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Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have outgrown
their rear-facing convertible child seat can ride
forward-facing in the vehicle. Forward-facing child
seats and convertible child seats used in the forward-
facing direction are for children who are over two years
old or who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or
height limit of their rear-facing convertible child seat.
Children should remain in a forward-facing child seat
with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest
weight or height allowed by the child seat.
All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a
belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat
belts fit properly. If the child cannot sit with knees bent
over the vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back is
against the seatback, they should use a belt-positioning
booster seat. The child and belt-positioning booster
seat are held in the vehicle by the seat belt.
WARNING!
•
Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s
WARNING!
directions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
•
After a child restraint is installed in the vehicle, do
not move the vehicle seat forward or rearward
because it can loosen the child restraint attach-
ments. Remove the child restraint before adjust-
ing the vehicle seat position. When the vehicle
seat has been adjusted, reinstall the child re-
straint.
•
When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchor-
ages, or remove it from the vehicle. Do not leave
it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or acci-
dent, it could strike the occupants or seatbacks
and cause serious personal injury.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder
belt comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to
bend over the front of the seat when their back is
against the seatback, should use the seat belt in a rear
seat. Use this simple 5-step test to decide whether the
child can use the vehicle’s seat belt alone:
1.
Can the child sit all the way back against the back of
the vehicle seat?
2.
Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the
front of the vehicle seat – while the child is still
sitting all the way back?
3.
Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder
between the neck and arm?
4.
Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching
the child’s thighs and not the stomach?
5.
Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If the answer to any of these questions was “no,” then
the child still needs to use a booster seat in this vehicle.
If the child is using the lap/shoulder belt, check seat
belt fit periodically and make sure the seat belt buckle is
latched. A child’s squirming or slouching can move the
belt out of position. If the shoulder belt contacts the
face or neck, move the child closer to the center of the
vehicle, or use a booster seat to position the seat belt
on the child correctly.
WARNING!
Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt under an
arm or behind their back. In a crash, the shoulder
belt will not protect a child properly, which may
result in serious injury or death. A child must always
wear both the lap and shoulder portions of the seat
belt correctly.
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