2015 DODGE DART belt

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.
•After a child restraint is installed in the vehicle, do
not move the vehicle seat forward or rearward
because it can loosen the child restraint attach-
ments. Remove the child restraint before adjusting
the vehicle seat position. When the vehicle seat has
been adjusted, reinstall the child restraint.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•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.
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
seatback, 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?
92 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 seat 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?
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 seat belt fit
periodically and make sure the seat belt buckle is latched.
A child’s squirming or slouching can move the seat belt
out of position. If the shoulder belt contacts the face or
neck, move the child closer to the center of the vehicle, or
use a booster seat to position the seat belt on the child
correctly.
WARNING!
Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt under an
arm or behind their back. In a crash, the shoulder belt
will not protect a child properly, which may result in
serious injury or death. A child must always wear
both the lap and shoulder portions of the seat belt
correctly.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 93

Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Restraint Type Combined
Weight of the
Child + Child
Restraint
Use any attachment method shown with an “X” Below
LATCH –
Lower Anchors
Only
Seat Belt Only LATCH –
Lower Anchors
+ Top Tether
Anchor
Seat Belt + Top
Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing
Child Restraint
Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg)
XX
Rear-Facing
Child Restraint
More than
65 lbs (29.5 kg)
X
Forward-Facing
Child Restraint
Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg)
XX
Forward-Facing
Child Restraint
More than
65 lbs (29.5 kg)
X
94 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Lower Anchors And Tethers For Children (LATCH)
Restraint System
Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchor-
age system called LATCH, which stands for Lower
Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. The LATCH system
has three vehicle anchor points for installing LATCH-
equipped child seats. There are two lower anchorages
located at the back of the seat cushion where it meets the
seatback and one top tether anchorage located behind the
seating position. These anchorages are used to install
LATCH-equipped child seats without using the vehicle’s
seat belts. Some seating positions may have a top tether
anchorage but no lower anchorages. In these seating
positions, the seat belt must be used with the top tether
anchorage to install the child restraint. Please see the
following table for more information.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 95

What is the weight limit (child’s weight +
weight of the child restraint) for using the
LATCH anchorage system to attach the child
restraint?
65 lbs (29.5 kg) Use the LATCH anchorage system until
the combined weight of the child and the
child restraint is 65 lbs (29.5 kg). Use the
seat belt and tether anchor instead of the
LATCH anchorage system once the com-
bined weight is more than 65 lbs (29.5 kg).
Can the LATCH anchorages and the seat
belt be used together to attach a rear-
facing or forward-facing child restraint?
No Do not use the seat belt when you use the
LATCH anchorage system to attach a rear-
facing or forward-facing child restraint.
Can a child seat be installed in the center
position using the inner LATCH lower an-
chorages?
Yes You can install child restraints with flexible
lower anchors in the center position. The
inner anchorages are 17 inches (440 mm)
apart. Do not install child restraints with
rigid lower anchors in the center position.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 97

Can two child restraints be attached using
a common lower LATCH anchorage?
NoNever “share” a LATCH anchorage with
two or more child restraints. If the center
position does not have dedicated LATCH
lower anchorages, use the seat belt to in-
stall a child seat in the center position next
to a child seat using the LATCH anchor-
ages in an outboard position.
Can the rear-facing child restraint touch
the back of the front passenger seat?
YesThe child seat may touch the back of the
front passenger seat if the child restraint
manufacturer also allows contact. See your
child restraint owner ’s manual for more
information.
Can the head restraints be removed?YesAll head restraints may be removed.
98 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

tether strap. The tether strap will have a hook at the end
to attach to the top tether anchorage and a way to tighten
the strap after it is attached to the anchorage.
Center Seat LATCH
Do not install child restraints with rigid lower attach-
ments in the center seating position. Only install this type
of child restraint in the outboard seating positions. Child
restraints with flexible, webbing mounted lower attach-
ments can be installed in any rear seating position.
WARNING!
Never use the same lower anchorage to attach more
than one child restraint. If you are installing LATCH-
compatible child restraints next to each other, you
must use the seat belt for the center position. You can
then use either the LATCH anchors or the vehicle’s
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
seat belt for installing child seats in the outboard
positions. Please refer to “Installing The LATCH-
Compatible Child Restraint System” for typical in-
stallation instructions.
Always follow the directions of the child restraint manu-
facturer when installing your child restraint. Not all child
restraint systems will be installed as described here.
To Install A LATCH - Compatible Child Restraint:
If the selected seating position has a Switchable Auto-
matic Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt, stow the seat
belt, following the instructions below. See the section
“Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat Belt”
to check what type of seat belt each seating position has.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 101

1.Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on the tether
strap of the child seat so that you can more easily attach
the hooks or connectors to the vehicle anchorages.
2. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages for
that seating position. For some second row seats, you
may need to recline the seat and / or raise the head
restraint to get a better fit. If the rear seat can be moved
forward and rearward in the vehicle, you may wish to
move it to its rear-most position to make room for the
child seat. You may also move the front seat forward
to allow more room for the child seat.
3. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child
restraint to the lower anchorages in the selected seat-
ing position.
4. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the
top tether anchorage. See the section “Installing Child
Restraints Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc-
tions to attach a tether anchor.
5. Tighten all of the straps as you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the seat. Remove slack
in the straps according to the child restraint manufac-
turer ’s instructions.
6. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by
pulling back and forth on the child seat at the belt
path. It should not move more than 1 inch (25.4 mm)
in any direction.
How To Stow An Unused ALR Seat Belt:
When using the LATCH attaching system to install a
child restraint, stow all ALR seat belts that are not being
used by other occupants or being used to secure child
restraints. An unused belt could injure a child if they play
with it and accidentally lock the seat belt retractor. Before
installing a child restraint using the LATCH system,
buckle the seat belt behind the child restraint and out of
the child’s reach. If the buckled seat belt interferes with
the child restraint installation, instead of buckling it
102 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE