SAFETY 269
6
to crash statistics, children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seats rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child can become a
projectile inside the vehicle. The force required to
hold even an infant on your lap could become so
great that you could not hold the child, no matter
how strong you are. The child and others could be
badly injured or killed. Any child riding in your vehicle
should be in a proper restraint for the child’s size.
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner’s Manual to make sure you have the correct
seat for your child. Carefully read and follow all the
instructions and warnings in the child restraint Owner’s
Manual and on all the labels attached to the child
restraint.
Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. You should also make sure that you can
install it in the vehicle where you will use it.
NOTE:
●
For additional information, refer to
http://
www.nhtsa.gov/parents-and-caregivers
or call:
1-888-327-4236
●
Canadian residents should refer to
Transport Canada’s website for additional
information:
https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/
child-car-seat-safety.html
Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
Child Size, Height, Weight Or Age
Recommended Type Of Child Restraint
Infants and Toddlers
Children who are two years old or younger and who have
not reached the height or weight limits of their child
restraint
Either an Infant Carrier or a Convertible Child Restraint,
facing rearward in a rear seat of the vehicle
Small Children
Children who are at least two years old or who have
outgrown the height or weight limit of their rear-facing
child restraint
Forward-Facing Child Restraint with a five-point Harness,
facing forward in a rear seat of the vehicle
Larger Children
Children who have outgrown their forward-facing child
restraint, but are too small to properly fit the vehicle’s
seat belt
Belt Positioning Booster Seat and the vehicle seat belt,
seated in a rear seat of the vehicle
Children Too Large for Child Restraints
Children 12 years old or younger, who have outgrown the
height or weight limit of their booster seat
Vehicle Seat Belt, seated in a rear seat of the vehicle
Infant And Child Restraints
Safety experts recommend that children ride rear-facing
in the vehicle until they are two years old or until they
reach either the height or weight limit of their rear-facing
child restraint. Two types of child restraints can be used
rear-facing: infant carriers and convertible child seats.
The infant carrier is only used rear-facing in the vehicle.
It is recommended for children from birth until they
reach the weight or height limit of the infant carrier.
Convertible child seats can be used either rear-facing or
forward-facing in the vehicle. Convertible child seats often
have a higher weight limit in the rear-facing direction than
infant carriers do, so they can be used rear-facing by
children who have outgrown their infant carrier but are
still less than at least two years old. Children should
remain rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or
height allowed by their convertible child seat.
WARNING!
●
Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of
an air bag. A deploying passenger front air bag can
cause death or serious injury to a child 12 years
or younger, including a child in a rear-facing child
restraint.
(Continued)
