
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61 Safety
Occupant safety
2
Warning symbol for rearward-facing child
seat
ISOFIX child seat securing system/
Child seat anchors - LATCH typeISOFIX is a standardized securing sys-
tem on the rear seats for special LATCH
(Lower
Anchors and
Tethers for
Ch
il-
dren) child restraint systems with
matching mounting fittings.
The LATCH type anchors for child re-
straint systems are installed between
the seat cushion and the backrest:
\4
on the outside left and right on nar-
row rear bench seats with 3 seats
\4
on the outside left on rear bench
seats with 2 seats
N00.00-2620-31
iNon-LATCH type child seats may also
be used and can installed using the
vehicle’s seat belt system. Install
child seat according to manufactur-
er’s instructions.
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62 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Warning
G
A LATCH type child restraint system that
has been secured using the ISOFIX child
seat securing system is unable to provide
adequate protection for children who
weigh more than 48 lbs (22 kg). For this
reason, only secure children weighing
less than 48 lbs (22 kg) in a LATCH type
child restraint system secured using the
ISOFIX child seat securing system. If the
child weighs more than 48 lbs (22 kg),
you should secure the LATCH type child
restraint system with a lap-shoulder belt.
Warning
G
If the child restraint system has not been
installed correctly on a suitable vehicle
seat, the child cannot be restrained in the
event of an accident or sudden braking
and could be seriously or fatally injured.
You must therefore observe the installa-
tion instructions issued by the child re-
straint system manufacturer when
installing a child restraint system.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
On the rear bench seat, only use LATCH
type child restraint systems with ISOFIX
child seat mountings that have been rec-
ommended by the manufacturer.An incorrectly installed child restraint sys-
tem could come loose and the child or
other vehicle occupants could be fatally
injured. You must therefore make sure
that the child restraint system is engaged
in the securing rings on the left and right-
hand sides after it has been installed.
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