Table of Contents
Advertisement
GETTING STARTED
•
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 for-
ward 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.
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 seat-
back, 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 they
are still sitting all the way back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child' s shoulder between their neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching the child' s thighs and not their
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.
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.
38
WARNING!
WARNING!
Advertisement
Table of Contents
