3 53
Knowing your vehicle
(Continued)
• Since a safety belt or child
restraint system can become
very hot if it is left in a closed
vehicle, be sure to check the
seat cover and buckles before
placing a child there.
• When the child restraint sys-
tem is not in use, store it in the
trunk or fasten it with a safety
belt so that it will not be
thrown forward in the case of
a sudden stop or an accident.
• Children who are too large to
be in a child restraint should
sit in the rear seat and be
restrained with the available
lap/shoulder belts.
Never
allow children to ride in the
front passenger seat.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Always make sure that the
shoulder belt portion of the
outboard lap/shoulder belt is
positioned midway over the
shoulder, never across the
neck or behind the back.
Moving the child closer to the
center of the vehicle may help
provide a good shoulder belt
fit. The lap belt portion of the
lap/shoulder belt or the center
seat lap belt must always be
positioned as low as possible
on the child's hips and as
snug as possible.
• If the seat belt will not proper-
ly fit the child, we recommend
the use of an approved boost-
er seat in the rear seat in order
to raise the child's seating
height so that the seat belt will
properly fit the child.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Never allow a child to stand up
or kneel on the seat.
• Never use an infant carrier or
child safety seat that "hooks"
over a seatback; it may not
provide adequate security in
an accident.
• Never allow a child to be held
in a person's arms while they
are in a moving vehicle, as
this could result in serious
injury to the child in the event
of an accident or a sudden
stop. Holding a child in a mov-
ing vehicle does not provide
the child with any means of
protection during an accident,
even if the person holding the
child is wearing a seat belt.