_____________________________________________ C_ h_i_ld_ S_a_f_e_t ... Y'---_1!'11
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
The physical pr inciples of wha t happens when your vehicle is in a crash
app ly a lso to children=>
page 177, "What happens to occupants not
wearing safety be lts?". But unlike adults their mus cles an d bones a re
not fully deve loped. In many respects children are at greater risk of
serious injury in crashes than adults .
Because children 's bodies a re not fully deve loped, they require
restraint systems especially designed fo r their size, weight, and body
st ruct ure. Many cou ntries and a ll states of t he Unite d States and
prov inces of Canada have laws req uiring the use of approved ch ild
restrain t sys t ems for infan t s an d sm all ch ildren .
In a fronta l crash at a speed of 20-35 mph (30-56 km/h) the forces
act ing o n a 13- pound (6 kg) infant w ill be more t han 20 times the
we ight of the child . This means the we ight of the child wo uld
suddenly be more than 260 po unds (120 kg). Under these conditions,
only a n app ropr iat e child restra int proper ly used can red uce the risk
of serious injury. Child restrai nts must be used properly to be effec-
t ive. Used im pro perly, t hey can increase t he risk of serio us injury in an
acc ident.
Consult t he child safety seat manufacturer's instr uctions to be sure
t he seat is right for your child's size
=> page 210, "Importa nt safety
instructions for using child safety seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed all of the impo rtant informat ion and WARNINGS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the insta llation of ch ild rest raints in
t his chapte r.
There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
vehicle a nd how t hey wo rk when infa nts and childre n in child
restra ints are on the front passenger seat. Beca use of t he large
Controls and equip-
ment
Safety first Vehicle operation
amou nt of importa nt info rmation, we cannot repeat it all he re . We
urge you to read the detailed information in th is owne r's man ua l
abou t airbags and t he Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the
very important information abo ut transporting children on the front
passenger se at . Plea se be sure t o heed the WARNINGS - t hey are
extremely important for your safety and the safety of your passe n-
gers, especially infan t s and sm all childre n.
& WARNING
• Accident statisti cs have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position. Always
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must be
restrained properly when ever riding in a vehicle. An unre strained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the
interior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver or impact. An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflat ing airbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating pos itions provides the highest degree of protec-
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations.
& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airbags
can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates. A
child in a rearward -facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflate s.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will sma sh the child safety seat and
child aga inst the backrest, center armrest or door . •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
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