2016 Ram 1500 child restraint

WARNING!
•Your vehicle is equipped with left and right
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABICs). Do not stack luggage or other cargo up
high enough to block the deployment of the
SABICs. The trim covering above the side win-
dows where the SABIC and its deployment path
are located should remain free from any obstruc-
tions.
•Your vehicle is equipped with SABICs. In order for
the SABICs to work as intended, do not install any
accessory items in your vehicle which could alter
the roof. Do not add an aftermarket sunroof to your
vehicle. Do not add roof racks that require perma-
nent attachments (bolts or screws) for installation
on the vehicle roof. Do not drill into the roof of the
vehicle for any reason.The SABICs and SABs (“Side Air Bags”) are designed to
activate in certain side impacts and certain rollover
events. The Occupant Restraint Controller (“ORC”) de-
termines whether the deployment of the Side Air Bags in
a particular side impact or rollover event is appropriate,
based on the severity and type of collision. Vehicle
damage by itself is not a good indicator of whether or not
Side Air Bags should have deployed.
Side Air Bags are a supplement to the seat belt restraint
system. Side Air Bags deploy in less time than it takes to
blink your eyes. Occupants, including children, who are
up against or very close to Side Air Bags can be seriously
injured or killed. Occupants, including children, should
never lean on or sleep against the door, side windows, or
area where the Side Air Bags inflate, even if they are in an
infant or child restraint.
Seat belts (and child restraints where appropriate) are
necessary for your protection in all collisions. They also
76 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

help keep you in position, away from inflating Side Air
Bags. To get the best protection from the Side Air Bags,
occupants must wear their seat belts properly and sit
upright with their backs against the seats. Children must
be properly restrained in a child restraint or booster seat
that is appropriate for the size of the child.
WARNING!
•Side Air Bags need room to inflate. Do not lean
against the door or window. Sit upright in the
center of the seat.
•Being too close to the Side Air Bags during deploy-
ment could cause you to be severely injured or
killed.
•Relying on the Side Air Bags alone could lead to
more severe injuries in a collision. The Side Air
Bags work with your seat belt to restrain you
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WARNING!(Continued)
properly. In some collisions, Side Air Bags won’t
deploy at all. Always wear your seat belt even
though you have Side Air Bags.
NOTE:Air bag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim, but they will open during air bag deployment.
Side Impacts
In side impacts, the side impact sensors aid the ORC in
determining the appropriate response to impact events.
The system is calibrated to deploy the Side Air Bags on
the impact side of the vehicle during impacts that require
Side Air Bag occupant protection. In side impacts, the
Side Air Bags deploy independently; a left side impact
deploys the left Side Air Bags only and a right side
impact deploys the right Side Air Bags only.2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 77

To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is
required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed.
In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties,
such as law enforcement, that have the special equip-
ment, can read the information if they have access to the
vehicle or the EDR.
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 pros-
ecuted 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.
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.
84 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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. Carefully read and follow all the
instructions and warnings in the child restraint Owner ’s
Manual and on all the labels attached to the child
restraint.
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 1–866–732–8243.
•Canadian residents should refer to Transport Cana-
da’s website for additional information: www.tc.gc.ca/
eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-
index-53.htm
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 85

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 re-
straintEither 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 ve-
hicle 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
86 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Infants And Child Restraints
Safety experts recommend that children ride rear-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 restraint. Two types of child restraints can be used
rear-facing: infant carriers and convertible child seats.
The infant carrier is only used rear-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 rear-facing or
forward-facing in the vehicle. Convertible child seats
often have a higher weight limit in the rear-facing
direction than infant carriers do, so they can be used
rear-facing by children who have outgrown their infantcarrier but are still less than at least two years old.
Children should remain rear-facing until they reach the
highest weight or height allowed by their convertible
child seat.
WARNING!
•Never place a rear-facing child restraint 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 rear-
facing child restraint.
•Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 87

WARNING!
Do not install a rear-facing car seat using a rear support
leg in this vehicle. The floor of this vehicle is not
designed to manage the crash forces of this type of car
seat. In a crash, the support leg may not function as it
was designed by the car seat manufacturer, and your
child may be more severely injured as a result.
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 convertible 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 convert-
ible 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.
88 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
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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?
2
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