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SAFETY 187
Older Children And Child Restraints
NOTE:
If your vehicle is not equipped with a rear seat, FCA US LLC
recommends that you do not allow children 12 years old
and under to ride in your vehicle. If the rear seats are not
present in your vehicle, NEVER install a child restraint in
these positions. If you must install a forward facing child
restraint in the front passenger seat, then you must use
the seat belt system to secure the restraint. A top tether
strap extension may be needed to reach the tether anchor
on the rear shelf directly behind the passenger seat.
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.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
NOTE:
If your vehicle is not equipped with a rear seat, FCA US LLC
recommends that you do not allow children 12 years old
and under to ride in your vehicle. If the rear seats are not
present in your vehicle, NEVER install a child restraint in
these positions.
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!
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 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 adjusting
the vehicle seat position. When the vehicle seat has
been adjusted, reinstall the child restraint.
When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchorages, or
remove it from the vehicle. Do not leave it loose in
the vehicle. In a sudden stop or accident, it could
strike the occupants or seatbacks and cause serious
personal injury.
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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23_LA_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 187
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