child restraint AUDI A8 2012 Owner's Guide

1 70 Child Safety
&_ WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat or improperly in­
stalling a child restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death .
-All vehicle occupants and especially chil ­
dren must always be restrained properly
whenever riding in a vehicle.
-
- An unrestrained or improperly restrain­
ed child can be injured or killed by be­
ing thrown against the inside of the ve­
hicle or by being ejected from it during
a sudden maneuver or impact .
- An unrestrained or improperly restrain­
ed child is at much greater risk of injury
or death by being struck by an inflating
airbag.
- Commercially available child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
213 (in Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restraint, select
one that fits your child and the vehicle.
- Only use child restraint systems that
fully contact the flat portion of the
seat cushion. The child restraint must not tip or lean to either side. Audi does
not recommend using child safety
seats that rest on legs or tube -like
frames . They do not provide adequate
contact with the seat.
-Always heed all legal requirements per­
taining to the installation and use of
child safety seats and carefully follow
the instructions provided by the manu­
facturer of the seat you are using.
- Never allow children under 57 inches
(1.45 meters) to wear a normal safety
belt. They must always be restrained by a
proper child restraint system. Otherwise,
they could sustain injuries to the abdo­
men and neck areas during sudden brak­
ing maneuvers or accidents.
- Never let more than one child occupy a
child safety seat . -
Never let babies or older children ride in
a vehicle while sitting on the lap of an­
other passenger .
- Holding a child in your arms is never a
substitute for a child restraint system.
- The strongest person could not hold
the child with the forces that exist in
an accident. The child will strike the in­
terior of the vehicle and can also be
struck by the passenger.
- The child and the passenger can also
injure each other in an accident.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat. A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the passen­
ger airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
-Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat .
- Forward-facing child safety seats instal­
led on the front passenger's seat can in­
terfere with the airbag when it inflates
and cause serious injury to the child. Al­
ways install forward-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If exceptional circumstances require the
use of a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat, the child's
safety and well-being require that the
following special precautions be taken :
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
-Always carefully follow the manufac­
turer's instructions provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat
into the rearmost position of the pas­
senger seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as far away from the airbag

as possible before installing the child
restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing pre­
vents the front passenger 's seat from
be ing moved to the rearmost position
in its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is
in the upr ight position.
- Always buck le the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not s itting in it.
A loose ch ild safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop or in a col lision .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c::> page 134, Safety
belts ,
c::> page 142, Airbag system and
c::> page 166, Child Safety.
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever a
child rest raint is installed o n the front pas ­
senger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
- Take the child restraint off t he fro nt pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN ·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Aud i dealer immediate­
ly.
A WARNING
A child in a child restraint installed w ith
the LATCH lower anchorages or w ith the
standard safety belt on the rear seat may
play wi th unused rear seat safety belts and
become entangled res ulting in ser ious per­
sonal inj ury and even dea th.
- Always bu ckle unused rea r seat safety
bel ts out of re ach of chi ld ren in ch ild
sea ts and properly a ctivate the converti­
ble locking retrac tor so that the child
cannot un reel the safety belt from the
retractor .
-
Child S afety 1 71
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old
and 20 lbs. or 9 kg need special rearward-fac ­
ing child restraints that support the back,
neck and head in a crash .
Fig . 1 55 Schem atic ove rv ie w : re arward-fac ing in fan t
se at, p roper ly inst a lle d on t he re ar seat
... When usi ng the veh icle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you m ust first activate
the convertib le locki ng retractor on the
safety belt to p revent the child safety seat
from mov ing
c::> page 175 or install the seat
using the LATCH attachmen ts .
... Push the chi ld safety seat down with your
full weig ht to get the safety be lt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
Infants up to about one year
(20 l bs. or 9 kg)
are best protected in specia l infant car riers
and child safety sea ts designed for their age
group. Many experts believe that infan ts and
small chi ldren should r ide on ly in special re ­
stra ints in wh ich the child faces the back of
the vehicle. These infant seats support the ba­
by 's back, ne ck and head in a crash
c::> fig . 155.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
front seat a pote ntia lly dange ro us place for a
ch ild to ride . The front seat is not t he safest
pla ce for a child in a fo rward-facing child sea t.
It is a very dangerous place fo r an in fant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat. .._

172 Child Safety
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat or improperly in­
stalling a child restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death in a
crash .
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat - even with an Advanced Air­
bag System. A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the inflat­
ing airbag hits the child safety seat or in­
fant carrier with great force and smashes
the child safety seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, door or roof
c:> page 144, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to
know.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Never install a rear-facing child restraint
in the forward-facing direction. Such re­
straints are designed for the special
needs of infants and very small children
and cannot protect them properly if the
seat is forward-facing .
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c:> page 134, Safety
belts,
c:> page 142, Airbag system and
c:> page 166, Important things to know.
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats
can help protect toddlers and children over
age one who weigh between 20 and
40 lbs. (9
and 18 kg) in a crash.
Fig. 156 Schematic overview: installat ion of th e at ­
tachments applicable to a LATCH seat
Fig. 157 Schematic overview: installat ion of the seat
using the vehicl e's safety belt system
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertible locking feature on the safety
belt to prevent the child safety seat from
moving
c:> page 175 or install the seat using
the LATCH attachments.
., Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm)
c:> page 175.
.,. If the child safety seat is equipped with a
tether strap, attach it to the tether anchors
c:> page 182.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an in­
fant restraint if it is more than one year old
and weighs more than 20 lbs. (9 kg).
Toddlers and children who are older than one
year up to about 4 years old and weigh more ..,.

than 20 lbs (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must
always be properly restrained in a child safety
seat certified for the ir s ize and weight
¢fig.156and ¢fig.157.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
fro nt seat a potentially dangerous place for a
child to r ide. The front seat is not the safest
p lace for a child in a forward-facing child safe­
ty seat.
It is a very dangerous place for an in­
fant or a larger child in a rearward-fac ing seat.
A WARNING
Not using a ch ild safety seat, using the
wrong chi ld safety seat or improper ly in­
stalli ng a child restraint in creases the risk
of serious personal injury and death in a
co llision or othe r eme rgency s ituation.
- Children on the front seat of any car,
even with Advance d Airbags, can be seri­
o usly injured or even killed when an a ir­
bag inf lates . A child in a rearward-facing
child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat w ill be seriously injured
and can be killed if the front airbag in­
flates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- The inflating a irbag w ill hit the child
safety seat or infa nt carrier w ith great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, cente r
arm rest, door o r roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
sea ts on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat be cause of ex cep tional cir cums tan­
c es and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
ligh t does no t come on and stay on, im­
med iately install the rear -facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
- The rea r side of the child safety seat
should be positioned as close as possible
to the backrest on the veh icle seat. Ad­
just the rear seat head restraint if it is
difficult to ins tall the child seat w ith the
Child Sa fet y 173
head restra int in place ¢ page 128. Driv­
ing with head restraints that are not
properly adjusted increases the r isk of
serious or fatal neck inju ry dramatically.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever us ing a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used¢
page 134, Safety
b elts,
¢ page 142, Airbag system and
¢ page 166, Important things to know.
A WARNING
If exceptional circ umstances require the
use of a fo rward-facing child res traint on
the front passenge r's sea t, the child's s afe­
ty an d we ll - being req uire that the follow ­
ing spec ial precautions be taken:
- Ma ke s ure the forward- facing seat has
been designed and cert ified by its man u­
facturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions p rov ided with the ch ild safety
seat or in fant carr ier.
- Always move the front passenger seat in ·
to the rearmost position of the passen­
ger seat's fore and aft adjustment range,
and as far away from the airbag as possi­ ble before installing the ch ild restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its
fore an d aft ad justment ra nge.
- Always ma ke sure the backrest is in an
up right pos ition.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the
time wheneve r the ignit ion is switched
on.
- If the light does not stay on, perfo rm the
checks ¢
page 153, Monitoring the Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- Take t he chi ld restraint off the fron t pas­
senger seat and install it prope rly at one
of t he rear sea t posi tions if the
PASSEN ­
GER AIR BAG OFF
l ig ht does not stay on
wheneve r the ignit ion is switched on . •
•

174 Child Safety
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs. and
80 lbs. (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4
ft. 9 in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall.
Fig. 158 Rear seat: child properly restrained in a boos­
ter seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit
most children until they are at least 4
ft. 9 in.
(57 inches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about
80 lbs. (36 kg). Booster seats raise these chil­
dren up so that the safety belt will pass prop­
erly over the stronger parts of their bodies
and the safety belt can help protect them in a
crash.
.. Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to re­
strain a child on a booster seat.
.. The shoulder belt must lie as close to the
center of the child's collar bone as possible
and must lie flat and snug on the upper
body.
It must never lie across the throat or
neck . The lap belt must lie across the pelvis
and never across the stomach or abdomen.
Make sure the belt lies flat and snug. Pull on
the belt to tighten if necessary.
.. If you must transport an older child in a
booster seat on the front passenger seat,
you can use the safety belt height adjust­
ment to help adjust the shoulder portion
properly.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs
or 18 kg) are best protected in child safety
seats designed for their age and weight. Ex­
perts say that the skeletal structure, particu­
larly the pelvis, of these children is not fully developed, and they must not
use the vehicle
safety belts without a suitable child restraint.
It is usually best to put these children in ap­
propriate booster seats. Be sure the booster
seat meets all applicable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the
child and reposition both the lap and shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass
across the child's body in the right places. The
routing of the belt over the child's body is very
important for the child's protection, whether
or not a booster seat is used. Children age 12
and under must always ride in the rear seat.
Children who are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (57 in­
ches/1.45 meters) tall can generally use the
vehicle's three point lap and shoulder belts.
Never use the lap belt portion of the vehicle's
safety belt alone to restrain any child, regard ­
less of how big the child is. Always remember
that children do not have the pronounced pel­
vic structure required for the proper function
of lap belt portion of the vehicle's three point
lap and shoulder belts. The child's safety ab­
solutely requires that a lap belt portion of the
safety belt be fastened snugly and as low as
possible around the pelvis. Never let the lap
belt portion of the safety belt pass over the
child's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink
of an eye and with considerable force. In order
to do its job, the airbag needs room to inflate
so that it will be there to protect the occupant
as the occupant moves forward into the air­
bag.
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and
too close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating airbag . When an occupant is too
close, he or she will be struck violently and
will receive serious or possibly even fatal in­
Jury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especial-
ly any children, who must be in the front seat
because of exceptional circumstances, be
properly restrained and as far away from the
airbag as possible. By keeping room between ..,_

the child's body and the front of the passen­
ger compartment, the airbag can inflate com ­
p letely and provide supplemental protection
in certa in frontal col lisions .
_&. WARNING
Not using a booster seat, us ing the boos­
ter seat improperly, incorrect ly installing a
booster seat or using the vehicle safety
belt improperly increases the risk of seri­
ous personal injury and death in a collision
or other eme rgency s ituation. To help re­
duce the risk of serious persona l injury
and/or death:
- T he shoulder be lt mus t lie as close to the
center of the child's co llar bone as possi ­
ble and must lie flat and sn ug on the up­
per body . It must never lie across the
throat or neck. The lap belt must lie across the pelvis and never across the
stomach or abdomen . Make sure that the
belt lies flat and snug. Pull on the belt to
t ighten if necessary.
- Failure to properly route safety belts over a ch ild's body will cause severe inju­
ries in an acc ident or other emergency
situation ¢
page 134 .
-The rea r side of the child safety seat
sho uld be positioned as close as possible
to the backrest on the ve hicle seat. Ad­
just the rear se at head res traint if it is
difficult to install the child seat w ith the
head restraint in place¢
page 128. Driv­
ing with head restraints that are not
properly ad justed increases the risk of
serious or fatal neck injury dramatically.
- Children on the front seat of any car,
even with Advanced A irbags, can be seri­
ous ly injured or even killed when an a ir­
bag inflates.
- Never let a child stand or knee l on any
seat, for examp le the front seat.
- Never let a child ride in the cargo area of
your vehicle.
-Always remember that a ch ild lean ing
forward, sitt ing s ideways or out of posi­
t io n in any way during an acc ident can be
Child Sa fet y 175
struck by a dep loying a irbag . This will re­
sult in ser ious personal injury or death.
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because o f excep­
tional circumstances the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
li ght must come on and
stay on, whenever the ignition is switch­
ed on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, pe rform
the checks descr ibed¢
page 153, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take t he chi ld restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it prope rly at one
of t he rear seat positions if the
PASSEN ­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignit ion is switched on .
- Always rea d and heed all WAR NIN GS
wheneve r using a child res tra ine d in ave­
hicle is being used
¢ page 134, Safety
belts,
¢ page 142, Airbag system and
¢ page 166 , Important things to know .
Installing a child safety
seat
Securing a child safety seat using a
safety belt
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front
passenger can be locked with the convertible locking retractor to properly secure child
safety seats.
The safety belts emergency locking retractors
for the rear seats safety belts and for the
front passenger's seat safety belt have a con­
vertib le locking retractor for child restraints.
The safety belt must be locked so that be lt
webb ing cannot unreel. The retractor can be
activated to loc k the safety belt and prevent
the safety be lt webb ing from loosening up
dur ing norma l dr iving . A ch ild safety seat can
o nl y be properly installed when t he safety bel t
is loc ked so that t he chi ld and child sa fety
seat w ill stay in place.
Always remember: Even tho ugh you r vehicle is
equipped wi th an Advanced Airbag system, all
c hil dren, especially those 1 2 years and .,. •
•

176 Child Safety
younger, should always ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and size.
A WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a collision .
-Always make sure that the safety belt re­ tractor is locked when installing a child safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place during normal driving or in a
crash .
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it .
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always make sure that the rear seat
backrest to which the center rear safety
belt is attached is securely latched when­
ever the rear center safety belt is being
used to secure a child restraint.
- If the backrest is not securely latched,
the child and the child restraint will be
thrown forward together with the back­ rest and will strike parts of the vehicle
interior. The child can be seriously in­
jured or killed.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­ senger seat . A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the passen ­
ger airbag inflates .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Forward-facing child safety seats or in­
fant carriers installed on the front pas­
senger's seat may interfere with the de­
ployment of the airbag and cause serious
injury to the child.
- It is safer to install a forward-facing
child safety seat on the rear seat. -
Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c> page 166. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
c:> page 144, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
A WARNING
-
Always take special precautions if you
must install a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described
c> page 153, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- Improper installation of child restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
prevent them from providing any protec­
tion.
-An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de­ ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child.
- Always carefully follow the manufactur­
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis­
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can
cause injury in a crash.
A WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:

-Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag .
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up, against or very near the in­
strument panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the forward-facing child restraint . The
backrest must be adjusted to an upright
position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
A WARNING ,..__
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- 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 inflates - even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception­
al circumstances.
-A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing child restraint attached to the front pas­
senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and regis­
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced Air­
bag System. The heavier weight regis­
tered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and de­
ploy the Advanced Airbag when it must
be suppressed causing serious or even
fatal injury to the child .
Child Safety 177
-Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer.
Activating the convertible locking
, retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cure a child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufactur­
er's instructions when installing a child re­
straint in your vehicle . To activate the conver­
tible locking retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat, prefera­
bly on the rear seat.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out .
.. Route it around or through the child re­
straint belt path
¢ _A .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position .
.. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until the belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat.
.. You should hear a "clicking" noise as the
belt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convertible locking retractor by pulling on
the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The con­
vertible locking retractor is now activated.
.. Make sure that the red release button is fac­
ing away from the child restraint so that it
can be unbuckled quickly .
.. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt
is properly tight and fastened so that the
seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm). .,._
•
•

178 Child Saf ety
8_ WARNING ,~
Using th e wrong child restraint or an im­
prope rly insta lled child rest raint can cause
ser ious perso nal in jury or death in a cras h.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re-
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unloc ked safety belt re ­
t ractor ca nnot ho ld the child safety seat
in pla ce d uring norm al driv ing or i n a
c rash.
- Alway s bu ckl e the child safety seat firmly
in pla ce even if a child is not s itting in i t.
A loose ch ild safety sea t ca n fly around
dur ing a sud den s top or in a crash .
- Alw ays m ake su re the se at backrest to
wh ich the child restrain t is ins talled is in
an upr ight position and sec urely latched
into p lace and cannot fo ld forward. Oth­
erwise, the seatback w ith the chi ld safety
seat attached to it could fly forward in
the event of an acc ident or other emer­
gency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNI NGS
w henever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is bei ng used
r::;, page 166 . Special
precautions apply whe n installing a c hild
safety seat on t he fro nt pas senge r seat
r::;, page 1 44, Child restrain ts on the fron t
seat -some imp ortant things to know.
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
T he convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically
when the belt is wound all the way back into the retractor.
• Press the red button on the safety be lt
buck le . The belt tongue wi ll pop out of the
buck le .
.. Gui de the safety belt a ll the way back into
its stowed posit io n.
A lways let the safety belt retract comp lete ly
into its stowed posit ion. The safety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with­
out the convert ib le lock ing retractor for chi ld
restra ints .
-
If the conve rtib le locking retractor sho uld be
activated inadvertent ly, the safety be lt must
be unfastened and gu ided comp lete ly back in­
to its stowed posit ion to deactivate this fea­
tu re. If the convert ible locking retractor is not
deact ivated, the safety belt w ill gradua lly be­
come tig hte r and uncomfortable to wear .
8_ WARNING
=
Im properly installed ch ild safety seats in-
crease the r is k of serious pe rson al injury
a nd dea th in a co llision.
- Neve r unfasten the safety belt to deacti­
vate the conve rtible locking retrac to r f or
child res traints whi le the vehi cle is mov ­
ing . You would not be restrained and
could be se rious ly in jured in an accide nt.
- Always rea d and heed all WARNIN GS
wheneve r using a chi ld res traine d in ave ­
h icle is being used
r::;, page 166. Special
preca utions app ly when insta lling a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
r::;, page 144, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know .
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
T o p rov ide a simple r and more pr acticable w ay
to attach the child restraint on the vehi cle
seat, Federal regulat ions req uire spec ia l lowe r
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
ch ild restra ints to attach t o the ve hicle ancho­
rages.
T he combi nation of t he tether anchorages and
the lowe r anchorages is now generally ca lled
t h e
LATCH system for " Lower Anchorages and
T ethers for Children ."
Forward-facing chi ld restraints man ufactured
after September 1, 1999, are requ ired by U.S.
federa l reg ulations to comply with new child
head movement performance req uirements . .,._

These new performance requirements make a
tethe r necessary on most new chi ld seats.
I ns tal ling a child restraint that req uires a top
tether witho ut one can serio usly impair the
performance of the child restraint and its abil­
ity to protect the child i n a co llision . Installing
a child restraint that requires a top tether
wi thout the top tether may be a vio lation of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH lower anchorages on the ir ch ild seats with
hook-on or push-on connectors attached to
adjustable straps.
In addition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these child restraint systems usually require
the use of tether straps to help keep the child
restraint firmly in place.
A WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints
w ill increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash .
- Always follow the instructions prov ided
by the manufacturer of the ch ild re­
st raint you intend to install in your veh i­
cle.
- Never install a child restraint witho ut a
properly attached top tether s trap if the
child restrain t manufacturer's instruc­
t ions requ ire the top tether strap to be
used.
- Improper use of c hild restra int LA TCH
lower anchorage points can lead to injury
in a collision . The LA TCH lower anchorage
points are des igned to w ithstand only
those loads imposed by correct ly fitted
child restraints.
- Never mount two chi ld restraint systems
on one LATCH lower anc horage point.
- Never secure o r attach any l uggage or
other item to the LATCH lower anchorag­
es.
(D Tips
- In Canada, the terms "top tether" with
"lower universa l anchorages" (or "lower
-
Child S afety 1 79
universal anchorage bars") a re used to
describe the system .
- In o ther coun tries, the term " ISOFIX" is
used to describe the lower anchorages .
Location
Fig. 159 Sc hemat ic ove rv iew : LAT CH a nch orag e poin t
l ocat io n s
T he illustration shows the seating locations in
your vehicle which are equipped with the low­
er anchorages system .
Description
The lower anchorage positions are marked
for quick loca ting.
Fig. 160 Rea r seat backs : locato r but tons fo r lowe r an ·
cho ra g es
r
~ I
Fi g. 1 61 Re ar seat s: low er an cho rage bra cket lo cat ion s IJI,-