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Seats and Restraints 77
Warning (Continued)
is not possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb) infant
will suddenly become a 110 kg (240 lb)
force on a person's arms. An infant or
child should be secured in an appropriate
child restraint.
{Warning
Children who are up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates can
be seriously injured or killed. Never put a
rear-facing child restraint in the front(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
outboard seat. Secure a rear-facing child
restraint in a rear seat. It is also better to
secure a forward-facing child restraint in
a rear seat. If you must secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the front
outboard seat, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go.
Child restraints are devices used to restrain,
seat, or position children in the vehicle and
are sometimes called child seats or car seats. There are three basic types of child
restraints:
.Forward-facing child restraints
.Rear-facing child restraints
.Belt-positioning booster seats
The proper child restraint for your child
depends on their size, weight, and age, and
also on whether the child restraint is
compatible with the vehicle in which it will
be used.
For each type of child restraint, there are
many different models available. When
purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is
designed to be used in a motor vehicle and
is designed by a genuine child restraint
manufacturer. If it is, the child restraint will
have a label saying that it meets federal
motor vehicle safety standards.
The instruction manual that is provided with
the child restraint states the weight and
height limitations for that particular child
restraint. In addition, there are many kinds
of child restraints available for children with
special needs.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
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78 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
To reduce the risk of neck and head
injury in a crash, infants and toddlers
should be secured in a rear-facing child
restraint until age two, or until they
reach the maximum height and weight
limits of their child restraint.
{Warning
A young child's hip bones are still so
small that the vehicle seat belt may not
remain low on the hip bones, as it
should. Instead, it may settle up around
the child's abdomen. In a crash, the belt
would apply force on a body area that is
unprotected by any bony structure. This
alone could cause serious or fatal injuries.
To reduce the risk of serious or fatal
injuries during a crash, young children
should always be secured in an
appropriate child restraint.
Child Restraint Systems
Rear-Facing Infant Restraint
A rear-facing child restraint provides
restraint with the seating surface against
the back of the infant.
The harness system holds the infant in place
and, in a crash, acts to keep the infant
positioned in the restraint.
Forward-Facing Child Restraint
A forward-facing child restraint provides
restraint for the child's body with the
harness.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-16908340) - 2024 - CRC - 12/7/22
80 Seats and Restraints
Securing the Child Within the Child
Restraint
{Warning
A child can be seriously injured or killed
in a crash if the child is not properly
secured in the child restraint. Secure the
child properly following the instructions
that came with that child restraint.
Where to Put the Restraint
According to accident statistics, children and
infants are safer when properly restrained in
an appropriate child restraint secured in a
rear seating position.
Whenever possible, children aged 12 and
under should be secured in a rear seating
position.
Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the
front. This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great if the airbag
deploys.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the front
passenger airbag inflates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or killed
if the front passenger airbag inflates and
the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has
turned off the front passenger frontal
airbag, no system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a
rear seat, even if the airbag is off. If you
secure a forward-facing child restraint in
the front seat, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go.
It is better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System 069 for
additional information.
{Warning
A child in a child restraint in the center
front seat can be badly injured or killed
by the frontal airbags if they inflate.
Never secure a child restraint in the
center front seat. It is always better to
secure a child restraint in a rear seat.
Do not use child restraints in the center
front seat position.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat that
will accommodate a rear-facing child
restraint, a rear-facing child restraint should
not be installed in the vehicle, even if the
airbag is off.
When securing a child restraint with the
seat belts in a rear seat position, study the
instructions that came with the child
restraint to make sure it is compatible with
this vehicle.
Child restraints and booster seats vary
considerably in size, and some may fit in
certain seating positions better than others.
Do not install a child restraint in any rear
seating position where it cannot be installed
securely.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
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84 Seats and Restraints
Regular Cab—Three-Passenger Front Seat
I:Seating positions with top tether
anchors.
Do not install a child restraint in the center
front seating position. See Securing Child
Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Center
Front Seat) 092 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt
in the Rear Seat) 092 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt
in the Front Passenger Seat) 095 for more
information.
Double and Crew Cab Rear Seat
I: Seating positions with top tether
anchors.
H: Seating positions with two lower
anchors.
To assist in locating the lower anchors on
double and crew cab models, each seating
position with lower anchors has two labels
near the crease between the seatback and
the seat cushion.
For regular cab models, there are top tether
anchor symbols to assist you in locating the
top tether anchors.
Do not install a child restraint in the center
seating position. See Securing Child
Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Center
Front Seat) 092 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt
in the Rear Seat) 092 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt
in the Front Passenger Seat) 095 for more
information.

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Seats and Restraints 85
Regular Cab
For regular cab models, the top tether
anchors are on the back panel behind the
passenger seat(s) or center seat. Be sure to
use an anchor directly behind the seating
position where the child restraint will be
placed.Driver Side Anchor and Loop (Double and Crew Cab)
Center Anchor and Loop (Double andCrew Cab)
Passenger Side Loop (Double and Crew Cab)
For double and crew cab models, the top
tether is routed through loops (2) to the top
tether anchors (1). Be sure to use the correct
anchor for the seating position where the
child restraint will be placed.
Be sure to read the following instructions to
properly install a child restraint using these
loops and anchors.
Do not secure a child restraint in a position
without a top tether anchor if a national or
local law requires that the top tether be
attached, or if the instructions that come
with the child restraint say that the top
tether must be attached.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-16908340) - 2024 - CRC - 12/7/22
86 Seats and Restraints
According to accident statistics, children and
infants are safer when properly restrained in
a child restraint system or infant restraint
system secured in a rear seating position.
SeeWhere to Put the Restraint 080 for
additional information.
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System
{Warning
A child could be seriously injured or killed
in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly attached to the vehicle using
either the LATCH anchors or the vehicle
seat belt. Follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint and the
instructions in this manual.
{Warning
Do not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor, except for
the center top tether anchors in the crew
cab models. Attaching more than one
child restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment to come
loose or even break during a crash.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
A child or others could be injured. To
reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries
during a crash, attach only one child
restraint per anchor.
{Warning
Children can be seriously injured or
strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped
around their neck. The shoulder belt can
tighten but cannot be loosened if it is
locked. The shoulder belt locks when it is
pulled all the way out of the retractor.
It unlocks when the shoulder belt is
allowed to go all the way back into the
retractor, but it cannot do this if it is
wrapped around a child’s neck. If the
shoulder belt is locked and tightened
around a child’s neck, the only way to
loosen the belt is to cut it.
Buckle any unused seat belts behind the
child restraint so children cannot reach
them. Pull the shoulder belt all the way
out of the retractor to set the lock, and(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
tighten the belt behind the child restraint
after the child restraint has been
installed.
Caution
Do not let the LATCH attachments rub
against the vehicle’s seat belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary, move
buckled seat belts to avoid rubbing the
LATCH attachments.
Do not fold the rear seat cushion when
the seat is occupied. Do not fold the
empty rear seat with a seat belt buckled.
This could damage the seat belt or the
seat. Unbuckle and return the seat belt to
its stowed position, before folding
the seat.
If you need to secure more than one child
restraint in the rear seat, see Where to Put
the Restraint 080.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-16908340) - 2024 - CRC - 12/7/22
88 Seats and Restraints
4. Before placing a child in the childrestraint, make sure it is securely held in
place. To check, grasp the child restraint
at the belt path and attempt to move it
side to side and back and forth. There
should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement for proper installation.
Double and Crew Cab Models 1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the lower anchors. If the
child restraint does not have lower
attachments or the desired seating
position does not have lower anchors,
secure the child restraint with the top
tether and the seat belt. Refer to the
child restraint manufacturer instructions
and the instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired seating position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child restraint
to the lower anchors. 2. For forward-facing child restraints, attach
and tighten the top tether to the top
tether anchor, if your vehicle has one.
Follow the child restraint instructions and
the vehicle LATCH anchor weight limits
described at the beginning of this
section, and the following steps:
Rear Driver Side Position
Rear Driver Side Position
2.1. For a top tether in the rear driver side position:
2.1.1. Remove the driver side head restraint and center
headrest. See “Head
Restraint or Headrest
Removal and Reinstallation”
later in this section.

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90 Seats and Restraints
Rear Center Position
Rear Center Position
2.3. For a top tether in the rear center position: 2.3.1. Remove the driver side head
restraint and center
headrest. See “Head
Restraint or Headrest
Removal and Reinstallation”
later in this section.
2.3.2. Route the top tether (1) through the center loop (2).
2.3.3. Attach the top tether (1) to the driver side top tether
metal anchor (3).
2.3.4. Make sure the child restraint top tether hook is
completely closed and
secured to the top tether
anchor.
3. Tighten the top tether per the child restraint manufacturer's instructions.
When the top tether is properly
tightened, the loop may bend. This is
normal and will not damage the vehicle.
If child restraints are installed in both
outboard positions, both top tethers can
be attached to the center anchor. Top
tethers can be attached for child
restraints in all three rear seating
positions at the same time, following the
routing instructions above. 4. Before placing a child in the child
restraint, make sure it is securely held in
place. To check, grasp the child restraint
at the LATCH path and attempt to move
it side to side and back and forth. There
should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement for proper installation.
Head Restraint or Headrest Removal and
Reinstallation
The second row outboard head restraints or
center headrest can be removed if they
interfere with the proper installation of the
child restraint.
To remove the second row head restraints
or center headrest: