belt DODGE JOURNEY 2015 1.G Owner's Guide

8. To remove the slack from the lap belt, pull upward on
the shoulder portion of the seat belt.
9. To release the seat belt, push the red button on the
buckle.
WARNING!
Securely lock the seat cushion into position before
using the seat. Otherwise, the seat will not provide
the proper stability for child seats and/or passengers.
An improperly latched seat cushion could cause
serious injury.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seatback, should use the seat belt in a rear seat. Use this
simple 5-step test to decide whether the child can use the
vehicle’s seat belt alone:
1. Can the child sit all the way back against the back of
the vehicle seat?
Proper Belt Use
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 83

2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front
of the vehicle seat – while they are still sitting all the
way back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder
between their neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the seat belt as low as possible,
touching the child’s thighs and not their stomach?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If the answer to any of these questions was “no,” then the
child still needs to use a booster seat in this vehicle. If the
child is using the lap/shoulder belt, check seat belt fit
periodically and make sure the seat belt buckle is latched.
A child’s squirming or slouching can move the seat belt
out of position. If the shoulder belt contacts the face or
neck, move the child closer to the center of the vehicle, or
use a booster seat to position the seat belt on the child
correctly.
WARNING!
Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt under an
arm or behind their back. In a crash, the shoulder belt
will not protect a child properly, which may result in
serious injury or death. A child must always wear
both the lap and shoulder portions of the seat belt
correctly.
84 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Restraint Type Combined
Weight of the
Child + Child
Restraint
Use any attachment method shown with an “X” Below
LATCH –
Lower Anchors
Only
Seat Belt Only LATCH –
Lower Anchors
+ Top Tether
Anchor
Seat Belt + Top
Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing
Child Restraint
Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg)
XX
Rear-Facing
Child Restraint
More than
65 lbs (29.5 kg)
X
Forward-Facing
Child Restraint
Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg)
XX
Forward-Facing
Child Restraint
More than
65 lbs (29.5 kg)
X
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 85

Lower Anchors And Tethers For Children (LATCH)
Restraint System
Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchor-
age system called LATCH, which stands for Lower
Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. The LATCH system
has three vehicle anchor points for installing LATCH-
equipped child seats. There are two lower anchorages
located at the back of the seat cushion where it meets the
seatback and one top tether anchorage located behind the
seating position. These anchorages are used to install
LATCH-equipped child seats without using the vehicle’s
seat belts. Some seating positions may have a top tether
anchorage but no lower anchorages. In these seating
positions, the seat belt must be used with the top tether
anchorage to install the child restraint. Please see the
following table for more information.
86 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Child Restraint LATCH Positions
What is the weight limit (child’s weight
+ weight of the child restraint) for using
the LATCH anchorage system to attach
the child restraint?
65 lbs (29.5 kg) Use the LATCH anchorage system un-
til the combined weight of the child
and the child restraint is 65 lbs
(29.5 kg). Use the seat belt and tether
anchor instead of the LATCH system
once the combined weight is more than
65 lbs (29.5 kg).
Can the LATCH anchorages and the
seat belt be used together to attach a
rear-facing or forward-facing child re-
straint?
NoDo not use the seat belt when you use
the LATCH anchorage system to attach
a rear-facing or forward-facing child
restraint.
88 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Can two child restraints be attached
using a common lower LATCH anchor-
age?
No Never “share” a LATCH anchorage
with two or more child restraints. If
the center position does not have dedi-
cated LATCH lower anchorages, use
the seat belt to install a child seat in
the center position next to a child seat
using the LATCH anchorages in an
outboard position.
Can the rear-facing child restraint
touch the back of the front passenger
seat?
Yes The child seat may touch the back of
the front passenger seat if the child
restraint manufacturer also allows con-
tact. See your child restraint owner ’s
manual for more information.
Can the head restraints be removed? Yes Second row outboard positions only,
third row all positions.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 89

You can install up to two child seats using the LATCH
system at the same time. If you are installing three child
restraints, you must use the seatbelt to install the center
child restraint. You can use either the LATCH anchors for
positions (1) and (3) or the vehicle’s seat belt for installing
the child seats in the outboard positions.
Options for installing two child seats using the LATCH
anchorages in this vehicle:
1. Right and left outboard seating positions (1 and 3):
Install the child seats in the right and left outboard
seating positions using lower anchorages A and B, and
D and E. Do not use the center seat anchorage, C. If the
child seats do not block the center seat belt webbing
and buckle, the center seat belt can be used to restraint
an occupant or child restraint in the center seating
position.
2. Left outboard and center seating positions (3 and 2):
Install the first child seat in the left outboard seating
position using lower anchorages D and E. Install the
second child seat using the center anchorages, B and
C. Do not use the outer anchorage closest to the
opposite door, A. Do not use the remaining right
outboard seating position (1) for any occupant. The
92 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

center child restraint will block the seat belt buckle for
this position.
WARNING!
•Use anchorages B and C to install a LATCH-
compatible child restraint in the center seating
position (2). Do not install a LATCH-compatible
child restraint using anchorages C and D. This is
not a LATCH-compatible position in your vehicle.
•A child restraint installed in the center position (2)
will block the seat belt buckle for the empty right
outboard seating position (1). Do not use this seat
for another occupant.
•Never use the same lower anchorage to attach more
than one child restraint.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•If you are installing three child restraints next to
each other, you must use the seat belt and the center
tether anchor for the center position. You can then
use either the LATCH anchors or the vehicle’s seat
belt for installing the child seats in the outboard
positions. Please refer to “Installing the LATCH-
Compatible Child Restraint System” for typical
installation instructions.
Always follow the directions of the child restraint manu-
facturer when installing your child restraint. Not all child
restraint systems will be installed as described here.
To Install A LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
1. If the selected seating position has a Switchable Auto-
matic Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt, stow the seat
belt following the instructions below. See the section
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 93

“Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat
Belt” to check what type of seat belt each seating
position has.
2. Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on the
tether strap of the child seat so that you can more
easily attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle
anchorages.
3. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages for
that seating position. For some second row seats, you
may need to recline the seat and/or raise the head
restraint to get a better fit. If the rear seat can be moved
forward and rearward in the vehicle, you may wish to
move it to its rear-most position to make room for the
child seat. You may also move the front seat forward
to allow more room for the child seat.
4. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child
restraint to the lower anchorages in the selected seat-
ing position.
5. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the
top tether anchorage. See the section “Installing Child
Restraints Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc-
tions to attach a tether anchor.
6. Tighten all of the straps as you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the seat. Remove slack
in the straps according to the child restraint manufac-
turer ’s instructions.
7. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by
pulling back and forth on the child seat at the belt
path. It should not move more than 1 inch (25.4 mm)
in any direction.
How To Stow An Unused ALR Seatbelt:
When using the LATCH attaching system to install a
child restraint, stow all ALR seat belts that are not being
used by other occupants or being used to secure child
restraints. An unused belt could injure a child if they play
94 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

with it and accidentally lock the seatbelt retractor. Before
installing a child restraint using the LATCH system,
buckle the seat belt behind the child restraint and out of
the child’s reach. If the buckled seat belt interferes with
the child restraint installation, instead of buckling it
behind the child restraint, route the seat belt through the
child restraint belt path and then buckle it. Do not lock
the seatbelt. Remind all children in the vehicle that the
seat belts are not toys and that they should not play with
them.
WARNING!
•Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of the re-
straint. The child could be badly injured or killed.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s directions
exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Child restraint anchorages are designed to with-
stand only those loads imposed by correctly-fitted
child restraints. Under no circumstances are they to
be used for adult seat belts, harnesses, or for
attaching other items or equipment to the vehicle.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with either a Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) or a cinching latch plate or both. Both
types of seat belts are designed to keep the lap portion of
the seat belt tight around the child restraint so that it is
not necessary to use a locking clip. The ALR retractor can
be “switched” into a locked mode by pulling all of the
webbing out of the retractor and then letting the webbing
retract back into the retractor. If it is locked, the ALR will
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