A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as firmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ Some side-to-side
movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat’s
effectiveness.
Before purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specific
vehicle seating position or positions
where the seat will be used.
After installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (lower anchors and
tethers for children) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
After selecting a proper child seat
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a different seating
position, or use a different style of
child seat that can be firmly secured.
Make sure the child is properly
strapped in the child seat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
can be seriously injured in a crash.
The following pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A forward-facing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same for a rear-
facing child seat.
Make sure the child seat is f irmly
secured.
Properly secure the child seat to
the vehicle.
Secure the child in the child seat.
1.
2.
3.
Installing a Child Seat
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
42
05/09/09 18:02:59 31SNC600 0045