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now be used as an o rdinary safety belt with -
out the convertible locking retractor for chi ld
restra ints.
If the convertible locking retractor shou ld be
activated inadvertently, the safety belt must
be unfastened and guided completely back in-
to its stowed position to deactivate this fea -
ture.
If
the convertib le locking retractor is not
deactivated, the safety belt will gradually be-
come tighter and uncomfortable
to wear .
A
WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in-
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury
and death in a collision.
- Never unfasten the safety belt to deacti-
vate the convert ible locking ret ractor for
child restraints while the veh icle is mov-
ing. You would not be restrained and
cou ld be ser iously injured in an accident.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child rest rained in ave-
hicle is being used
¢page 171.
Special
precautions apply when installing a chi ld
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢
page 147, Child restraints on the front
seat - some important things to know.
LATCH
Lower
anchorages
and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To provide a simp le r and more pract icable way
to attach the ch ild res t raint on the veh icle
seat, Federa l regu lations require specia l lower
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
chi ld restraints to attach to the vehicle ancho-
rages.
The combination of the tether anchorages and
the lower anchorages is now generally called
the
LATCH
system for "Lower Anchorages and
Tethers for Children."
Forward- facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S.
Child Sa f et y
185
federa l reg ulations to comply with new child
head movement performance req uirements.
These new performance req uirements make a
tether necessary on most new child seats.
Installing a ch ild restra int that requires a top
tethe r without one can seriously impair the
performance of the child restra int and its abil -
ity to protect the child in a coll is ion. Insta lling
a child restraint that requires a top tether
without the top tether may be a violat ion of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers
offer LATCH
lower anchorages on their child seats with
hook-on or push-on connectors attached to
adjustable straps.
In add ition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these child restraint systems usually require
the use of tether straps to he lp keep the ch ild
restraint firmly in place.
A
WARNING
Imp roper installat ion of child restra ints
will increase the risk of injury a nd death in
a crash.
- Always follow the instr uctions provided
by t he manufa cture r of the child re-
st raint you intend to install in your vehi-
cle.
- Never inst a ll a child restraint withou t a
properly attached top tether strap if the
child restraint manufacturer's
instruc -
tions require the top tether st rap to be
used.
- Improper use of child rest raint LATCH
lowe r ancho rage points can lead to injury
in a collision. The LATCH lower anchorage
points are designed to withstand on ly
those loads imposed by correctly fitted
child restraints.
- Never mount two child restra int systems
on one LATC H lower anchorage point.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other item to the LATCH lower anchorag-
-
es.
Ill-
•
•
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