2013 DODGE JOURNEY Owners Manual

Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States, and every Canadian province, requires
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.
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner ’s Manual to make sure you have the correct
seat for your child.Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it has
a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. You should also make sure that you can install
it in the vehicle where you will use it.
NOTE:
For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK.
Canadian residents should refer to Transport Canada’s
website for additional information: http://www.tc.gc.ca/
eng/roadsafety/safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child can become a
projectile inside the vehicle. The force required to
hold even an infant on your lap could 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.
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Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
Child Size, Height, Weight or Age Recommended Type of Child Restraint
Infants and
ToddlersChildren who are two years old or
younger and who have not reached the
height or weight limits of their child
restraintEither an Infant Carrier or a Convertible
Child Restraint, facing rearward in the rear
seat of the vehicle
Small Children Children who are at least two years old or
who have out-grown the height or weight
limit of their rear-facing child restraintForward-Facing Child Restraint with a
five-point Harness, facing forward in the
rear seat of the vehicle
Larger Children Children who have out-grown their
forward-facing child restraint, but are too
small to properly fit the vehicle’s seat beltBelt Positioning Booster Seat and the
vehicle seat belt, seated in the rear seat of
the vehicle
Children Too Large
for Child RestraintsChildren 12 years old or younger, who
have out-grown the height or weight limit
of their booster seatVehicle Seat Belt, seated in the rear seat of
the vehicle
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Infants And Child Restraints
Safety experts recommend that children ride rearward-
facing in the vehicle until they are two years old or until
they reach either the height or weight limit of their rear
facing child safety seat. Two types of child restraints can
be used rearward-facing: infant carriers and convertible
child seats.
The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children from birth until
they reach the weight or height limit of the infant carrier.
Convertible child 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 have outgrowntheir infant carrier but are still less than at least two years
old. Children should remain rearward-facing until they
reach the highest weight or height allowed by their
convertible child seat.
WARNING!
•Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an
air bag. A deploying passenger Advanced Front Air
Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in a rearward
facing infant seat.
•Only use a rearward-facing child restraint in a rear
seat.
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Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have outgrown
their rear-facing convertible child seat can ride forward-
facing in the vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and con-
vertible child seats used in the forward-facing direction are
for children who are over two years old or who have
outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit of their
rear-facing convertible child seat. Children should remain
in a forward-facing child seat with a harness for as long as
possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by the
child seat.
All children whose weight or height is above the forward-
facing limit for the child seat should use a belt-positioning
booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belts fit properly. If the
child cannot sit with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat
cushion while the child’s back is against the seatback, they
should use a belt-positioning booster seat. The child and
belt-positioning booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
seat belt.
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 child restraint manufacturer ’s
directions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
•When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchor-
ages, 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.
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Integrated Child Booster Seat — If Equipped
The Integrated Child Booster Seat is located in each out-
board second-row passenger seat. The Booster Seat is de-
signed for children weighing between 48 and 85 lbs (22 and
39 kg) and between 47 in (119 cm) and 57 in (145 cm) tall.
To position a child into the Integrated Child Booster Seat
follow these steps:
1. Slide the second row seat to the full rear position to
use the Integrated Child Booster Seat.
NOTE:
The second row bench with Integrated Child
Booster Seat must remain in the full rear position during use.
2. Pull the release loop forward to release the latch and
seat cushion.
Release Loop
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3. Lift the seat cushion up and push back to lock it in the
booster seat position.
4. Place the child upright in the seat with their back
firmly against the seatback.
5. Grasp the latch plate and pull out the seat belt.6. Slide the latch plate up the webbing as far as necessary
to allow the seat belt to go around the child’s lap.
NOTE:The lap portion of the seat belt should be low on
the hips and as snug as possible.
7. Once the seat belt is long enough to fit properly, insert
the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
Booster Seat
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8. To remove the slack from the lap belt, pull upward on
the shoulder portion of the seat belt.
9. To release the seat belt, push the red button on the
buckle.
WARNING!
Securely lock the seat cushion into position before
using the seat. Otherwise, the seat will not provide
the proper stability for child seats and/or passengers.
An improperly latched seat cushion could cause
serious injury.
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 theseatback, should use the seat belt in a rear seat. Use this
simple 5-step test to decide whether the child can use the
vehicle’s seat belt alone:
1. Can the child sit all the way back against the back of
the vehicle seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front
of the vehicle seat – while they are still sitting all the
way back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder
between their neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching
the child’s thighs and not their stomach?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
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If the answer to any of these questions was “no,” then the
child still needs to use a booster seat in this vehicle. If the
child is using the lap/shoulder belt, check belt fit peri-
odically. A child’s squirming or slouching can move thebelt 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
or behind their back.
Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Restraint Type Combined
Weight of the
Child + Child
RestraintUse any attachment method shown with an “X” Below
LATCH –
Lower Anchors
OnlySeat Belt OnlyLATCH –
Lower Anchors
+ Top Tether
AnchorSeat Belt + Top
Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing
Child RestraintUp to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg)XX
Rear-Facing
Child RestraintMore than
65 lbs (29.5 kg)X
Forward-Facing
Child RestraintUp to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg)XX
Forward-Facing
Child RestraintMore than
65 lbs (29.5 kg)X
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