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B.___
C _h _ il_ d_ S_ a_f_ e_t--= y'------------------------------------------------
Child Safety
Important
things
to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
The physi cal pr inciples of wha t happe ns when your vehicle is in a cras h
apply a lso to chi ldren=> page 119, "What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts?" . But unlike adu lts and teenage rs, t heir
muscles and bones are not fully deve loped. In many respects children
are at greater risk of ser ious injury in crashes t han adults.
Because child ren's bodies are not fu lly devel op ed, t hey requ ire
restra int systems especially designed fo r their size, weight, and body
st ruct ure . Many count ries a nd a ll states of t he Unit ed States and
prov inces of Canada have laws requ iring the use of approved child
restrain t sys t ems for infants a nd sm all childr en .
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20-35 mph (30-56 km/ h) t he forces
act ing on a 13- poun d (6 kg) infant w ill be more t han 20 ti mes t he
we ight of t he child . This means t he weigh t of the child would
sudden ly be more than 260 po unds (120 kg). Under these conditions,
only a n app ropr iate child restra int properly use d can red uce t he risk
of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult sa fety be lts, must be used
pro perly t o be effe ct ive. Used impr o pe rly, t hey can increase the risk
of serious injury in an accident .
Consult t he child safety sea t manuf act ure r's ins t ruc t ion s in order t o
be sure the seat is right for your child's size=> page 151, "Im port ant
safety instructions fo r us ing chi ld safety seats". Please be sure to
read a nd he ed al l of t he impo rtant informa t ion and WARNINGS
about ch ild safety, Advanced Airba g s, and the installation of child
restra int s in t his cha pte r.
The re is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
veh icle and how t hey wo rk when infa nts and childre n in child
restra int s are o n the front passenger seat . Because of the la rge
amou nt of importan t informat ion, we ca nnot rep eat it a ll he re. We
urge you to read the detai led info rmation in this owner's man ual
abou t ai rbags a nd t he Adva nced Airbag Syste m in you r vehicle an d th e
very important information abo ut transporting
children on the front
pa ssen ge r sea t. Please be sure to heed th e WARNINGS - th ey are
extremely important fo r your safety a nd the safety of your passe n-
gers , especially infan ts and sma ll childre n.
&
WARNING
•
Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position. Always
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
•
All vehicle occupants and especially children must be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the
interior or by being ejected from the vehicle 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 posit ions provides the highest degree of protec-
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations .
&
WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airbags
can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . A
child in a rearward -facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates.
•
The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest or door.
IJll,
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