freightliner Sprinter - Page 36

Be consistent
Bear in mindthat negligence when securing the
child in thechild restraint system mayhave seri‐
ous consequences. Alwaysbeconsistent and
secure achild carefullybeforeeachjourney.
To improve protection forchildren younger than
12 yearsold or under5ft (1.50 m) in height,
Freightliner Sprinter recommends youalways
observe thefollowing notes:
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Alwayssecurethe child in achild restraint
system suitable foryour Freightliner Sprinter
vehicle.
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The child restraint system mustbeappropri‐
atetothe age, weight and size of thechild.
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The vehicle seat mustbesuitable forthe child
restraint system to be installed.
Alwaysinstall achild restraint system on asuita‐
ble rear seat.Accident statisticsshowthat chil‐
dren secured on therear seats aresafer than
children secured on theco-driver seat.
Accident statisticsshowthat children secured on
therear seats aregenerallysafer than children
secured on thefront seats. Forthis reason,
Freightliner Sprinter strongly advises that you
install achild restraint system on arear seat.
The generic term child restraint system
The generic term child restraint system is used in
these Operating Instructions. Achild restraint
system is, forexample:
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Ababycar seat
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Arearward-facing child seat
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Aforward-facingchild seat
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Achild boosterseat withabackrestand seat
belt guides
The child restraint system mustbeappropriateto
theage,weight and size of thechild.
Observing laws and regulations
Alwaysobserve thelegal requirements forusing a
child restraint system in thevehicle.
Observing thestandardsfor child restraint
systems
All child restraint systems mustmeetthe follow‐
ing standards:
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U.S. Federal MotorVehicle SafetyStandards
213and 225
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Canadian MotorVehicle SafetyStandards 213
and 210.2
Confirmationthat thechild restraint system cor‐
responds to thestandards can be found on an
instruction label on thechild restraint system.
This confirmation can also be found in theinstal‐
lation instructions that areincluded withthe child
restraint system.
Detectingrisks, avoiding danger
Securing systems forchild restraint systems
in thevehicle
Onlyuse thefollowing securing systems forchild
restraint systems:
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The LATCH-type (ISOFIX)securing rings
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The seatbeltsystem of thevehicle
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The TopTether anchorages
Installing aLATCH-type (ISOFIX)child restraint
system is preferred.
Simplyattaching to thesecuring rings on the
vehicle can reduce therisk of installing thechild
restraint system incorrectly.
When securing achild withthe integrated seat
belt of theLATCH-type (ISOFIX)child restraint
system, alwayscomply withthe permissible gross
weight forthe child and child restraint system
(/ page38).
Aboosterseat maybenecessarytoachieve
proper seat belt positioning forchildren over
40 lbs (18kg) untiltheyreachaheightwherea
three-point seat belt fits properly without aboos‐
terseat.
Freightliner Sprinter recommends achild booster
seat withabackrestand seat belt guides.
Advantageofarearward-facingchild restraint
system
It is preferable to transport ababyorasmall
child in asuitable rearward-facing child restraint
system. In this case, thechild sits in theopposite
direction to thedirection of traveland faces
backwards.
Babies and small children have comparatively
weak neckmuscles in relation to thesize and
weight of their head. The risk of injurytothe cer‐
vical spine during an accident can be reduced in
arearward-facing child restraint system.
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Occupant safety