2021 RAM CHASSIS CAB warning

312SAFETY
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
equipment, 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 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.
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 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/en/services/road/
child-car-seat-safety.html
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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314SAFETY
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!

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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SAFETY315
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!
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.
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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SAFETY321

Forward-facing child restraints and some
rear-facing child restraints will also be equipped
with a tether strap. The tether strap will have a
hook at the end to attach to the top tether
anchorage and a way to tighten the strap after
it is attached to the anchorage.

Center Seat LATCH
Regular Cab or Crew Cab Full Bench Rear Seat:
No Lower Center LATCH Anchorages Available Crew Cab Split Bench Rear Seat: Center LATCH
Anchorages Available
If a child restraint installed in the center
position blocks the seat belt webbing or buckle
for the outboard position, do not use that
outboard position. If a child seat in the center
position blocks the outboard LATCH anchors or
seat belt, do not install a child seat in that
outboard position.
Always follow the directions of the child
restraint manufacturer 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 Ú
page 322 to check
what type of seat belt each seating position has.

1. Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on the tether strap of the child seat so
that you can more easily attach the hooks
or connectors to the vehicle anchorages.

2. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages for that seating position. If the
second row seat can be reclined, you may
recline the seat and/or raise the head
restraint (if adjustable) 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.
3. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child restraint to the lower anchorages in
the selected seating position.
4. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the top tether anchorage.
See Ú page 327 for directions to attach a
tether anchor.
WARNING!
Do not install a child restraint in the center
position using the LATCH system. This posi -
tion is not approved for installing child
seats using the LATCH attachments.
You must use the seat belt and tether
anchor to install a child seat in the center
seating position.
Never use the same lower anchorage to
attach more than one child restraint.
For typical installation instructions, see
Ú page 321.
WARNING!

Never use the same lower anchorage to attach
more than one child restraint. For typical
installation instructions, see
Ú
page 321.

6

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322SAFETY
5. Tighten all of the straps as you push the
child restraint rearward and downward into
the seat. Remove slack in the straps
according to the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pulling back and forth on the child
seat at the belt path. It should not move
more than 1 inch (25.4 mm) in any
direction.
How To Stow An Unused Switchable-ALR
(ALR) Seat Belt:
When using the LATCH attaching system to
install a child restraint, stow all ALR seat belts
that are not being used by other occupants or
being used to secure child restraints. An unused
belt could injure a child if they play with it and
accidentally lock the seat belt retractor. Before
installing a child restraint using the LATCH
system, buckle the seat belt behind the child
restraint and out of the child’s reach. If the buckled seat belt interferes with the child
restraint installation, instead of buckling it
behind the child restraint, route the seat belt
through the child restraint belt path and then
buckle it. Do not lock the seat belt. Remind all
children in the vehicle that the seat belts are not
toys and that they should not play with them.
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 of a child restraint to
the LATCH anchorages 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.
Child restraint anchorages are designed to
withstand only those loads imposed by
correctly-fitted child restraints. Under no
circumstances are they to be used for adult
seat belts, harnesses, or for attaching other
items or equipment to the vehicle.
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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SAFETY325
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.

1. For Crew Cab Models

Place the child seat in the center of the
seating position. If the second row seat can
be reclined, you may recline the seat and/or
raise the head restraint (if adjustable) 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. For Regular Cab Models
Place the child seat in the center of the
seating position. Move the vehicle seat as
far rearward as possible to keep the child as
far from the passenger air bag as possible.
2. Pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the retractor to pass it through the belt path
of the child restraint. Do not twist the belt
webbing in the belt path.
3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
4. Pull on the webbing to make the lap portion tight against the child seat.
5. To lock the seat belt, pull down on the shoulder part of the belt until you have
pulled all the seat belt webbing out of the
retractor. Then, allow the webbing to retract
back into the retractor. As the webbing
retracts, you will hear a clicking sound.
This means the seat belt is now in the
Automatic Locking mode. 6. Try to pull the webbing out of the retractor.
If it is locked, you should not be able to pull
out any webbing. If the retractor is not

locked, repeat step 5.
7. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing to tighten the lap portion around the child
restraint while you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the vehicle
seat.
8. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the seating position has a top tether
anchorage, connect the tether strap to
the anchorage and tighten the tether strap.
See Ú page 327 for directions to attach a
tether anchor.
9. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pulling back and forth on the child
seat at the belt path. It should not move
more than 1 inch (25.4 mm) in any
direction.
Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so
check the belt occasionally, and pull it tight if
necessary.
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.6

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326SAFETY
Installing A Child Restraint With A Cinching
Latch Plate (CINCH) — If Equipped:
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap
belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt.

1. Place the child seat in the center of the
seating position. If the second row seat can
be reclined, you may recline the seat and/or
raise the head restraint (if adjustable) 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.
2. Next, pull enough of the seat belt webbing
from the retractor to pass it through the belt
path of the child restraint. Do not twist the
belt webbing in the belt path.
3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”

4. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing to tighten the lap portion around the child restraint while
you push the child restraint rearward and
downward into the vehicle seat.

5. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the seating position has a top tether
anchorage, connect the tether strap to
the anchorage and tighten the tether strap.
See Ú page 327 for directions to attach a
tether anchor.
6. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pulling back and forth on the child
seat at the belt path. It should not move
more than 1 inch (25.4 mm) in any
direction. Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so
check the belt occasionally, and pull it tight if
necessary.
If the buckle or the cinching latch plate is too
close to the belt path opening of the child
restraint, you may have trouble tightening the
seat belt. If this happens, disconnect the latch
plate from the buckle and twist the short
buckle-end belt up to three full turns to shorten
it. Insert the latch plate into the buckle with the
release button facing out, away from the child
restraint. Repeat steps 4 to 6, above, to
complete the installation of the child restraint.
If the belt still cannot be tightened after you
shorten the buckle, disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle, turn the buckle around one
half turn, and insert the latch plate into the
buckle again. If you still cannot make the child
restraint installation tight, try a different seating
position.
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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SAFETY327
Installing Child Restraints Using The Top
Tether Anchorage
Regular Cab Trucks:
In the regular cab truck, the top tether
anchorages are located behind the center and
right passenger seats. There is a plastic cover
over each anchorage. To attach the tether strap
of the child restraint:
1. Place the child restraint on the seat and
adjust the tether strap so that it will reach
over the seat back, under the head restraint
and to the tether anchor directly behind the
seat.
Regular Cab Tether Anchorages

2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path between the anchorage and the
child seat. The tether strap should go between
the head restraint posts underneath the head
restraint. You may need to adjust the head restraint to the upward position to pass the
tether strap underneath the head restraint and
between its posts.

3. Lift the cover (if so equipped), and attach the hook to the square opening in the sheet
metal. Tighten the tether strap according to
the child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Crew Cab Trucks The top tether anchorages in this vehicle are
tether strap loops located between the rear
glass and the back of the rear seat. There is a
tether strap loop located behind each seating
position. Follow the steps below to attach the
tether strap of the child restraint.
WARNING!
Do not attach a tether strap for a rear-facing
car seat to any location in front of the car
seat, including the seat frame or a tether
anchorage. Only attach the tether strap of a
rear-facing car seat to the tether anchorage
that is approved for that seating position,
located behind the top of the vehicle seat.
For the location of approved tether
anchorages in your vehicle, see Ú page 317.
1 — Tether Strap Hook
2 — Tether Strap To Child Restraint
3 — Tether Anchor
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.
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