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Child Seat PlacementWe strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the front.Placing a forward-facing child seat inthe front seat of a vehicle equippedwith a passenger's airbag can be
hazardous.
If the vehicle seat is too
far forward, or the child's head is
thrown forward during a collision, an
inflating airbag can strike the child
with enough force to cause very
serious or fatal injuries. Even with advanced front airbags
that automatically turn the
passenger's front airbag off (see page
33), a back seat is the safest place for
a small child.
If it is necessary to put a forward-
facing child seat in the front, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, and be sure the child seat is
firmly secured to the vehicle and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result
in serious injury or death if the
front airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.
Protecting Infants and Small Children
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Driver and Passenger Safety
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When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed for use with
the Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren (LATCH) system.
Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by attaching the seat to
hardware built into the rear seating
positions.Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.
In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
1.
The child seat should meet
Federal Motor Vehicle SafetyStandard 213 or CanadianMotor Vehicle Safety Standard213.
Look for FMVSS 213 or
CMVSS 213 on the box.
2.
The child seat should be of the proper type and size to fit the child.Rear-facing for infants, forward-
facing for small children.
3.The child seat should fit the vehicle seating position (or positions)
where it will be used.Before purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specific
vehicle seating position or positions
where the seat will be used.
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After selecting a proper child seat
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:1.Properly secure the child seat to the vehicle.
All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers for CHildren) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
2.
Make sure the child seat is firmly secured.
After installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure. A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as firmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be
‘‘rock solid. ’’Some side-to-side
movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat's
effectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a different seating
position, or use a different style of
child seat that can be firmly secured. 3.
Secure the child in the child seat.Make sure the child is properly
strapped in the child seat
according to the child seat maker's
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
can be seriously injured in a crash.
The following pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A forward-facing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same for rear-
facing child seats.
Installing a Child Seat
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Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers
for CHildren) at the rear seats to
secure a child seat in any seating
position: one in each outer seating
position, or one in the center.
The five lower anchors are located
between the seat-back and seat
bottom, and are to be used only with
a child seat designed for use with
LATCH.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
When you install a child seat in the
rear center seating position, use the
center LATCH as shown in the
illustration. To install a child seat in
the outer seating position, use either
LATCH. You can install up to two
child seat at a time with outer
LATCH.
Using the Outer LATCHTo install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in either of the rear outer seats:
1. Move the seat belt buckle ortongue away from the lower
anchors.
2. Make sure there are no objects near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.
BUTTON LOWER ANCHORS
FOR CENTER LATCH
LOWER ANCHORS
FOR OUTER LATCH
OUTER LOWER ANCHORS
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7. Attach the tether strap hook to thetether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.
8. Push and pull the child seat forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
Using the Center LATCHTo install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in the rear center seating
position, use the center lower
anchors as shown above.
Remove the head restraint (see page
136). Make sure the removed head
restraint is secured in the cargo area.
Reinstall the head restraint when the
child seat is removed.
Follow step 1 through 8 as described
previously to secure the child seat.
When you install the child seat in the
rear center seating position, you
cannot use the seat belt behind the
driver's seat.
TETHER STRAP HOOK ANCHOR
CENTER LOWER ANCHORS
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If you want to install two child seats
in the back seats, place each child
seat in the outer seat, as shown in
the above illustration.Do not attach two child seat
connectors to a single lower anchor
at a time.
The LATCH system or the child
seats might be damaged if you try to
install three child seats in the rear
seats.
Installing a Child Seat
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1. Remove the cargo area cover, andplace it on the cargo area floor (see
page 160). 2. (Outer seating position)
After properly securing the child
seat (see page 50), lift the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
through the head restraint legs.
(Rear center seating position)
Remove the head restraint (see
page 136). Make sure the removed
head restraint is secured in the
cargo area. Reinstall the head
restraint when the child seat is
removed.
After properly securing the child
seat (see page 50), route the tether
strap over the top of the seat-back.
When you install the child seat in
the rear center seating position,
you cannot use the seat belt
behind the driver's seat.
3. Attach the tether strap hook to theanchor, making sure the tether
strap is not twisted.
4. Tighten the strap according to the seat maker's instructions.
If the tether strap is too long and
cannot be tightened firmly, find a
route where the strap can be
tightened securely.
TETHER STRAP
TETHER STRAP HOOK ANCHOR
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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 safety
information.●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 a
crash.
●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 a
crash.
●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.
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