Volkswagen PASSAT 2004 Owner's Manual page 141

SAFETY FIRST
r.4' J
WARNING
continued
• When buying a child restraint,
select one that fits your child and
vehicle.
• Only use child restraint systems
that fully contact the flat portion
of the seat cushion. The child seat
must not tip or lean to either side.
VOLKSWAGEN does not recom-
mend using child seats that rest on
legs or tube-like frames. They do
not provide adequate contact with
the seat.
• Improperly or inadequately
installed child restraint systems
can increase the risk of injury to
children in crashes. Therefore, al-
ways carefully read and follow all
instructions on installation and
use that come with the system.
' -
Securing a child seat
in the rear seats
Convertible Locking Retractor
The retractors for the rear seat three-point
saf ety belts and the front passenger three-
point safety belt have a convertible locking
feature in addition to the emergency locking
feature.
If you need to install a child seat at an outer
seating position. you must first activate the
convertible locking feature. Then secure t he
chi ld seat by using the seat belt.
~WARNING
• Never install rear-facing child
seats or infant carriers on the front
passenger seat. A child will be se-
riously injured and can be killed
when the passenger airbag
inflates.
• The inflating airbag will hit the
child seat or infant carrier with
great force and will smash the
child seat and child against the
backrest, center arm rest, or door.
• Always install rear-facing child
seats or infant carriers on the rear
seat.
• Forward-facing child seats or
infant carriers installed on the
front passenger's seat may inter-
fere with the deployment of the
airbag and cause serious injury to
the child. Allow a child to travel on
the front passenger's seat only in
a forward-facing child restraint
system specifically designed and
approved by the child restraint
manufacturer for use in the front
with airbags. Make sure the pas-
senger seat is in the rearmost posi-
tion. It is always safer to install a
child seat in the rear.
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CHILD SAFETY