Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
3-36 Seats and Restraints
For some children, including
children in child restraints, and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn
off the right front passenger frontal
airbag, depending upon the
person's seating posture and
body build. Everyone in the vehicle
who has outgrown child restraints
should wear a safety belt
properly—whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑15 for more
information, including important
safety information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions provided
by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints (Rear
Seat Position) on page 3‑55 or
Securing Child Restraints
(Center Front Seat Position) on
page 3‑57 orSecuring Child
Restraints (Right Front Seat
Position) on page 3‑58. 5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit,
turn the vehicle off. Then slightly
recline the vehicle seatback and
adjust the seat cushion,
if adjustable, to make sure that
the vehicle seatback is not
pushing the child restraint into
the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child
restraint is not trapped under the
vehicle head restraint. If this
happens, adjust the head
restraint. See Head Restraints
on page 3‑2.
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system may
or may not turn off the airbag for a
child in a child restraint depending
upon the child's seating posture and
body build. It is better to secure the
child restraint in a rear seat.
Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
3-42 Seats and Restraints
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.
In a crash, children who are not
buckled up can strike other people
who are buckled up, or can be
thrown out of the vehicle. Older
children need to use safety belts
properly.{WARNING
Never do this.
Never allow two children to wear
the same safety belt. The safety
belt can not properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, the
two children can be crushed
together and seriously injured.
A safety belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
{WARNING
Never do this.
Never allow a child to wear the
safety belt with the shoulder belt
behind their back. A child can be
seriously injured by not wearing
the lap-shoulder belt properly.
In a crash, the child would not be
restrained by the shoulder belt.
The child could move too far
forward increasing the chance of
head and neck injury. The child
might also slide under the lap
belt. The belt force would then be
applied right on the abdomen.(Continued)
Black plate (44,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
3-44 Seats and Restraints
Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{WARNING
Never do this.
Never hold an infant or a child
while riding in a vehicle. Due to
crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not
possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb)
infant will suddenly become a
110 kg (240 lb) force on a person's
arms. An infant should be
secured in an appropriate
restraint.
{WARNING
Never do this.
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front
seat. Secure a rear-facing child
restraint in a rear seat. It is also
better to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in a rear seat.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If you must secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go.
Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-45
Q: What are the different types ofadd-on child restraints?
A: Add-on child restraints, which
are purchased by the vehicle's
owner, are available in four basic
types. Selection of a particular
restraint should take into
consideration not only the child's
weight, height, and age but also
whether or not the restraint will
be compatible with the motor
vehicle in which it will be used.
For most basic types of child
restraints, there are many
different models available. When
purchasing a child restraint, be
sure it is designed to be used in
a motor vehicle. If it is, the
restraint will have a label saying
that it meets federal motor
vehicle safety standards. The restraint manufacturer's
instructions that come with the
restraint state the weight and
height limitations for a particular
child restraint. In addition, there
are many kinds of restraints
available for children with
special needs.
{WARNING
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.
{WARNING
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.
Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-47
Securing an Add-On Child
Restraint in the Vehicle
{WARNING
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 Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) on page 3‑50 for
more information. 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.
In some areas, Certified Child
Passenger Safety Technicians
(CPSTs) are available to inspect
and demonstrate how to
correctly use and install child
restraints. In the U.S., refer to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) website to
locate the nearest child safety seat
inspection station. For CPST
availability in Canada, check with
Transport Canada or the Provincial
Ministry of Transportation office.
Securing the Child Within the
Child Restraint
{WARNING
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.
Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
3-48 Seats and Restraints
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
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
The vehicle may have a
passenger sensing system which
is designed to turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
under certain conditions.
Even if the passenger sensing
system, if equipped, 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.(Continued)
Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-49
WARNING (Continued)
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 3‑34 for additional
information.
{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.
Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
3-50 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 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.