Table of Contents
Advertisement
Child Safety
-
--------------------''---
If the convertible locking retractor should be activated inadvert-
ently, the safety belt must be unfastened and gu ided co
m
p
let
ely
back into its stowed position to deactivate this feature. If the
convertible lock ing retractor is not deactivated, the
safet
y be lt will
gradually become tighter and uncomfortab le to wear.
&
WARNING
Improper ly installed child safet
y
seat
s
increa se the risk of
serious
personal injury and death in a collision.
•
Never unfasten t he safety belt to deactivate the convertible
locking retractor for child restraint
s
while the vehicle is moving
.
You would not be restrained and could be seriously injured in an
accident.
•
Alway
s
read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using
a
child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=:>
page 159. Special
precau-
tion
s
app ly when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat
=:>
pag
e 139,
"Child restraint
s
on the front seat
-
some important thing
s
to know
".
•
Additional
Information
What
types
of child restraint
anchors
are
available
and how
are they
related
to child
safety?
For years, child restraints have been installed using the safety belts
already present
in
every vehicle.
Since September 1, 1999, chi ld restraint manufacturers
have been
providing tether straps that attach the top of the child restraint to
the vehicles structure, on most of their forward -facing systems in
order to comply with U.S. Federa
l
regu lations for child restraint
performance in a crash. Vehicle manufacture rs are required
t
o
Controls and equip-
ment
Safety first
Vehicle operation
phase-in tether anchorages for attachment of the tether strap in
t
heir U.S. vehic les beg inn
i
ng September 1,
1999.
The combination
of the tether anchorages and the lower anchor
-
ages is now genera lly called the
LATCH
system for " Lower
A
nchors
and Tether for
Ch
ildren".
(The term "ISOFIX" regarding lower anchorages had been used by
Audi and other manufacturers
in t he
past
, but LATCH is now
t
he
standard name for the new child restraint anchorage system.)
Some child restraint system manufacturers
have been providing
tether straps on certain models
of
their child restraint systems,
either as standard equipment or as a retrofit, for severa
l
years.
Check w ith the manufacturer of the child restraint
syst em f
or tether
strap availabi lity.
To provide a simpler and more practicable way to attach the child
restraint system on the vehicle seat,
U.S.
Federal regu lations require
t
he phase
-i
n of lower anchorages in veh icles
and
devices on new
child restraint systems to attach to the veh icle ancho rages
.
Child restraint system manufacturers will probably offer two kinds
of lower anchorages on
t
heir child safety seats
They cou ld come with:
•
hook-on or push-on connectors attached to adjustable straps or
•
rigid latches on bars that extend out the back of the child
restraint and are released with re lease buttons at the bottom of the
child restraint.
In addition to the LATCH lower anchorages, both of these child
restra int systems use tether straps to help keep the chi ld restraint
system firmly in p lace.
•
Where
can
I
get additional
information
about
child restraint
application
and usage?
There are a numbe
r
of sources of additional information about child
restra int select ion, installation and usage:
_.,
Vehicle care
Do-it-yourself service
Technical data
Advertisement
Table of Contents
