Safety system of your vehicle
Seat belt use and children
Infant and small children
Small children are best protected from
injury in an accident when properly
restrained in the rear seat by a child
restraint system that meets the require-
ments of the Safety Standards of your
country. Before buying any child restraint
system, make sure that it has a label cer-
tifying that it meets Safety Standard of
your country. The restraint must be
appropriate for your child's height and
weight. Check the label on the child
restraint for this information. Refer to
“Child Restraint Systems” in this chapter.
Additional seat belt safety pre-
cautions
Seat belt use during pregnancy
Most countries have child restraint laws
which require children to travel in
approved child restraint devices, includ-
ing booster seats. The age at which seat
belts can be used instead of child
restraints differs among countries, so you
should be aware of the specific require-
ments in your country, and where you are
travelling. Infant and child restraints must
be properly placed and installed in a rear
seat. For more information refer to the
“Child Restraint Systems” in this chapter.
The seat belt should always be used dur-
ing pregnancy. The best way to protect
your unborn child is to protect yourself by
always wearing the seat belt.
Pregnant women should always wear a
lap-shoulder seat belt. Place the shoul-
der belt across the chest, routed away
from the neck. Place the lap belt below
the belt line so that it fits snugly and as
low as possible across the hips, not
across the abdomen.
Larger children
Children under age 13 and who are too
large for a booster seat must always
occupy the rear seat and use the avail-
able lap/shoulder belts. A seat belt
should lie across the upper thighs and be
snug across the shoulder and chest to
restrain the child safely. Check belt fit
periodically. A child's squirming could put
the belt out of position. In the event of an
accident, children are safest when they
are seated in the rear seat and restrained
by the seat belts or by a child restraint
system.
WARNING
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury
or death to an unborn child during
an accident, pregnant women
should NEVER place the lap por-
tion of the seat belt above or over
the area of the abdomen where the
unborn child is located.
ALWAYS properly restrain infants
and small children in
restraint appropriate for the child’s
height and weight.
a
child
To reduce the risk of serious injury
or death to a child and other pas-
sengers, NEVER hold a child in
your lap or arms when the vehicle
is moving. The violent forces creat-
ed during an accident will tear the
child from your arms and throw the
child against the interior of the
vehicle.
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