2017 DODGE JOURNEY Owners Manual

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.
• After a child restraint is installed in the vehicle, do
not move the vehicle seat forward or rearward be-
cause it can loosen the child restraint attachments.
Remove the child restraint before adjusting the ve-
hicle seat position. When the vehicle seat has been
adjusted, reinstall the child restraint.
• When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchorages,
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.2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63

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
designed for children weighing between 48 and 85 lbs (22
and 39 kg) and between 47 inches (119 cm) and 57 inches
(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 usethe 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. 3. Lift the seat cushion up and push back to lock it in the
booster seat position.
Release Loop
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

4. Place the child upright in the seat with their back firmlyagainst 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.” 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 or death.
Booster SeatProper Belt Use
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65

WARNING!
In a severe collision, the booster seat may be damaged
and should be inspected by an authorized dealer and
possibly replaced before it is used again. The inte-
grated booster seat must be replaced following a colli-
sion that meets any of the following criteria:
•The vehicle cannot be driven away from the scene.
• The vehicle door nearest the seat has been damaged.
• At least one occupant was injured in the crash.
• At least one air bag in the vehicle deployed in the
crash.
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.
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 be- tween 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?
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 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.
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
Child Size, Height, Weight Or AgeRecommended Type Of Child
Restraint
Infants and Toddlers Children who are two years old or
younger and who have not reached the height or weight limits of their child restraint Either an Infant Carrier or a Convert-
ible 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 restraint Forward-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 vehi- cle’s seat belt Belt Positioning Booster Seat and the
vehicle seat belt, seated in the rear seat of the vehicle
Children Too Large for Child Re- straints Children 12 years old or younger,
who have out-grown the height or weight limit of their booster seat Vehicle Seat Belt, seated in the rear
seat of the vehicle2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 67

Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren (LATCH)
Restraint System
Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchorage
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 anchor-
ages 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 theseseating 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.
LATCH Positions For Installing Child Restraints In
This Vehicle
LATCH Label
Lower Anchor / Top Tether Locations (Third Row Shown
– If Equipped)
•Lower Anchorage Symbol 2 anchorages per
seating position
•Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
68 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Child Restraint LATCH Positions
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
What is the weight limit (child’s weight + weight of the child re-
straint) for using the LATCH anchor- age system to attach the child re- straint? 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 system once the combined 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 two child restraints be attached using a common lower LATCH an- chorage? No
Never “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 install a child seat in the center position next to a child
seat using the LATCH anchorages in an outboard position.2
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Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
Can the rear-facing child restraint
touch the back of the front passenger seat? Yes
The child seat may touch the back of
the front passenger seat if the childrestraint manufacturer also allows contact. See your child restraint
Owner ’s Manual for more informa- tion.
Can the head restraints be removed? Yes5 Passenger Vehicle: All second row
head restraints are removable.
7 Passenger Vehicle: All second and
third row head restraints are remov- able.
Locating LATCH Anchorages
The lower anchorages are round bars that are
found at the rear of the seat cushion where it
meets the seatback. They are just visible when
you lean into the rear seat to install the child
restraint. You will easily feel them if you run your finger
along the gap between the seatback and seat cushion.
70 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE