
Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
3-42 Seats and Restraints
(B) Forward-Facing Child Seat
A forward-facing child seat (B)
provides restraint for the child's
body with the harness.(C) Booster Seats
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
{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 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 3‑45 for
more information. Children can be

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-43
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 of the United States
and Canada, 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.
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.

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-45
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 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.

Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
3-48 Seats and Restraints
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(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.
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.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-49
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. If the child restraint manufacturerrecommends that the top tether
be attached, attach the top
tether to the top tether anchor,
if equipped. Refer to the child
restraint instructions and the
following steps:
1.1. To access the top tether anchors, raise the seat
cushion by pulling up on the
strap loop at the rear of the
seat cushion and fold the
seat cushion forward. Then
fold the seatback forward
until it is flat. See Rear
Seats on page 3‑10 for
additional information.
1.2. Place the child restraint in the vehicle, near the
seating position that you
are using. 1.3. Route 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.
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.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
3-50 Seats and Restraints
If the position you are using
has an adjustable headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a dual tether,
route the tether around the
headrest or head restraint.If the position you are using
has an adjustable headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a single tether,
raise the headrest or head
restraint and route the
tether under the headrest or
head restraint and in
between the headrest or
head restraint posts.
1.4. Attach the top tether attachment to the top tether
anchor.
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
1.5. Lift the seatback up and push it rearward. Then
lower the seat cushion until
the seatback and the seat
cushion lock into position.
2. Attach 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.

Black plate (51,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-51
2.1. Find the lower anchors forthe desired seating
position.
2.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
2.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child
restraint to the lower
anchors.
3. Tighten the top tether.
4. 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.Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the
LATCH system in the vehicle.
A damaged LATCH system may
not properly secure the child
restraint, resulting in serious
injury or even death in a crash.
To help make sure the LATCH
system is working properly after a
crash, see your dealer to have
the system inspected and any
necessary replacements made as
soon as possible.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system
and it was being used during a
crash, new LATCH system parts
may be needed.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat Position)
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.
If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, see Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑45 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If you secure a child
restraint using a safety belt and it
uses a top tether, see Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) on page 3‑45 for
top tether anchor locations.
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 anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.

Black plate (52,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
3-52 Seats and Restraints
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.
If the child restraint does not have
the LATCH system, you will be
using the safety belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Be
sure to follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when
and as the instructions say.
If more than one child restraint
needs to be installed in the rear
seat, be sure to readWhere to Put
the Restraint on page 3‑43.
If the child restraint manufacturer
recommends using a top tether,
attach and tighten the top tether to
the top tether anchor. Refer to the
instructions that came with the child restraint and see
Lower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑45.
1. Put the child restraint on
the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle's safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
3. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks. Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. Pull the shoulder belt all the way
out of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.