
Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
3-38 Seats and Restraints
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.
Child Restraint Systems
(A) Rear‐Facing Infant Seat
A rear-facing infant seat (A)
provides restraint with the seating
surface against the back of the
infant.
The harness system holds the infant
in place and, in a crash, acts to
keep the infant positioned in the
restraint.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-39
(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.

Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
3-40 Seats and Restraints
SeeLower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑42 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 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.
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.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
3-42 Seats and Restraints
If a child in a forward-facing child
restraint must be transported in a
vehicle that does not have rear
seats, the child restraint should
be secured in the right front seat
position. See“Securing Child
Restraints (Right Front Seat
Position)” later in this section, for
instructions on how to install a
child restraint in the right front 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.
Child restraints and booster seats
vary considerable 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 you install a child
restraint, 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
the 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.

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-47
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(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.
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.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-49
3. Attach and tighten the lowerattachments 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.
3.1. Find the lower anchors
for the desired seating
position.
3.2. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the
child restraint to the lower
anchors.
4. Tighten the top tether.
5. 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.
Extended Cab
—Rear 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 (D)
for the desired seating
position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1.3. Attach the lower attachments on the
child restraint to the
lower anchors (D) in the
vehicle. The child restraint
instructions will show
you how.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
3-50 Seats and Restraints
2. If the child restraint manufacturerrecommends that the top tether
be attached, attach and tighten
the top tether to the top tether
anchor (C). Refer to the child
restraint instructions and the
following steps:
2.1. Pull on the finger access
tab to remove the cover
to access the top tether
anchors (C). 2.2. Route the top tether (A)
through the loop (B) at the
top of the seatback to
attach the top tether to
the nearest top tether
anchor (C).
3. Tighten the lower anchor attachments and the top tether.
The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
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.
Right Front Seat —Regular/
Extended Cab without Rear
Seats
The vehicle has a right front
passenger airbag and may also
have a passenger sensing system.
If the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system it is designed to
turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag when an infant in a
rear-facing infant seat or a small
child in a forward-facing child
restraint or booster seat is detected.
See “Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat Position)” later in
this section and Passenger Sensing
System on page 3‑26 for important
safety information and additional
information on installing a child
restraint in the right front seat
position.
1. See “Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat Position)” later
in this section for instructions on
installing the child restraint using
the safety belts.

Black plate (52,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
3-52 Seats and Restraints
If the position you are using
has a fixed or adjustable
headrest or head restraint
and you are using a dual
tether, route the tether
around the headrest or
head restraint.
3. Attach and tighten the top tether according to your child restraint
instructions.
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.
Center Front Seat —Regular/
Extended Cab without Rear
Seats
For vehicles without rear seats,
manufacturers are required to
provide top tether anchors for all
non-driver seating positions and
instructions for using those anchors.
Even if a top tether anchor is
available, you should not install a
child restraint in the center front
seat position. See Where to Put the
Restraint on page 3‑40 for important
safety information and additional
information on installing a child
restraint in the center front seat
position. See “Securing Child
Restraints (Center Front Seat
Position)” later in this section for
instructions on installing the child
restraint using the safety belts and
top tether anchor.
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.