2011 DODGE DAKOTA Owners Manual

In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties,
such as law enforcement, that have the special equip-
ment, can read the information if they have access to the
vehicle or the EDR.
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States, and all Canadian provinces, require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it. Children
12 years or younger should ride properly buckled up in
a rear seat, if available. According to crash statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in the rear
seats rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a projectile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap can
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child’s
size.
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult seat belt. Always check the child seat
owner’s manual to ensure you have the right seat for
your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your child.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63

Infants And Child Restraints
•
Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year old and weigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant
carriers andconvertible child seats.
•The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg). Convertiblechild seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher
weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than
infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) but are
less than one year old. Both types of child restraints are
held in the vehicle by the seat belt or the LATCH child
restraint anchorage system. (Refer to “LATCH - Child
Seat Anchorage System (Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren”.)
WARNING!
Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger air
bag unless the air bag is turned off. An air bag
deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in this position.
Older Children And Child Restraints
•Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg), and who
are older than one year, can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible
child seats used in the forward-facing direction are for
children who weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg), and are
older than one year old. These child seats are also held
in the vehicle by the seat belt or the LATCH child
restraint anchorage system. (Refer to “LATCH - Child
Seat Anchorage System (Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren”.)
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weigh-
ing more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small
to fit the vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child
cannot sit with knees bent over the seat cushion while
the child’s back is against the seatback, they need a
belt-positioning booster seat. The child and booster
seat are held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
•Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder
belt comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to
bend over the front of the seat when their back is
against the seat back should use the lap/shoulder belt
in a rear seat.
•Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
•The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug
as possible.
•Check belt fit periodically. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position.
•If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the center of the vehicle. Never allow a
child to put the shoulder belt under an arm.
NOTE: For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK. Cana-
dian residents should refer to Transport Canada’s web-
site for additional information: http://www.tc.gc.ca/
roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65

WARNING!
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
•A rearward-facing infant restraint should only be
used in a rear seat of a vehicle that does not have
an air bag off switch. A rearward-facing infant
restraint in the front seat may be struck by a
deploying passenger air bag, which may cause
severe or fatal injury to the infant.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your child
restraint:
•Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety Standards. The manufacturer recommends that you
try a child restraint in the vehicle seats where you will
use it before you buy it.
•The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
•Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
•The Extended Cab first, and Crew Cab second row
outside seating positions, have cinching latch plates.
These are designed to keep the lap portion tight
around the child restraint so that it is not necessary to
use a locking clip. If the seat belt has a cinching latch
plate, pulling up on the shoulder portion of the
lap/shoulder belt will tighten the belt. The cinching
latch plate will keep the belt tight; however, any seat
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

belt system will loosen with time, so check the belt
occasionally and pull it tight, if necessary.
•Buckle the child into the restraint exactly as the
manufacturer’s instructions tell you.
WARNING!
When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the
vehicle. Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a
sudden stop or accident, it could strike the occupants
or seatbacks and cause serious personal injury.
LATCH - Child Seat Anchorage System (Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren) — If Equipped
Each vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchor-
age system called LATCH, which stands for Lower
Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. The LATCH system
provides for the installation of the child restraint withoutusing the vehicle’s seat belts, instead securing the child
restraint using lower anchorages and upper tether straps
from the child restraint to the vehicle structure. LATCH-
compatible child restraint systems are now available.
However, because the lower anchorages are to be intro-
duced over a period of years, child restraint systems
having attachments for those anchorages will continue to
also have features for installation using the vehicle’s seat
belts. Child restraints having tether straps and hooks for
connection to the top tether anchorages have been avail-
able for some time. For some older child restraints, many
child restraint manufacturers offer add-on tether strap
kits or retro-fit kits. You are urged to take advantage of all
the available attachments provided with your child re-
straint in any vehicle.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 67

Extended Cab
•The Extended Cab right rear (if equipped with a rear
seat) passenger seating position has lower anchorages
for LATCH-equipped child restraints.Crew Cab•The Crew Cab second row seat has lower anchorages
that are capable of accommodating LATCH-compatible
child seats having flexible, webbing-mounted lower
attachments at all three seating positions. Child seats
with fixed lower attachments must be installed in the
outboard positions only. Regardless of the specific type
of lower attachment, never install LATCH-compatible
child seats such that two seats share a common lower
anchorage. If you are installing LATCH-compatible
child restraints in adjacent rear seating positions, you
can use the LATCH anchors or the vehicle’s seat belt
for the outboard position, but you must use the vehi-
cle’s seat belt at the center position.
If your child restraints are not LATCH-compatible,
you can only install the child restraints using the
vehicle’s seat belts. Refer to “Installing The LATCH-
Compatible Child Restraint System”.
LATCH Anchors
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Installing The LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
System — if equipped
We urge you to carefully follow the directions of the
manufacturer when installing your child restraint. Not all
child restraint systems will be installed as described here.
Again, carefully follow the installation instructions thatwere provided with the child restraint system. The rear
seat lower anchorages are round bars, located at the rear
of the seat cushion where it meets the seatback, and are
just visible when you lean into the vehicle to install the
child restraint. You will easily feel them if you run your
finger along the intersection of the seatback and seat
cushion surfaces.
In addition, there are tether strap anchorages at each
LATCH seating position (Refer to “Child Restraint Tether
Anchor”.) Many, but not all, restraint systems will be
equipped with separate straps on each side, with each
having a hook or connector for attachment to the lower
anchorage and a means of adjusting the tension in the
strap. Forward-facing toddler restraints, and some rear-
facing infant restraints, will also be equipped with a
tether strap, a hook for attachment to the tether strap
anchorage, and a means of adjusting the tension of the
strap.
LATCH Anchors
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You will first loosen the child seat adjusters on the lower
straps and on the tether strap so that you can more easily
attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle anchorages.
Next, attach the lower hooks or connectors over the top
of the anchorage bars, pushing aside the seat cover
material. Then, attach the tether strap to the anchorage
located on the back of the seat, being careful to route the
tether strap to provide the most direct path between the
anchor and the child restraint. If your vehicle is equipped
with adjustable rear head restraints, raise the head re-
straint and route the tether strap under the head restraint
and between the two posts. Finally, tighten all three
straps as you push the child restraint rearward and
downward into the seat, removing slack in the straps
according to the child restraint manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
NOTE:When using the LATCH attaching system to
install a child restraint, please ensure that all seat belts
not being used for occupant restraints are stowed and out of reach of children. It is recommended that before
installing the child restraint, buckle the seat belt so the
seat belt is tucked behind the child restraint and out of
reach. If the buckled seat belt interferes with the child
restraint installation, instead of tucking the seat belt
behind the child restraint, route the seat belt through the
child restraint belt path and then buckle it. This should
stow the seat belt out of the reach of an inquisitive child.
Remind all children in the vehicle that the seat belts are
not toys and should not be played with, and never leave
your child unattended in the vehicle.
WARNING!
Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of an infant or
child restraint. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly
when installing an infant or child restraint.
70 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE