2020 Ram 3500 Chassis Cab child seat

154SAFETY
Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the
knees of the driver and front passenger, and
position the front occupants for improved inter -
action with the front air bags.
Supplemental Side Air Bags
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags
(SABs) — If Equipped
Your vehicle may be equipped with Supple -
mental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SABs). If
your vehicle is equipped with Supplemental
Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SABs), please
refer to the information below. Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags
(SABs) are located in the outboard side of the
front seats. The SABs are marked with “SRS
AIRBAG” or “AIRBAG” on a label or on the seat
trim on the outboard side of the seats.

Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bag Label

The SABs (if equipped with SABs) may help to
reduce the risk of occupant injury during certain
side impacts, in addition to the injury reduction
potential provided by the seat belts and body
structure. When the SAB deploys, it opens the seam on
the outboard side of the seatback’s trim cover.
The inflating SAB deploys through the seat
seam into the space between the occupant and
the door. The SAB moves at a very high speed
and with such a high force that it could injure
occupants if they are not seated properly, or if
items are positioned in the area where the SAB
inflates. Children are at an even greater risk of
injury from a deploying air bag.
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABICs) — If Equipped
Your vehicle may be equipped with Supple
-
mental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABICs). If your vehicle is equipped with
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABICs), please refer to the information below.
WARNING!
Do not drill, cut, or tamper with the knee
impact bolsters in any way.
Do not mount any accessories to the knee
impact bolsters such as alarm lights,
stereos, citizen band radios, etc.
WARNING!
Do not use accessory seat covers or place
objects between you and the Side Air Bags;
the performance could be adversely affected
and/or objects could be pushed into you,
causing serious injury.

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SAFETY155
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABICs) are located above the side windows.
The trim covering the SABICs is labeled “SRS
AIRBAG” or “AIRBAG.”

Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain (SABIC) Label Location

SABICs (if equipped with SABICs) may help
reduce the risk of head and other injuries to
front and rear seat outboard occupants in
certain side impacts, in addition to the injury
reduction potential provided by the seat belts
and body structure.
The SABIC deploys downward, covering the side
windows. An inflating SABIC pushes the outside
edge of the headliner out of the way and covers
the window. The SABICs inflate with enough
force to injure occupants if they are not belted
and seated properly, or if items are positioned in the area where the SABICs inflate. Children
are at an even greater risk of injury from a
deploying air bag.
The SABICs (if equipped with SABICs) may help
reduce the risk of partial or complete ejection of
vehicle occupants through side windows in
certain side impact events.
Side Impacts
The Side Air Bags are designed to activate in
certain side impacts. The Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) determines whether the
deployment of the Side Air Bags in a particular
impact event is appropriate, based on the
severity and type of collision. The side impact
sensors aid the ORC in determining the appro
-
priate 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 inde -
pendently; a left side impact deploys the left
Side Air Bags only and a right-side impact
deploys the right Side Air Bags only. Vehicle
damage by itself is not a good indicator of
whether or not Side Air Bags should have
deployed.
The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all side colli -
sions, including some collisions at certain
angles, or some side collisions that do not
impact the area of the passenger compartment.
The Side Air Bags may deploy during angled or
offset frontal collisions where the front air bags
deploy.
WARNING!
Do not mount equipment, or stack luggage
or other cargo up high enough to block the
deployment of the SABICs. The trim
covering above the side windows where the
SABIC and its deployment path are located
should remain free from any obstructions.
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.
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156SAFETY
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.
NOTE:
Air bag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim, but they will open during air bag deploy-
ment. Rollover Events (If Equipped With Rollover
Sensing) — If Equipped
Side Air Bags and seat belt pretensioners are
designed to activate in certain rollover events (if
equipped with rollover sensing). The Occupant
Restraint Controller (ORC) determines whether
deployment in a particular 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 and
seat belt pretensioners should have deployed.
The Side Air Bags and seat belt pretensioners
will not deploy in all rollover events. The rollover
sensing system determines if a rollover event
may be in progress and whether deployment is
appropriate. In the event the vehicle experi
-
ences a rollover or near rollover event, and
deployment is appropriate, the rollover sensing
system will deploy the Side Air Bags and seat
belt pretensioners on both sides of the vehicle.
The SABICs may help reduce the risk of partial
or complete ejection of vehicle occupants
through side windows in certain rollover or side
impact events.
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 protec -
tion 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.
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
deployment 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 properly. In some collisions,
Side Air Bags won’t deploy at all. Always
wear your seat belt even though you have
Side Air Bags.

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160SAFETY
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 prop -
erly 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. 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 instruc
-
tions 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
http://
www.nhtsa.gov/parents-and-caregivers or
call: 1–888–327–4236
Canadian residents should refer to Transport
Canada’s website for additional information:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehicle -
safety/safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
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 or
killed. Any child riding in your vehicle should
be in a proper restraint for the child’s size.

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SAFETY161
Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
Child Size, Height, Weight Or Age Recommended 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 Convertible Child
Restraint, facing rearward in a rear seat of the
vehicle
Small Children Children who are at least two years old or who
have outgrown the height or weight limit of their
rear-facing child restraint Forward-Facing Child Restraint with a five-point
Harness, facing forward in a rear seat of the
vehicle
Larger Children Children who have outgrown their forward-facing
child restraint, but are too small to properly fit
the vehicle’s seat belt Belt Positioning Booster Seat and the vehicle
seat belt, seated in a rear seat of the vehicle
Children Too Large for Child Restraints Children 12 years old or younger, who have
outgrown the height or weight limit of their
booster seat Vehicle Seat Belt, seated in a rear seat of the
vehicle
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162SAFETY
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.
Never install a rear-facing child restraint in
the front seat of a vehicle. Only use a
rear-facing child restraint in the rear seat. If
the vehicle does not have a rear seat, do
not transport a rear-facing child restraint in
that vehicle.
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.

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SAFETY163
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 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 because it can loosen
the child restraint attachments. Remove
the child restraint before adjusting the
vehicle 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.
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164SAFETY
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 the child
is still sitting all the way back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching the child’s thighs and not the
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.

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