2010 PONTIAC VIBE child restraint

{CAUTION
To reduce the risk of neck and
head injury during a crash, infants
need complete support. This is
because an infant’s neck is not
fully developed and its head
weighs so much compared with
the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing child
restraint 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 rear-facing
child restraints.
{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) Rear-Facing Infant Seat
Seats and Restraints 2-41

A forward-facing child seat (B)
provides restraint for the child’s body
with the harness.A booster seat (C) is a child
restraint designed to improve the fit
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.
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. See Child Restraint Systems
on page 2-41 for more information.
(B) Forward-Facing Child Seat
(C) Booster Seats
2-42 Seats and Restraints

Children 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.
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.
Seats and Restraints 2-43

A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child
restraint 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 inflates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to
the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if
the right front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat
is in a forward position.(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
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.
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 2-29 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.
2-44 Seats and Restraints

Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH System)
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 witha 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
the vehicle, you need a child restraint
that has LATCH attachments. The
child restraint manufacturer provides
instructions on how to use the child
restraint and its attachments. The
following explains how to attach a
child restraint with these attachments
in the vehicle.
Not all vehicle seating positions or
child restraints have lower anchors
and attachments or top tether
anchors and attachments.
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).
Seats and Restraints 2-45

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.The 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.
Some child restraints with top
tethers 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
the child restraint.
Lower Anchor and Top Tether
Anchor Locations
i(Top Tether Anchor):
Seating
positions with top tether anchors.
j(Lower Anchor): Seating
positions with two lower anchors.
Rear Seat
2-46 Seats and Restraints

To assist you in locating the lower
anchors, each seating position
with lower anchors has two labels,
near the crease between the
seatback and the seat cushion.
To assist you in locating the top
tether anchors, the top tether anchor
symbol is located on the cover.The top tether anchors are located
on the floor of the rear cargo area.
Open the cover to access the
anchors. If the vehicle has a cargo
mat, you may need to fold it back
to access the top tether anchors.
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.
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.
See
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 2-43 for additional information.
Seats and Restraints 2-47

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.
{CAUTION
Do not attach more than one
child restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment to
come loose or even break during
a crash. A child or others could
be injured. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during a
crash, attach only one child
restraint per anchor.
{CAUTION
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out
of the retractor to set the lock, if
your vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice: Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.
2-48 Seats and Restraints