CADILLAC ATS 2018 Owners Manual

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
90 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
In a crash, children who are not
buckled up can strike other people
who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need
to use seat belts properly.
{Warning
Never allow more than one child to
wear the same seat belt. The seat
belt cannot properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, they can
be crushed together and seriously
injured. A seat belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
{Warning
Never allow a child to wear the seat
belt with the shoulder belt behind
their back. A child can be seriously
injured by not wearing the
lap-shoulder belt properly. In a
crash, the child would not be
restrained by the shoulder belt. The
child could move too far forward
increasing the chance of head and
neck injury. The child might also
slide under the lap belt. The belt
force would then be applied right
on the abdomen. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the
shoulder and across the chest.
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs
protection! This includes infants and
all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the
traveler changes the need, for
everyone, to use safety restraints. In
fact, the law in every state in the
United States and in every Canadian
province says children up to some age
must be restrained while in a vehicle.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 91
{Warning
Children can be seriously injured or
strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck. The
shoulder belt can tighten but
cannot be loosened if it is locked.
The shoulder belt locks when it is
pulled all the way out of the
retractor. It unlocks when the
shoulder belt is allowed to go all
the way back into the retractor, but
it cannot do this if it is wrapped
around a child’s neck. If the
shoulder belt is locked and
tightened around a child’s neck, the
only way to loosen the belt is to
cut it.
Never leave children unattended in
a vehicle and never allow children
to play with the seat belts.Every time infants and young children
ride in vehicles, they should have the
protection provided by appropriate
child restraints. Neither the vehicle's
seat belt system nor its airbag system
is designed for them.
Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{Warning
Never hold an infant or a child
while riding in a vehicle. Due to
crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not
possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb)
infant will suddenly become a
110 kg (240 lb) force on a person's
arms. An infant or child should be
secured in an appropriate restraint.{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front outboard seat.
Secure a rear-facing child restraint
in a rear seat. It is also better to
secure a forward-facing child
restraint in a rear seat. If you must
secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the front outboard seat,
always move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
92 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
Child restraints are devices used to
restrain, seat, or position children in
the vehicle and are sometimes called
child seats or car seats.
There are three basic types of child
restraints:
.Forward-facing child restraints
. Rear-facing child restraints
. Belt-positioning booster seats
The proper child restraint for your
child depends on their size, weight,
and age, and also on whether the
child restraint is compatible with the
vehicle in which it will be used. For each type of child restraint, there
are many different models available.
When purchasing a child restraint, be
sure it is designed to be used in a
motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will
have a label saying that it meets
federal motor vehicle safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer's
instructions that come with the
restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child
restraint. In addition, there are many
kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{Warning
To reduce the risk of neck and head
injury in a crash, infants and
toddlers should be secured in a
rear-facing child restraint until age
two, or until they reach the
maximum height and weight limits
of their child restraint.
{Warning
A young child's hip bones are still
so small that the vehicle's regular
seat belt may not remain low on
the hip bones, as it should. Instead,
it may settle up around the child's
abdomen. In a crash, the belt would
apply force on a body area that is
unprotected by any bony structure.
This alone could cause serious or
fatal injuries. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during a
crash, young children should always
be secured in appropriate child
restraints.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 93
Child Restraint Systems
Rear-Facing Infant Restraint
A rear-facing child restraint provides
restraint with the seating surface
against the back of the infant.
The harness system holds the infant
in place and, in a crash, acts to keep
the infant positioned in the restraint.
Forward-Facing Child Restraint
A forward-facing child restraint
provides restraint for the child's body
with the harness.Booster Seats
A belt-positioning booster seat is used
for children who have outgrown their
forward-facing child restraint.
Boosters are designed to improve the
fit of the vehicle's seat belt system
until the child is large enough for the
vehicle seat belts to fit properly
without a booster seat. See the seat
belt fit test in Older Children089.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
94 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
Securing an Add-On Child
Restraint in the Vehicle
{Warning
A child can be seriously injured or
killed in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly secured in
the vehicle. Secure the child
restraint properly in the vehicle
using the vehicle’s seat belt or
LATCH system, following the
instructions that came with that
child restraint and the instructions
in this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury,
the child restraint must be secured in
the vehicle. Child restraints must be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or
the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder
belt, or by the LATCH system. See
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) 095 for more
information. Children can be
endangered in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly secured in the
vehicle. When securing an add-on child
restraint, refer to the instructions that
come with the restraint which may be
on the restraint itself or in a booklet,
or both, and to this manual. The child
restraint instructions are important,
so if they are not available, obtain a
replacement copy from the
manufacturer.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child
restraint can move around in a
collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to
properly secure any child restraint in
the vehicle
—even when no child is
in it.
In some areas of the United States
and Canada, Certified Child Passenger
Safety Technicians (CPSTs) are
available to inspect and demonstrate
how to correctly use and install child
restraints. In the U.S., refer to the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) website to
locate the nearest child safety seat
inspection station. For CPST
availability in Canada, check with
Transport Canada or the Provincial
Ministry of Transportation office.
Securing the Child Within the
Child Restraint
{Warning
A child can be seriously injured or
killed in a crash if the child is not
properly secured in the child
restraint. Secure the child properly
following the instructions that
came with that child restraint.
Where to Put the Restraint
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in an appropriate
child restraint secured in a rear
seating position.
Whenever possible, children aged
12 and under should be secured in a
rear seating position.
Never put a rear-facing child restraint
in the front. This is because the risk
to the rear-facing child is so great if
the airbag deploys.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 95
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the front passenger airbag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating airbag.
A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in
a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
passenger frontal airbag, no system
is fail-safe. No one can guarantee
that an airbag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the airbag is
off. If you secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the front seat,
always move the front passenger(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
seat as far back as it will go. It is
better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System 082
for additional information.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat
that will accommodate a rear-facing
child restraint, a rear-facing child
restraint should not be installed in the
vehicle, even if the airbag is off.
When securing a child restraint with
the seat belts in a rear seat position,
study the instructions that came with
the child restraint to make sure it is
compatible with this vehicle.
Child restraints and booster seats vary
considerably in size, and some may fit
in certain seating positions better
than others.
Depending on where you place the
child restraint and the size of the
child restraint, you may not be able to
access adjacent seat belts or LATCH
anchors for additional passengers or child restraints. Adjacent seating
positions should not be used if the
child restraint prevents access to or
interferes with the routing of the
seat belt.
Wherever a child restraint is installed,
be sure to follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint and
secure the child restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child
restraint can move around in a
collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to
properly secure any child restraint in
the vehicle
—even when no child is
in it.
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH System)
The LATCH system secures a child
restraint during driving or in a crash.
LATCH attachments on the child
restraint are used to attach the child
restraint to the anchors in the vehicle.
The LATCH system is designed to
make installation of a child restraint
easier.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
96 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
In order to use the LATCH system in
your vehicle, you need a child
restraint that has LATCH
attachments. LATCH-compatible
rear-facing and forward-facing child
seats can be properly installed using
either the LATCH anchors or the
vehicle’s seat belts. Do not use both
the seat belts and the LATCH
anchorage system to secure a
rear-facing or forward-facing
child seat.
Booster seats use the vehicle’s seat
belts to secure the child and the
booster seat. If the manufacturer
recommends that the booster seat be
secured with the LATCH system, this
can be done as long as the booster
seat can be positioned properly and
there is no interference with the
proper positioning of the lap-shoulder
belt on the child.
Make sure to follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint, and
also the instructions in this manual.
When installing a child restraint with
a top tether, you must also use either
the lower anchors or the seat belts to
properly secure the child restraint.A child restraint must never be
installed using only the top tether and
anchor.
The LATCH anchorage system can be
used until the combined weight of the
child plus the child restraint is
29.5 kg (65 lbs). Use the seat belt alone
instead of the LATCH anchorage
system once the combined weight is
more than 29.5 kg (65 lbs).
See
Securing Child Restraints (With the
Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 0102 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat
Belt in the Front Seat) 0104.
Child restraints built after March 2014
will be labeled with the specific child
weight up to which the LATCH system
can be used to install the restraint.
The following explains how to attach
a child restraint with these
attachments in the vehicle.
Not all vehicle seating positions have
lower anchors. In this case, the seat
belt must be used (with top tether
where available) to secure the child
restraint. See
Securing Child Restraints (With the
Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 0102 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat
Belt in the Front Seat) 0104.
Lower Anchors
Lower anchors (1) are metal bars built
into the vehicle. There are two lower
anchors for each LATCH seating
position that will accommodate a
child restraint with lower
attachments (2).

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 97
Top Tether Anchor
A top tether (3, 4) is used to secure
the top of the child restraint to the
vehicle. A top tether anchor is built
into the vehicle. The top tether
attachment hook (2) on the child
restraint connects to the top tether
anchor in the vehicle in order to
reduce the forward movement and
rotation of the child restraint during
driving or in a crash.
The child restraint may have a single
tether (3) or a dual tether (4). Either
will have a single attachment hook (2)
to secure the top tether to the anchor.Some child restraints that have a top
tether are designed for use with or
without the top tether being attached.
Others require the top tether always to
be attached. In Canada, the law
requires that forward-facing child
restraints have a top tether, and that
the tether be attached. Be sure to read
and follow the instructions for the
child restraint.
Lower Anchor and Top Tether
Anchor Locations
Rear Seat
I:
Seating positions with top tether
anchors.
H: Seating positions with two lower
anchors.
To assist in locating the lower
anchors, each rear anchor position has
a label, near the crease between the
seatback and the seat cushion.
To assist in locating the top tether
anchors, the top tether anchor symbol
is on the cover.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
98 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
The top tether anchors are under the
covers, behind the rear seat, on the
filler panel. Be sure to use an anchor
on the same side of the vehicle as the
seating position where the child
restraint will be placed.
Do not secure a child restraint in a
position without a top tether anchor if
a national or local law requires that
the top tether be attached, or if the
instructions that come with the child
restraint say that the top tether must
be attached.
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in a child restraint
system or infant restraint systemsecured in a rear seating position. See
Where to Put the Restraint
094 for
additional information.
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH System
{Warning
A child could be seriously injured or
killed in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly attached to
the vehicle using either the LATCH
anchors or the vehicle seat belt.
Follow the instructions that came
with the child restraint and the
instructions in this manual.
{Warning
To reduce the risk of serious or
fatal injuries during a crash, do not
attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
cause the anchor or attachment to
come loose or even break during a
crash. A child or others could be
injured.
{Warning
Children can be seriously injured or
strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck. The
shoulder belt can tighten but
cannot be loosened if it is locked.
The shoulder belt locks when it is
pulled all the way out of the
retractor. It unlocks when the
shoulder belt is allowed to go all
the way back into the retractor, but
it cannot do this if it is wrapped
around a child’s neck. If the
shoulder belt is locked and
tightened around a child’s neck, the
only way to loosen the belt is to
cut it.
(Continued)

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 99
Warning (Continued)
Buckle any unused seat belts
behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock, and
tighten the belt behind the child
restraint after the child restraint
has been installed.
Caution
Do not let the LATCH attachments
rub against the vehicle’s seat belts.
This may damage these parts.
If necessary, move buckled seat
belts to avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.
Do not fold the rear seatback when
the seat is occupied. Do not fold the
empty rear seat with a seat belt
buckled. This could damage the
seat belt or the seat. Unbuckle and
return the seat belt to its stowed
position, before folding the seat.If you need to secure more than one
child restraint in the rear seat, see
Where to Put the Restraint
094.
You cannot secure three child
restraints using the LATCH anchors in
the rear seat at the same time, but
you can install two of them. If you
want to do this, install one LATCH
child restraint in the right rear seating
position, and install the other one
either in the left rear seating position
or in the center seating position.
If you need to install child restraints
in both the center and left rear seating
positions, the one in the center
seating position will need to be
secured using the vehicle seat belts
instead of the LATCH anchors.
Refer to the following illustration to
learn which anchors to use.
There are five lower LATCH anchors
in the rear seat.
. Use anchors 1 and 2 when
installing a child restraint using
LATCH in the right rear seating
position.
. Use anchors 3 and 4 when
installing a child restraint using
LATCH in the center rear seating
position.
. Use anchors 4 and 5 when
installing a child restraint using
LATCH in the left rear seating
position.