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Black plate (41,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
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.
A label on your 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.
{WARNING:
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
(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
injured or killed if the right front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
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 2‑64
for additional information.
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Black plate (42,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
A child in a child restraint in the center front seat
can be badly injured or killed by the frontal
airbags if they inflate. 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.
Child restraints and booster seats vary considerably in
size, and some may fit in certain seating positions
better than others. Always make sure the child restraint
is properly secured. Depending on where you place the child restraint and
the size of the child restraint, you may not be able to
access adjacent safety belt assemblies or LATCH
anchors for additional passengers or child restraints.
Adjacent seating positions should not be used if the
child restraint prevents access to or interferes with the
routing of the safety belt.
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 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.
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Black plate (43,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
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.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).
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Black plate (44,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
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.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.
Lower Anchor and Top Tether Anchor
Locations
Rear Seat
i(Top Tether Anchor):
Seating positions with top
tether anchors.
j(Lower Anchor):
Seating positions with
two lower anchors.
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Black plate (45,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
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 under the covers
on the rear seatback filler panel. Flip open the cover to
access the 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.
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Black plate (46,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
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. SeeWhere to Put the Restraint
on
page 2‑41for additional information.
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System
{WARNING:
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 safety belts to secure
the restraint, following the instructions that came
with the child restraint and the instructions in this
manual.
{WARNING:
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.
{WARNING:
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 the vehicle has one, after the child restraint has
been installed.
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Black plate (47,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
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.
Do not fold the empty rear seat with a safety belt
buckled. This could damage the safety belt or the
seat. Unbuckle and return the safety belt to its
stowed position, before folding the seat.
1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have
lower attachments or the desired seating position
does not have lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and the safety belts.
Refer to your child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the instructions in this manual.
1. 1. Find the lower anchors for the desired seating position.
1. 2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1. 3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child restraint to the lower anchors. 2. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that
the top tether be attached, attach and tighten the
top tether to the top tether anchor, if equipped.
Refer to the child restraint instructions and the
following steps:
2. 1. Find the top tether anchor.
2. 2. Flip open the top tether anchor cover to
expose the anchor.
2. 3. Route, attach, and tighten the top tether according to your child restraint instructions
and the following instructions:
If the position you are
using does not have a
headrest or head restraint
and you are using a
single tether, route the
tether over the seatback.
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Black plate (48,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
If the position you are
using does not have
a headrest or head
restraint and you are
using a dual tether,
route the tether over
the seatback.
If the position you
are using has a fixed
headrest or head restraint
and you are using a
single tether, route the
tether over the headrest
or head restraint.
If the position you
are using has a fixed
headrest or head restraint
and you are using a dual
tether, route the tether
around the headrest or
head restraint.
3. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is securely held in place. To check, grasp
the child restraint at the LATCH path and attempt
to move it side‐to‐side and back‐and‐forth. There
should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement
for proper installation.
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