Get CONTROLS -> Transporting children safely Guide for Mini Countryman SUV Third Generation (2023-2026)

Transporting children safely

Vehicle features and options

CONTROLS

Warning

A hot vehicle may result in death to per-

sons, especially children, or animals. There

is a risk of injury or danger to life. Do

not leave people, especially children, or an-

imals unattended in the vehicle.

This chapter describes model-specific

equipment, systems, and functions that are

currently available, or may become available

in the future, even if they are not present in

the vehicle.

Additional information:

Vehicle equipment, refer to page 8.

Warning

Exposure to intense sunlight can cause

child restraint systems and their compo-

nents to become very hot. Persons may

sustain burn injuries when touching the

hot components. There is a risk of injury.

Do not expose the child restraint system to

direct sunlight or cover where necessary.

If necessary, let the child restraint system

cool down before transporting a child. Do

not leave children unattended in the vehi-

cle.

The right place for children

Safety information

Warning

Unattended children or animals in the ve-

hicle can cause the vehicle to move and

endanger themselves and traffic, for exam-

ple, due to the following actions:

–

Establishing standby.

Children in the rear seat

General information

Accident research shows that the safest

place for children is in the rear seat.

Releasing the parking brake.

Opening and closing the doors or

windows.

–

Engaging selector lever position N.

Using vehicle equipment.

Children younger than 13 years of age or

shorter than 5 ft/150 cm should be trans-

ported in the rear seat in suitable child re-

straint systems designed for the age, weight

and size of the child. Children 13 years of

age or older must wear a seat belt as soon

as a suitable child restraint system can no

longer be used due to their age, weight, or

size.

There is a risk of accident, injury, or prop-

erty damage. Do not leave children or ani-

mals unattended in the vehicle. Take the

vehicle key with you when exiting and

lock the vehicle.

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CONTROLS

Transporting children safely

Safety information

Warning

Installing child restraint sys-

tems

The seat belt cannot be fastened correctly

on children shorter than 5 ft/150 cm with-

out suitable additional child restraint sys-

tems. The protective effect of safety gear,

including seat belts, can be limited or lost

when seat belts are fastened incorrectly.

An incorrectly fastened seat belt can cause

additional injuries, for instance in the

event of an accident, braking or evasive

maneuvers. There is a risk of injury or

danger to life. Secure children shorter than

5 ft/150 cm using suitable child restraint

systems.

General information

When selecting, installing, and using child

restraint systems, pay close attention to the

operating and safety instructions provided

by the child restraint system manufacturer.

Safety information

Warning

The protective effect of child restraint sys-

tems and their fastening systems which

have been damaged or exposed to an acci-

dent can be limited or lost. A child cannot

be properly restrained in the event of an

accident, braking or evasive maneuvers.

There is a risk of injury or danger to life.

Children on the front passenger

seat

Do not use child restraint systems which

have been damaged or exposed to an acci-

dent.

General information

When using a child restraint system on the

front passenger seat, make sure that the

front passenger airbag is deactivated.

If attachment systems have been damaged

or strained by an accident, have them

checked and replaced by an authorized

service center or another qualified service

center or repair shop.

Additional information:

Automatic deactivation of front passenger

airbag, refer to page 169.

Safety information

Warning

The stability of the child restraint system

is limited or compromised with incorrect

seat setting or improper installation of the

child seat. There is a risk of injury or

danger to life. Make sure that the child

restraint system fits securely against the

backrest. If possible, adjust the backrest

tilt for all affected backrests and correctly

adjust the seats. Make sure that seats

and backrests are securely engaged or

locked. If possible and necessary, adjust

Active front passenger airbags can injure

a child in a child restraint system when

the airbags are deployed. There is a risk

of injury. Make sure that the front pass-

enger airbags are deactivated and that the

PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator light

illuminates.

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the height of the head restraints or remove

them.

If the upper attachment point of the seat

belt is located in front of the seat belt guide

of the child seat, move the front passenger

seat carefully forward until the best possi-

ble seat belt guide position is reached.

Before installation

Before installing child restraint systems, en-

sure that the rear seat backrests are locked.

Backrest width

Adjustable backrest width: Before installing

a child restraint system on the front pass-

enger seat, open the backrest width com-

pletely. Do not change the backrest width

again and do not call up a memory position.

Move the rear seats into the rearmost po-

sition to facilitate installation of the child

restraint system.

On the front passenger seat

Deactivating the airbag

Child seat security

Warning

Active front passenger airbags can injure

a child in a child restraint system when

the airbags are deployed. There is a risk

of injury. Make sure that the front pass-

enger airbags are deactivated and that the

PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator light

illuminates.

The seat belts in the rear and the front pass-

enger seat belt can be permanently locked

to fasten child restraint systems.

After mounting a child restraint system on

the front passenger seat, make sure that the

front passenger airbag is deactivated.

Additional information:

Locking the seat belt

Automatic deactivation of front passenger

airbag, refer to page 169.

1. Pull out the seat belt strap completely.

2. Secure the child restraint system with

the seat belt.

Seat position and height

3. Allow the seat belt strap to be pulled

in, then pull it tight against the child re-

straint system. The seat belt is disabled.

After installing a child restraint system,

move the front passenger seat as far back as

it will go and, if possible, to the highest po-

sition. This seat position and height ensure

the best possible position for the belt and

offers optimal protection in the event of an

accident.

Unlocking the seat belt

1. Open the seat belt buckle.

2. Remove the child restraint system.

After mounting a universal child restraint

system, adjust the backrest tilt so that the

seat belt sits properly.

3. Allow the seat belt strap to be pulled in

completely.

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CONTROLS

Transporting children safely

LATCH child restraint system

Warning

The mounts for the lower anchors and

attachment points of the child restraint

system are intended for attaching child re-

straint systems only. If other objects are

attached, the mounts or attachment points

can be damaged. There is a risk of injury

or risk of damage to property. Only attach

child restraint systems at the correspond-

ing mounts for the lower anchors or at-

tachment points.

Principle

LATCH child restraint systems establish a

secure connection to the vehicle in combi-

nation with LATCH anchors.

General information

LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tether for Chil-

dren.

When selecting, installing, and using

LATCH child restraint systems, pay close at-

tention to the operating and safety instruc-

tions provided by the child restraint system

manufacturer.

Position

Icon

Meaning

The corresponding icon

shows the mounts for the

lower LATCH anchors.

Mounts for lower anchors

General information

Seats equipped with lower

anchors are marked with a

pair (2) of LATCH icons.

The lower anchors may be used to attach

the CRS to the vehicle seat up to a com-

bined child and CRS weight of 65 lbs/30 kg

when the child is restrained by the internal

harnesses.

For vehicles equipped with

a middle seat:

It is not recommended to

use the inner lower anchors

of standard outer LATCH

positions to fasten a child

restraint system on the mid-

dle seat. Use the vehicle

seat belt instead for the

middle seat.

Safety information

Warning

If the lower anchors on child restraint sys-

tem are not engaged correctly, the child

restraint system will not be able to pro-

vide suitable protection. There is a risk of

injury or danger to life. Make sure that

the lower anchors are correctly engaged

and that the child restraint system fits se-

curely against the backrest.

Before attaching child restraint

systems

Before installing a child restraint system,

pull the seat belt away from the child seat

mountings.

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of injury or danger to life. Make sure that

the rear seat backrests are locked.

Installing child restraint systems

To install the child restraint system in the

vehicle, proceed as follows:

1. Mount the child restraint system in ac-

cordance with the instructions from the

child seat manufacturer.

Warning

The mounts for the lower anchors and

attachment points of the child restraint

system are intended for attaching child re-

straint systems only. If other objects are

attached, the mounts or attachment points

can be damaged. There is a risk of injury

or risk of damage to property. Only attach

child restraint systems at the correspond-

ing mounts for the lower anchors or at-

tachment points.

2. Make sure that the child restraint sys-

tem anchors engage correctly on both

sides in the lower seat mounts.

Child restraint systems with

tether strap

General information

Attachment points for upper

retaining strap

When attaching child restraint systems to

the upper attachment points, observe the

specifications and the operating and safety

information of the child restraint system

manufacturer.

Icon

Meaning

The respective icon shows

the attachment point for the

upper retaining strap. Seats

with an upper top tether are

marked with this icon. It

is located on the rear seat

backrest, the rear shelf or

the rear seat.

Safety information

Warning

If the upper retaining strap is incorrectly

used for the child restraint system, the

protective effect is reduced. There is a risk

of injury. Ensure that the upper retaining

strap is guided to the upper attachment

point without twisting and not over sharp

edges.

Warning

If the rear seat backrest is not locked, the

protective effect of the child restraint sys-

tem is limited or nonexistant. In certain

situations, for instance braking maneuvers

or in case of an accident, the rear seat

backrest can fold forward. There is a risk

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CONTROLS

Transporting children safely

Routing the retaining strap

Rear seat

Locking the doors and win-

dows in the rear

Principle

To prevent the rear doors and windows

from being opened from the inside, there

is a switch on the corresponding rear door

frame as well as a safety switch on the driv-

er’s door armrest.

General information

In certain situations it may be advisable to

secure the rear doors and windows, for in-

stance when transporting children.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Driving direction

Head restraint

Hook for upper retaining strap

Attachment point

Seat backrest

Doors

Upper retaining strap

Attaching the upper retaining strap

to the attachment point

Rear seat

To attach the upper strap to the attachment

point, proceed as follows:

To secure the rear doors, release/lock the

safety switch on the rear door using the

integrated key.

1. Raise the head restraint as needed.

2. Guide the upper strap between or along

both sides of the head restraint mounts

to the attachment point.

Icon

Meaning

Child safety lock.

3. If there is a retaining strap, run it be-

tween the backrest and the cargo cover.

4. Attach the strap's hook to the attach-

ment point.

Apply the child safety lock.

5. Tighten the strap.

The door can now be opened from the out-

side only.

After locking, make sure that the door can-

not be opened from the inside.

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Safety switch for the rear

The safety switch for the rear is lo-

cated on the driver's door.

Various functions are locked and

cannot be operated in the rear such as the

power windows.

To lock rear functions, press the

safety switch in the driver’s door.

The LED is illuminated when the

safety function is turned on.

Various functions are locked and cannot be

operated in the rear such as the power win-

dows.

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CONTROLS -> Transporting children safely for Your Mini Countryman SUV Third Generation (2023-2026)

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