belt CHEVROLET ASTRO 2003 Owner's Guide

The .- Ddy st. -.- re of a young -.1ild is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child’s
hip bones are still
so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not remain low on
thehip 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’s unprotected by any bony structure.
This alone could cause serious or fatal
injuries. Young children always should be
secured in appropriate child restraints. Children who are
L against,
or very close to,
any air bag when
it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer outstanding protection for adults
and older children, but not for young children
and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt
system nor
its air bag system is designed for
them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can
provide.
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. __ born infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck.
This
is necessary because a newborn infant’s
neck
is weak and its head weighs so much
compared with the rest of
its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the
restraint,
so the crash forces can be distributed
across the strongest part of an infant’s body,
the back and shoulders. Infants always should
be restrained in appropriate infant restraints.
However, infants, who should be restrained
in
a rear-facing child restraint, cannot ride safely
in this vehicle. The
body structure of a young cf
I is qi !
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed.
A young child’s
hip bones are
still so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety 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’s unprotected by any bony structure.
This alone could cause serious or fatal
~ injuries. Young children always should be
~ secured in appropriate child restraints.
~
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A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for
the child's body with the harness and also sometimes
with surfaces such as T-shaped
or shelf-like shields.
A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to
improve the fit of the vehicle's safety belt system.
Some booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner,
and some high-back booster seats have a five-point
harness.
A booster seat can also help a child to see
out the window.
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Q: How do child restraints work?
A: A child restraint system is any device designed for
use
in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position
children.
A built-in child restraint system is a
permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add-on
child restraint system is a portable one, which
is purchased by the vehicle’s owner.
For many years, add-on child restraints have used
the adult belt system in the vehicle.
To help
reduce the chance of injury, the child also has to
be secured within the restraint. The vehicle’s
belt system secures the add-on child restraint in the
vehicle, and the add-on child restraint’s harness
system holds the child in place within the restraint.
One system, the three-point harness, has straps that
come down over each of the infant’s shoulders and
buckle together at the crotch. The five-point harness
system has two shoulder straps, two hip straps and
a crotch strap. A shield may take the place of hip
straps. A T-shaped shield has shoulder straps that
are attached to a flat pad which rests low against the
child’s body.
A shelf- or armrest-type shield has
straps that are attached to a wide, shelf-like shield
that swings up or to the side. When
choosing a child restraint, be sure the child
restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle.
If it is,
it will have a label saying that it meets federal motor
vehicle safety standards.
Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or in a
booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system
in your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured
within the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal
injury. 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.
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With this system, use the LATCH system instead of the
vehicle’s safety belts to secure a child restraint. If a LATCH-type
child restraint isn’t attached t~
its anchorage points, the restraint won’t be
able to protect the child correctly.
In a crash,
the child could be seriously injured or killed.
Make sure that a LATCH-type child restraint
is
properly installed using the anchorage points,
or use the vehicle’s safety belts to secure
the restraint. See “Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH System”, “Securing
a Child Restraint
in a Rear Outside Seat
Position”, “Securing a Child Restraint
in a
Center Seat Position”, or “Securing a Child
Restraint
in a Right Front Seat Position” in the
Index for information on how
to secure a child
restraint
in your vehicle.
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You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See Top Strap on
page 1-48 if the child restraint has one. Be sure to
follow the instructions that came with the child restraint.
Secure the child in the child restraint when and as
the instructions say.
1. Put the restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate and run the lap and shoulder
portions
of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
3. Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
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4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
5.
6.
To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt
while you push down
on the child restraint.
If you’re using a forward-facing child restraint,
you may find it helpful to use your knee to push
down
on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it
is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let
it go back all the way. The safety
belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an
adult
or larger child passenger.
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Securing a Child Restraint in a
Center Seat Position
Bench Seat
You’ll be using the lap belt. Be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child restraint.
Secure the child in the child restraint when and as
the instructions say.
See Top Strap on page 1-48 if the child restraint has one.
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)
on page 1-52.
1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
plate
and pulling it along the belt.
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3. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how. 5. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
down on the child restraint. If you’re using a
forward-facing child restraint, you may find it helpful
to use your knee
to push down on the child restraint
as you tighten the belt.
directions
to be sure it is secure.
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt.
It will be ready to work for an adult or
larger child passenger.
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
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You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See Top Strap on
page 1-48, if the child restraint has one. Be sure to
follow the instructions that came with the child restraint.
Secure the child in the child restraint when and as
the instructions say.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger
air bag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go before securing a forward-facing child restraint.
See “Seats” in the Index.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safely belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
..
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
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