Knowing your vehicle
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3
Restraint of larger children
As children grow, they may need to use
new child-restraint systems, including
larger child seats or booster seats, which
are appropriate for their increased size.
A child who has outgrown available child-
restraint systems should use the belts
provided in the vehicle. When seated in
the rear outboard seats, the child should
be restrained by the lap/shoulder belt.
If the shoulder belt portion slightly touch-
es the child’s neck or face, try placing the
child closer to the center of the vehicle. If
the shoulder belt still touches their face
or neck they need to be returned to a
child restraint system. In addition, after-
market devices are available from inde-
pendent manufacturers which help pull
the shoulder belt down and away from
the child’s face or neck.
WARNING
- Infants and
young children
• Infants and young children are at
much greater risk of serious
injury or death in an accident or
sudden stop if they are unre-
strained or restrained improperly.
Follow all instructions in this sec-
tion and the instructions that
came with an approved child
safety system. The child restraint
must be correctly installed in the
vehicle, and the child must be
correctly placed in the child
restraint.
• All children under 12 are safest in
the back seat.
• Never install a rear facing infant
seat in the front passenger posi-
tion. The baby will be injured or
killed by the air bag if it deploys.
• Never allow a child to stand or
kneel on the seat of a moving
vehicle.
WARNING
- Children on
laps
Never hold a child on your lap or in
your arms in a moving vehicle.
Even a very strong person cannot
hold onto a child in the event of
even a minor collision.
CAUTION
- Hot metal parts
Safety belts and seats can become
hot in a vehicle that has been
closed during warm/hot weather;
they could burn a child. Check
seats, seatbelt webbing and buck-
les before you place a child any-
where near them.
WARNING
- Shoulder belts
on small children
• Never allow a shoulder belt to be
in contact with a child’s neck or
face while the vehicle is in motion.
• If safety belts are not properly
worn and adjusted, there is a risk
of death or serious injury to such
a child.
