Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in front,
there are other important factors you
should consider.
Maturity
To safely ride in front, a child must
be able to follow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
Physical Size
Physically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit (see pages 14 and 49). If
the seat belt does not fit properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in front.If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to:
● Carefully read the owner's manual,
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all safetyinformation.
● 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 floor.
● Check that the child's seat belt is
properly and securely positioned.
● Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to fasten the seat belts
or sit properly. Additional Safety Precautions
●
Do not let a child wear a seat belt
across the neck.
This could result
in serious neck injuries during acrash.
●
Do not let a child put the shoulder part of a seat belt behind the back
or under the arm.
This could cause
very serious injuries during a
crash. It also increases the chance
that the child will slide under the
belt in a crash and be injured.
●
Two children should never use the same seat belt.If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in acrash.
●
Do not put any accessories on a seat belt.Devices intended to
improve a child's comfort or
reposition the shoulder part of a
seat belt can make the belt less
effective and increase the chance
of serious injury in a crash.
Protecting Larger Children
51
Driver and Passenger Safety
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