Child Restraint

Use the correct size child-restraint system:

For effective protection in vehicle accidents and sudden stops, a child must be properly restrained using a seat belt or child-restraint system depending on age and size. If not, the child could be seriously injured or even killed in an accident.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions and always keep the child-restraint system buckled down:

An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Make sure any child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions. When not in use, remove it from the vehicle or fasten it with a seat belt, or latch it down to BOTH ISOFIX anchors, and attach the corresponding tether anchor.

Always secure a child in a proper child-restraint system:

Holding a child in your arms while the vehicle is moving is extremely dangerous. No matter how strong the person may be, he or she cannot hold onto a child in a sudden stop or collision and it could result in serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Even in a moderate accident, the child may be exposed to air bag forces that could result in serious injury or death to the child, or the child may be slammed into an adult, causing injury to both child and adult.

Extreme Hazard! Never use a rear-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat with an air bag that could deploy:

NEVER use a rearward facing child restraint on a seat protected by an ACTIVE AIRBAG in front of it, DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the CHILD can occur.

Vehicles with a front passenger air bag have a warning label attached as shown below. The warning label reminds you not to put a rear-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat at any time.

 

Even in a moderate collision, the child-restraint system can be hit by a deploying air bag and moved violently backward resulting in serious injury or death to the child. If your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger air bag deactivation switch, always set the switch to the OFF position when installing a rear-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat.

 

Do not install a front-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat unless it is unavoidable:

In a collision, the force of a deploying air bag could cause serious injury or death to the child. If installing a front-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat is unavoidable, move the front passenger seat as far back as possible and adjust the seat bottom (height adjustable seat bottom) to the highest position at which the seat belt fastening the child-restraint system is securely tightened.

Make sure that the front passenger air bag deactivation switch is in the OFF position. Refer to Front Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Switch (Search).

Do not allow a child or anyone to lean over or against the side window of a vehicle with side and curtain air bags:

It is dangerous to allow anyone to lean over or against the side window, the area of the front passenger seat, the front and rear window pillars and the roof edge along both sides from which the side and curtain air bags deploy, even if a child-restraint system is used. The impact of inflation from a side or curtain air bag could cause serious injury or death to an out of position child. Furthermore, leaning over or against the front door could block the side and curtain air bags and eliminate the advantages of supplementary protection. With the front air bag and the additional side air bag that comes out of the front seat, the rear seat is always a better location for children. Take special care not to allow a child to lean over or against the side window, even if the child is seated in a child-restraint system.

Never use one seat belt on more than one person at a time:

Using one seat belt for more than one person at a time is dangerous. A seat belt used in this way cannot spread the impact forces properly and the two passengers could be crushed together and seriously injured or even killed. Never use one belt for more than one person at a time and always operate the vehicle with each occupant properly restrained.

Use the tether and tether anchor only for a child-restraint system:

Child-restraint system anchorages are designed to withstand only those loads imposed by correctly installed child-restraint systems. Under no circumstances are they to be used for adult seat belts, harnesses, or for attaching other items or equipment to the vehicle.

Always remove the head restraint and install child-restraint system (except when installing a booster seat):

Installing a child-restraint system without removing the head restraint is dangerous. The child-restraint system cannot be installed correctly which may result in death or injury to the child in a collision.