Toyota 2003 ECHO - Page 55

55
—Child restraint system
A child restraint system for a small
child or baby must itself be properly
restrained on the seat with the lap por-
tion of the lap/shoulder belt. You must
carefully consult the manufacturer’s
instructions which accompany your
child restraint system.
To provide proper restraint, use a child
restraint system following the manufactur-
er’s instructions about the appropriate age
and size of the child for the child restraint
system.
Install the child restraint system correctly
following the instructions provided by its
manufacturer. General directions are also
provided under the following illustrations.
The child restraint system should be
installed on the rear seat. According to
accident statistics, the child is safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than
in the front seat.
CAUTION
 Never put a rear–facing child re-
straint system on the front seat. In
the event of an accident, the force
of the rapid inflation of the airbag
can cause death or serious injury if
a rear–facing child restraint system
is put on the front seat.
 Unless it is unavoidable, do not put
a child restraint system on the
front seat.
 A forward–facing child restraint sys-
tem should be allowed to be put on
the front seat only when it is un-
avoidable. Always move the seat as
far back as possible, because the
force of the deploying airbag could
cause death or serious injury to the
child.
 On vehicle with side airbags, do not
allow the child to lean against the
front door or around the front door
even if the child is seated in the
child restraint system. It is danger-
ous if the side airbag inflates, and
the impact could cause death or
serious injury to the child.
 After installing the child restraint
system, make sure it is secured in
place following the manufacturer’s
instructions. If it is not restrained
securely, it may cause death or se-
rious injury to the child in the
event of a sudden stop or accident.
When not using the child restraint system,
keep it secured with the seat belt or place
it in the trunk or somewhere other than
the passenger compartment. This will pre-
vent it from injuring passengers in the
event of a sudden stop or accident.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)