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7. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor
to make sure the retractor is in the
automatic locking mode (you should
not be able to pull more belt out). If the
retractor is not locked, unbuckle the
belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6. 8.
Remove remaining slack from the belt.
Force the seat down with extra weight,
for example, by pressing down or
kneeling on the child restraint while
pulling up on the shoulder belt in order
to force slack from the belt. This is
necessary to remove the remaining
slack that will exist once the extra
weight of the child is added to the child
restraint. It also helps to achieve the
proper snugness of the child restraint
to your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight
lean toward the buckle provides extra
help to remove remaining slack from
the belt.
9. Attach the tether strap (if the child restraint is equipped). See Using
Tether Straps later in this chapter. 10. Before placing the child in the seat,
forcibly move the seat forward and
back to make sure the seat is securely
held in place. To check this, grab the
seat at the belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and forward and
back. There should be no more than
1 in (2.5 cm) of movement for proper
installation.
We recommend checking with a NHTSA
Certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician to make certain the child
restraint is properly installed. In Canada,
check with Transport Canada for referral
to a Child Car Seat Clinic.
Using Lower Anchors and Tethers
for CHildren (LATCH) WARNINGS
Do not attach two child safety
restraints to the same anchor. In a
crash, one anchor may not be strong
enough to hold two child safety restraint
attachments and may break, causing
serious injury or death.
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WARNINGS
Depending on where you secure a
child restraint, and depending on the
child restraint design, you may block
access to certain seatbelt buckle
assemblies and LATCH lower anchors,
rendering those features potentially
unusable. To avoid risk of injury, make sure
occupants only use seating positions
where they are able to be properly
restrained. The LATCH system is composed of three
vehicle anchor points: two lower anchors
where the seatback and seat cushion meet
(called the seat bight) and one top tether
anchor behind that seating position.
LATCH compatible child safety seats have
two rigid or webbing mounted
attachments that connect to the two lower
anchors at the LATCH equipped seating
positions in your vehicle. This type of
attachment method eliminates the need
to use seatbelts to attach the child
restraint. However, you can still use the
seatbelt to attach the child restraint. For
forward-facing child restraints, you must
also attach the top tether strap to the
proper top tether anchor, if a top tether
strap has been provided with your child
restraint. Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for
child restraint installation at the seating
positions marked with the child restraint
symbol.
The LATCH anchors are at the rear section
of the rear seat between the cushion and
seatback below the symbols as shown.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions to properly install a child
restraint with LATCH attachments.
Follow the instructions on attaching child
safety seats with tether straps. See Using
Tether Straps later in this chapter.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the
child restraint only to the anchors shown.
Use of inboard lower anchors from the
outboard seating positions (center
seating use) WARNING
The standardized spacing for LATCH
lower anchors is
11 in (280 mm)
center to center. Do not use LATCH
lower anchors for the center seating
position unless the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions permit and
specify using anchors spaced at least as
far apart as those in this vehicle. 23
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The lower anchors at the center of the
second row seats are spaced 24 in (61 cm)
apart. The standardized spacing for LATCH
lower anchors is 11 in (28 cm) center to
center. You cannot install a child restraint
with rigid LATCH attachments at the
center seating position. Only use LATCH
compatible child restraints (with
attachments on belt webbing) at this
seating position provided that the child
restraint manufacturer ’s instructions
permit use with the anchor spacing stated.
Do not attach a child restraint to any lower
anchor if an adjacent child restraint is
attached to that anchor.
Each time you use the safety seat, check
that the seat is properly attached to the
lower anchors and tether anchor, if
applicable. Tug the child restraint from side
to side and forward and back where it is
secured to your vehicle. The seat should
move less than one inch when you do this
for a proper installation.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly,
the risk of a child being injured in a crash
greatly increases.
Combining Seatbelt and LATCH Lower
Anchors for Attaching Child Safety
Seats
When used in combination, either the
seatbelt or the LATCH lower anchors may
be attached first, provided a proper
installation is achieved. Attach the tether
strap afterward, if included with the child
restraint.
Using Tether Straps Many forward-facing child safety
seats include a tether strap
which extends from the back of
the child safety seat and hooks to an
anchoring point called the top tether
anchor. Tether straps are available as an
accessory for many older safety seats. Contact the manufacturer of your child
restraint for information about ordering a
tether strap, or to obtain a longer tether
strap if the tether strap on your safety seat
does not reach the appropriate top tether
anchor in your vehicle.
Once you install the child safety seat using
either the seatbelt, the lower anchors of
the LATCH system, or both, you can attach
the top tether strap.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicle
are in the following positions (shown from
top view):
Perform the following steps to install a
child safety seat with tether anchors:
Note:
If you install a child restraint with rigid
LATCH attachments, do not tighten the
tether strap enough to lift the child restraint
off your vehicle seat cushion when the child
is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug
without lifting the front of the child restraint.
Keeping the child restraint just touching your
vehicle seat gives the best protection in a
severe crash.
1. Route the child safety seat tether strap
over the seatback.
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2. Locate the correct anchor for the
selected seating position. 3. Open the tether anchor cover.
4. Clip the tether strap to the anchor as
shown. 5. Tighten the child safety seat tether
strap according to the manufacturer ’s
instructions.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly,
the risk of a child being injured in a crash
greatly increases.
If your child restraint system is equipped
with a tether strap, and the child restraint
manufacturer recommends its use, we also
recommend its use.
BOOSTER SEATS WARNING
Do not put the shoulder section of
the seatbelt or allow the child to put
the shoulder section of the seatbelt
under their arm or behind their back. Failure
to follow this instruction could reduce the
effectiveness of the seatbelt and increase
the risk of injury or death in a crash. Use a belt-positioning booster seat for
children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety restraint
(generally children who are less than 57 in
(1.45 m) tall, are greater than age 4 and
less than age 12, and between 40 lb (18 kg)
and
80 lb (36 kg) and upward to 100 lb
(45 kg) if recommended by your child
restraint manufacturer). Many state and
provincial laws require that children use
approved booster seats until they reach
age eight, a height of
57 in (1.45 m) tall, or
80 lb (36 kg).
Booster seats should be used until you can
answer YES to ALL of these questions
when seated without a booster seat:
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•
Can the child sit all the way back
against their vehicle seat backrest with
knees bent comfortably at the edge of
the seat cushion?
• Can the child sit without slouching?
• Does the lap belt rest low across the
hips?
• Is the shoulder belt centered on the
shoulder and chest?
• Can the child stay seated like this for
the whole trip?
Always use booster seats in conjunction
with your vehicle lap and shoulder belt.
Types of Booster Seats •
Backless booster seats If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the shield. If a
vehicle seating position has a low seat
backrest or no head restraint, a backless
booster seat may place your child's head
(as measured at the tops of the ears)
above the top of the seat. In this case,
move the backless booster to another
seating position with a higher seat backrest
or head restraint and lap and shoulder
belts, or consider using a high back booster
seat.
•
High back booster seats
If, with a backless booster seat, you cannot
find a seating position that adequately
supports your child's head, a high back
booster seat would be a better choice.
Children and booster seats vary in size and
shape. Choose a booster that keeps the
lap belt low and snug across the hips,
never up across the stomach, and lets you
adjust the shoulder belt to cross the chest
and rest snugly near the center of the
shoulder. The following drawings compare
the ideal fit (center) to a shoulder belt
uncomfortably close to the neck and a
shoulder belt that could slip off the
shoulder. The drawings also show how the
lap belt should be low and snug across the
child's hips.
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If the booster seat slides on the vehicle
seat upon which it is being used, placing a
rubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpet
liner under the booster seat may improve
this condition. Do not introduce any item
thicker than this under the booster seat.
Check with the booster seat
manufacturer's instructions.
CHILD RESTRAINT
POSITIONING
WARNINGS
Airbags can kill or injure a child in a
child seat. Never place a rear-facing
child seat in front of an active airbag.
If you must use a forward-facing child seat
in the front seat, move the vehicle seat
upon which the child seat is installed all WARNINGS
the way back. When possible, all children
age 12 and under should be properly
restrained in a rear seating position. If all
children cannot be seated and restrained
properly in a rear seating position, properly
restrain the largest child in the front seat. Always carefully follow the
instructions and warnings provided
by the manufacturer of any child
restraint to determine if the restraint device
is appropriate for your child's size, height,
weight, or age. Follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions and warnings
provided for installation and use in
conjunction with the instructions and
warnings provided by your vehicle
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WARNINGS
manufacturer. A safety seat that is
improperly installed or utilized, is
inappropriate for your child's height, age,
or weight or does not properly fit the child
may increase the risk of serious injury or
death. Never let a passenger hold a child on
his or her lap while your vehicle is
moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a crash,
which may result in serious injury or death. Never use pillows, books, or towels
to boost a child. They can slide
around and increase the likelihood
of injury or death in a crash. WARNINGS
Always restrain an unoccupied child
seat or booster seat. These objects
may become projectiles in a crash or
sudden stop, which may increase the risk
of serious injury. Never place, or allow a child to place,
the shoulder belt under a child's arm
or behind the back because it
reduces the protection for the upper part
of the body and may increase the risk of
injury or death in a crash. To avoid risk of injury, do not leave
children or pets unattended in your
vehicle.
Recommendations for attaching child safety restraints for children
Use any attachment method as indicated below by X
Combined weight ofchild and
child seat
Restraint
Type Safety belt
only
Safety belt
and LATCH
(lower
anchors and top tether
anchor)
Safety belt
and toptether
anchor
LATCH
(lower
anchors only)
LATCH
(lower
anchors and top tether
anchor)
X
X
Up to 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child seat
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child seat
X
X
X
Up to
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facing
child seat
X
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facing
child seat
Note: The child seat must rest tightly
against the vehicle seat upon which it is
installed. It may be necessary to lift or
remove the head restraint. See Seats (page
86
).
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
Always drive and ride with your
seatback upright and the lap belt
snug and low across the hips.
To reduce the risk of injury, make
sure children sit where they can be
properly restrained.
Never let a passenger hold a child on
his or her lap while the vehicle is
moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a crash,
which may result in serious injury or death. All occupants of the vehicle,
including the driver, should always
properly wear their seatbelts, even
when an airbag supplemental restraint
system is provided. Failure to properly wear
your seatbelt could seriously increase the
risk of injury or death. It is extremely dangerous to ride in a
cargo area, inside or outside of a
vehicle. In a crash, people riding in
these areas are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride
in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and seatbelts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seatbelt properly. In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a seatbelt.
Each seating position in your vehicle
has a specific seatbelt assembly
which is made up of one buckle and
one tongue that are designed to be used
as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt on the
outside shoulder only. Never wear the
shoulder belt under the arm. 2) Never
swing the seatbelt around your neck over
the inside shoulder. 3) Never use a single
belt for more than one person. WARNINGS
When possible, all children 12 years
old and under should be properly
restrained in a rear seating position.
Failure to follow this could seriously
increase the risk of injury or death. Seatbelts and seats can become hot
in a vehicle that has been closed up
in sunny weather; they could burn a
small child. Check seat covers and buckles
before you place a child anywhere near
them. Front and rear seat occupants,
including pregnant women, should
wear seatbelts for optimum
protection in an accident. All seating positions in this vehicle have
lap and shoulder seatbelts. All occupants
of the vehicle should always properly wear
their seatbelts, even when an airbag
supplemental restraint system is provided.
The seatbelt system consists of:
•
Lap and shoulder seatbelts.
• Shoulder seatbelt with automatic
locking mode (except driver seatbelt).
• Seatbelt pretensioner at the front
outboard seating positions.
• Belt tension sensor at the front
outboard passenger seating position. · Seatbelt warning light and
chime.
· Crash sensors and monitoring
system with readiness indicator.
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