WARNING!
Do not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the SABs; the performance could be
adversely affected and/or objects could be pushed into
you, causing serious injury.
SABs (if equipped with SABs) are designed to activate in
certain side impacts. The Occupant Restraint Controller
(ORC) determines whether the deployment of the SAB in a
particular impact event is appropriate, based on the sever-
ity and type of collision. The side impact sensors aid the
ORC in determining the appropriate response to impact
events. The system is calibrated to deploy the SAB on the
impact side of the vehicle during impacts that require SAB
occupant protection. In side impacts, the SABs deploy
independently: a left side impact deploys the left SAB only
and a right side impact deploys the right side SAB only.
Vehicle damage by itself is not a good indicator of whether
or not SABs should have deployed.
The SABs (if equipped with SABs) will not deploy in all
side collisions, including some collisions at certain angles,
or some side collisions that do not impact the area of the
passenger compartment. SABs (if equipped with SABs) are a supplement to the seat
belt restraint system. SABs deploy in less time than it takes
to blink your eyes.
WARNING!
•
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 help keep you in position, away from an
inflating side air bag. 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.
254 SAFETY
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.
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.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 Stan-
dards. 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.safercar.gov/parents/index.htm
or call: 1–888–327–4236
• Canadian residents should refer to Transport Canada’s
website for additional information:
www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/
safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
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SAFETY 259
Infant 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 infant carrier 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 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.
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.
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SAFETY 261
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.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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.
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?
262 SAFETY
Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren (LATCH)
Restraint SystemYour 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
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.
LATCH Label
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SAFETY 265
Center Seat LATCH: Two Door
WARNING!
This vehicle does not have a center seating position.
Do not use the center lower LATCH anchorages to
install a child seat in the center of the back seat.
Center Seat LATCH: Four Door
Do not install child restraints with rigid lower attachments
in the center seating position. Only install this type of child
restraint in the outboard seating positions. Child restraints
with flexible, webbing mounted lower attachments 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 seat belt for
installing child seats in the outboard positions. Please
refer to “Installing The LATCH-Compatible Child Re-
straint System” for typical installation 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 Automatic
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.
1. Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on thetether strap of the child seat so that you can more easily
attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle anchor-
ages.
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.
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SAFETY 271
Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt
Child restraint systems are designed to be secured in
vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a
lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
•Improper installation or failure to properly secure a
child restraint can lead to failure of the restraint. The
child could be badly injured or killed.
• Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s directions
exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with a Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) that is designed to keep the lap portion of the seat belt
tight around the child restraint so that it is not necessary to
use a locking clip. The ALR retractor can be “switched” into
a locked mode by pulling all of the webbing out of the
retractor and then letting the webbing retract back into the
retractor. If it is locked, the ALR will make a clicking noise
while the webbing is pulled back into the retractor. Refer to
the “Automatic Locking Mode” description in “Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR)” under “Occupant Re-
straint Systems” for additional information on ALR.
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SAFETY 273
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With Seat Belts
What is the weight limit (child’s weight + weight of the child re-
straint) for using the Tether Anchor
with the seat belt to attach a forward facing child restraint? Weight limit of the Child Restraint Always use the tether anchor when
using the seat belt to install a for-
ward facing child restraint, up to the recommended weight limit of the child restraint.
Can the rear-facing child restraint
touch the back of the front passenger seat? Yes Contact between the front passenger
seat and the child restraint is
allowed, if the child restraint manu- facturer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be removed? No — Four Door Yes — Two DoorAll — Two Door
Can the buckle stalk be twisted to
tighten the seat belt against the belt path of the child restraint? No
Do not twist the buckle stalk in a
seating position with an ALR retractor.
Installing A Child Restraint With A Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR):
Child restraint systems are designed to be secured in
vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a
lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
•Improper installation or failure to properly secure a
child restraint can lead to failure of the restraint. The
child could be badly injured or killed.
• Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s directions
exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.
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SAFETY 275