2023 DODGE DURANGO belt

212SAFETY
(Continued)
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.
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!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 manufac -
turer’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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SAFETY213
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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214SAFETY
Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren
(LATCH) Restraint System

LATCH Label
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 anchorages 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.
Restraint Type
Combined Weight of
the Child + Child Restraint Use Any Attachment Method Shown With An “X” Below
LATCH – Lower Anchors Only Seat Belt Only LATCH – Lower
Anchors + Top Tether Anchor Seat Belt + Top Tether
Anchor
Rear-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lb (29.5 kg)
XX
Rear-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lb
(29.5 kg) X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lb (29.5 kg)
XX
Forward-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lb
(29.5 kg) X

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216SAFETY
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
What is the weight limit (child’s weight + weight of
the child restraint) for using the LATCH anchorage
system to attach the child restraint? 65 lb (29.5 kg)Use the LATCH anchorage system until the
combined weight of the child and the child restraint
is 65 lb (29.5 kg). Use the seat belt and tether
anchor instead of the LATCH system once the
combined weight is more than 65 lb (29.5 kg).
Can the LATCH anchorages and the seat belt be
used together to attach a rear-facing or
forward-facing child restraint? NoDo not use the seat belt when you use the LATCH
anchorage system to attach a rear-facing or
forward-facing child restraint.
Booster seats may be attached to the LATCH
anchorages if allowed by the booster seat
manufacturer. See your booster seat owner’s
manual for more information.
Can a child seat be installed in the center position
using the inner LATCH lower anchorages from the
outboard seating positions? No — 5 Passenger
N/A — 6 Passenger No — 7 Passenger 7 and 5 Passenger: Use the seat belt and tether
anchor to install a child seat in the center seating
position.
Can two child restraints be attached using a
common lower LATCH anchorage? NoNever “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.
Can the rear-facing child restraint touch the back of
the front passenger seat? YesThe child seat may touch the back of the front
passenger seat if the child restraint manufacturer
also allows contact. See your child restraint
owner’s manual for more information.
Can the rear head restraints be removed? No

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SAFETY219
LATCH-compatible child restraint systems will be
equipped with a rigid bar or a flexible strap on each
side. Each will have a hook or connector to attach
to the lower anchorage and a way to tighten the
connection to the anchorage. 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 — Five Or Seven
Passenger Vehicles Second Row Seating
Only Vehicle With A Center Arm Rest Tether —
Five Or Seven Passenger Seating Only
For rear-facing child restraints secured in the
center seat position with the vehicle seat belts, the
rear center seat position has an armrest tether
that secures the arm rest in the upward position.

1. To access the center seat arm rest tether,
first lower the arm rest. The tether is located
behind the armrest and hooked onto the
plastic seat backing.

Center Seat Position Arm Rest Tether

2. Pull down on the tether to unhook it from the plastic seat backing.
Center Seat Position Arm Rest Tether

3. Raise the armrest and attach the tether hook to the strap located on the front of the arm rest.

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 220 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.

WARNING!
Do not install a child restraint in the center
position using the LATCH system. This position
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
Úpage 219.
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220SAFETY
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
Úpage 223 for directions to attach a tether
anchor.
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 manufac -
turer’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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SAFETY221

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
Ú
page 197.

Please see the table below and the following
sections for more information.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing
Child Restraints In This Vehicle

60/40 Second Row (5 Passenger) Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations 60/40 Second Row (7 Passenger) Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) Locations Captain’s Chairs Second Row (6 Passenger) Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations

ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor Top Tether Anchorage SymbolALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
6

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222SAFETY
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. 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. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With Seat Belts
What is the weight limit (child’s weight + weight of
the child restraint) for using the Tether Anchor with
the seat belt to attach a forward-facing child
restraint? Weight limit of the Child RestraintAlways use the tether anchor when using the seat
belt to install a forward-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? YesContact between the front passenger seat and the
child restraint is allowed, if the child restraint
manufacturer also allows contact.
Can the rear head restraints be removed? No
Can the buckle stalk be twisted to tighten the seat
belt against the belt path of the child restraint? NoDo not twist the buckle stalk in a seating position
with an ALR retractor.
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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