2013 NISSAN LEAF Owners Manual

child restraint as long as possible up to the height
or weight limit of the child restraint. Children who
outgrow the height or weight limit of the rear-
facing child restraint and are at least 1 year old
should be secured in a forward-facing child re-
straint with a harness. Refer to the manufactur-
er’s instructions for minimum and maximum
weight and height recommendations. NISSAN
recommends that small children be placed in
child restraints that comply with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards or Canadian Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standards. You should choose a
child restraint that fits your vehicle and always
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for instal-
lation and use.
LARGER CHILDREN
Children should remain in a forward-facing child
restraint with a harness until they reach the maxi-
mum height or weight limit allowed by the child
restraint manufacturer.
Once a child outgrows the height or weight limit
of the harness-equipped forward-facing child re-
straint, NISSAN recommends that the child be
placed in a commercially available booster seat to
obtain proper seat belt fit. For a seat belt to fit
properly, the booster seat should raise the child
so that the shoulder belt is properly positionedacross the chest and the top, middle portion of
the shoulder. The shoulder belt should not cross
the neck or face and should not fall off the shoul-
der. The lap belt should lie snugly across the
lower hips or upper thighs, not the abdomen. A
booster seat can only be used in seating posi-
tions that have a three-point type seat belt. The
booster seat should fit the vehicle seat and have
a label certifying that it complies with Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or Canadian Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standards. Once the child has
grown so the shoulder belt is no longer on or near
the face and neck and the lap belt can be posi-
tioned properly across the lower hips or upper
thighs use the seat belt without the booster seat.
WARNING
Never let a child stand or kneel on any
seat and do not allow a child in the cargo
areas. The child could be seriously in-
jured or killed in an accident or sudden
stop.
1-16Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

PRECAUTIONS ON CHILD
RESTRAINTS
WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and in-
structions for proper use and installa-
tion of child restraints could result in
serious injury or death of a child or
other passengers in a sudden stop or
collision:
–The child restraint must be used and
installed properly. Always follow all
of the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions for installation and use.
– Infants and children should never be
held on anyone’s lap. Even the
strongest adult cannot resist the
forces of a collision.
– Do not put a seat belt around both a
child and another passenger. –
NISSAN recommends that all child
restraints be installed in the rear
seat. Studies show that children are
safer when properly restrained in
the rear seat than in the front seat. If
you must install a forward-facing
child restraint in the front seat, see
later in this section.
– Even with the NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System, never install a rear-
facing child restraint in the front
seat. An inflating air bag could seri-
ously injure or kill a child. A rear-
facing child restraint must only be
used in the rear seat.
– Be sure to purchase a child restraint
that will fit the child and vehicle.
Some child restraints may not fit
properly in your vehicle.
– Child restraint anchor points are de-
signed to withstand loads from child
restraints that are properly fitted.
– Never use the anchor points for
adult seat belts or harnesses.
– A child restraint with a top tether
strap should not be used in the front
passenger seat. –
Keep seatbacks as upright as pos-
sible after fitting the child restraint.
– Infants and children should always
be placed in an appropriate child
restraint while in the vehicle.
When the child restraint is not in use,
keep it secured with the LATCH system
or a seat belt. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose objects can injure oc-
cupants or damage the vehicle.
CAUTION
A child restraint in a closed vehicle can
become very hot. Check the seating sur-
face and buckles before placing a child in
the child restraint.
This vehicle is equipped with a universal child
restraint anchor system, referred to as the LATCH
(Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) sys-
tem. Some child restraints include rigid or
webbing-mounted attachments that can be con-
nected to these anchors.
For details, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren System (LATCH).
CHILD RESTRAINTS
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-17

If you do not have a LATCH compatible child
restraint, the vehicle seat belts can be used.
Several manufacturers offer child restraints for
infants and small children of various sizes. When
selecting any child restraint, keep the following
points in mind:
Choose only a restraint with a label certifyingthat it complies with Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 213 or Canadian Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standard 213.
Check the child restraint in your vehicle to be sure it is compatible with the vehicle’s seat and
seat belt system.
If the child restraint is compatible with your vehicle, place your child in the child restraint
and check the various adjustments to be sure
the child restraint is compatible with your child.
Choose a child restraint that is designed for
your child’s height and weight. Always follow all
recommended procedures. All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or
territories require that infants and small
children be restrained in an approved child
restraint at all times while the vehicle is
being operated. Canadian law requires the
top tether strap on forward-facing child
restraints be secured to the designated an-
chor point on the vehicle.
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren System (LATCH)
Your vehicle is equipped with special anchor
points that are used with Lower Anchors and
Tethers for CHildren System (LATCH) compat-
ible child restraints. This system may also be
referred to as the ISOFIX or ISOFIX compatible
system. With this system, you do not have to use
a vehicle seat belt to secure the child restraint.
1-18Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

LATCH lower anchor
WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and in-
structions for proper use and installation
of child restraints could result in serious
injury or death of a child or other passen-
gers in a sudden stop or collision:
Attach LATCH system compatible child restraints only at the locations shown
in the illustration.
Do not secure a child restraint in the center rear seating position using the
LATCH lower anchors. The child re-
straint will not be secured properly.
Inspect the lower anchors by inserting your fingers into the lower anchor
area. Feel to make sure there are no
obstructions over the anchors such as
seat belt webbing or seat cushion ma-
terial. The child restraint will not be
secured properly if the lower anchors
are obstructed.
LATCH lower anchor location
The LATCH anchors are located at the rear of the
seat cushion near the seatback. A label is at-
tached to the seatback to help you locate the
LATCH anchors.
Installing child restraint LATCH lower
anchor attachments
LATCH compatible child restraints include two
rigid or webbing-mounted attachments that can
be connected to two anchors located at certain
seating positions in your vehicle. With this sys-
tem, you do not have to use a vehicle seat belt to
secure the child restraint. Check your child re-
straint for a label stating that it is compatible with
the LATCH system. This information may also be
in the instructions provided by the child restraint
manufacturer.
LATCH lower anchor locationLATCH webbing-mounted attachment
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-19

When installing a child restraint, carefully read
and follow the instructions in this manual and
those supplied with the child restraint.
Top tether anchor
WARNING
If the cargo cover contacts the top tether strap when it is attached to the
top tether anchor, remove the cargo
cover from the vehicle or secure it on
the cargo floor below its attachment
location. If the cargo cover is not re-
moved, it may damage the top tether
strap during a collision. Your child
could be seriously injured or killed in a
collision if the child restraint top tether
strap is damaged.
Do not allow cargo to contact the top tether strap when it is attached to the
top tether anchor. Properly secure the
cargo so it does not contact the top
tether strap. Cargo that is not properly
secured or that contacts the top tether
strap may damage the top tether strap
during a collision. Your child could be
seriously injured or killed in a collision
if the child restraint top tether strap is
damaged. Top tether anchor point locations:
Anchor points are located on the back side of the
seatbacks.
The child restraint top tether strap must be used
when installing child restraints with the LATCH
lower anchor attachments or seat belts.
If you have any questions when installing a
top tether strap, consult your NISSAN cer-
tified LEAF dealer for details.
LATCH rigid-mounted attachment
1-20Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

REAR-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT
INSTALLATION USING LATCH
Refer to all Warnings and Cautions in “Child
safety” and “Child restraints” earlier in this sec-
tion before installing a child restraint.
Follow these steps to install a rear-facing child
restraint using the LATCH system
1. Position the child restraint on the seat. Alwaysfollow the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions.
2. Secure the child restraint anchor attachmentsto the LATCH lower anchors. Check to make
sure that the LATCH attachment is properly
attached to the lower anchors.
Rear-facing (webbing-mounted) — step 2Rear-facing (rigid-mounted) — step 2
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-21

3. For child restraints that are equipped withwebbing-mounted attachments, remove any
additional slack from the anchor attachments.
Press downward and rearward firmly in the
center of the child restraint with your hand to
compress the vehicle seat cushion and seat-
back while tightening the webbing of the an-
chor attachments. 4. After attaching the child restraint, test it be-
fore you place the child in it. Push it from side
to side while holding the seat near the LATCH
attachment path. The child restraint should
not move more than 1 inch (25 mm) from side
to side. Try to tug it forward and check to see
if the LATCH attachment holds the restraint in
place. If the restraint is not secure, tighten the
LATCH attachment as necessary, or put the
restraint on another seat and test it again. You
may need to try a different child restraint. Not
all child restraints fit in all types of vehicles. 5. Check to make sure that the child restraint is
properly secured prior to each use. If the child
restraint is loose, repeat steps 2 through 4.
Rear-facing — step 3Rear-facing — step 4
1-22Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

REAR-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT
INSTALLATION USING THE SEAT
BELTS
WARNING
The three-point seat belt with Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) must be used
when installing a child restraint. Failure
to use the ALR mode will result in the
child restraint not being properly se-
cured. The restraint could tip over or be
loose and cause injury to a child in a
sudden stop or collision. Refer to all Warnings and Cautions in “Child
safety” and “Child restraints” earlier in this sec-
tion before installing a child restraint.
Follow these steps to install a rear-facing child
restraint using the vehicle seat belt in the rear
seat:
1.Child restraints for infants must be used
in the rear-facing direction and there-
fore must not be used in the front seat.
Position the child restraint on the seat. Always
follow the restraint manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
Rear facing - step 1
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-23