• Do not leave children, pets or people needing assistance in the vehicle
unattended, especially in hot weather when the inside of the vehicle can
get hot enough to kill them. They could also activate vehicle controls,
causing it to move unexpectedly.
Children who are unrestrained or improperly restrained can be seriously
injured or killed in a crash.
Any child too small for a seat belt should be properly restrained in a child
seat.
A larger child should be properly restrained with a seat belt, using a
booster seat if necessary.
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or wrap one around their neck
can result in serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat belt and make sure any unused
seat belt a child can reach is buckled, fully retracted, and locked.
n
Protecting Infants
An infant must be properly restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat
until the infant reaches the seat maker’s weight or height limit for the seat,
and the infant is at least one year old. Many experts recommend use of a
rear-facing seat for a child up to two years old if the child’s height and
weight are appropriate for a rear-facing seat.
Child seats must be placed and secured in a rear seating position. Rear-
facing child seats should never be installed in a forward-facing position.
When properly installed, a rear-facing child seat may prevent the driver or
a front passenger from moving their seat all the way back, or from locking
their seat-back in the desired position.
Make sure that there is no contact
between the child seat and the seat in
front of it. It can also interfere with
proper operation of the front
passenger’s advanced front airbag
system. If this occurs, we recommend
that you install the child seat directly
behind the front passenger’s seat,
move the seat as far forward as
SAFETY INFORMATION
16 |
needed, and leave it unoccupied. Or, you may wish to get a smaller rear-
facing child seat.
Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury
or death during a crash.
Always place a rear-facing child seat in the rear seat, not the front.
n
Protecting Smaller Children
If a child is at least one year old and within the weight range indicated by
the child seat manufacturer, the child should be properly restrained in a
firmly secured forward-facing child seat.
We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a rear
seating position. Placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front seat can
be hazardous, even with advanced
front airbags that automatically turn
the passenger’s front airbag off. A rear
seat is the safest place for a child.
Placing a forward-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious
injury or death if the front airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-facing child seat in front, move the vehicle
seat as far back as possible, and properly restrain the child.
n
Selecting a Child Seat
Most child seats are LATCH-compatible (Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren). Some have a rigid-type connector, while others have a flexible-
type connector. Both are equally easy to use. Some existing and previously
owned child seats can only be installed using the seat belt. Whichever type
you choose, follow the child seat manufacturer’s use and care instructions
as well as the instructions in this guide. Proper installation is key to
maximizing your child’s safety.
In seating positions and vehicles not equipped with LATCH, a LATCH
compatible child seat can be installed using the seat belt and a top tether
for added security. This is because all child seats are required to be
designed so that they can be secured with a lap belt or the lap part of a
lap/shoulder belt. In addition, the child seat manufacturer may advise that
a seat belt be used to attach a LATCH-compatible seat once a child
SAFETY INFORMATION
| 17
