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Child
safety
Important
information
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision.
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
c:>
page 110, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? . But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not fully
developed. In many respects children are at
greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adults .
Because children's bodies are not fu lly devel-
oped, they requ ire restraint systems especially
des igned for their size, we ight, and body struc-
ture. Many countr ies and all states of the United
States and provinces of Canada have laws requir-
ing the use of approved child restraint systems
for infants and small children .
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20- 3 5 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant will be more than 20 times the
weight of the child . This means the weight of the
child would suddenly be more than 260 pounds
(120 kg). Under these conditions, only an appro-
priate child restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury. Child restra ints, like
adult safety belts, must be used properly to be
effect ive. Used improperly, they can increase the
risk of serious injury in an accident.
All children, especially those 12 years and young-
er must always ride in the back seat proper ly re-
stra ined for their age and size. If you must install
a child restra int on the front passenger seat in
exceptional circumstances, be sure to read and
heed the important information and warnings
c:> p age 118. Infants and other children who are
properly restrained in an appropriate child re-
straint that is for their size and age can benefit
from the protection that supplemental side air-
bags provide in some kinds of crashes.
For more information please see information
provided by the:
Ch ild safety
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), currently at: http:/ /www.safe -
rcar.gov (for the USA)
- Transport Canada Information Centre, current-
ly at: http://www.tc .gc.ca (for Canada)
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in-
structions in order to be sure the seat is right for
your child's size
c:>
page 140, Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats . Please
be sure to read and heed all of the important in-
formation and WARNINGS about child safety,
Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child
restra ints in this chapter .
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad-
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they work
when infants and children in child restraints are
on the front passenger seat . Because of the large
amount of important informat ion, we cannot re-
peat it all here. We urge you to read the detailed
information in this owner 's ma nual about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
and the very important information about trans -
porting children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS - they are
extremely important for your safety and the safe-
ty of your passengers, especially infants and
small children.
A
WARNING
-
- Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the front seat ing pos ition. Always restrain
any child age 12 and under in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
must be restrained prope rly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestra ined or improperly
rest rained child could be injured by striking
the interior or by being ejected from the ve-
hicle during a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
-A suitable child restraint properly installed
and used at one of the rear seating positions
provides the highest degree of protect ion
for infants and small children in most acci-
dent situat ions.
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