belt Ram 1500 2016 Owner's Guide

WARNING!(Continued)
seat attachment bolts), take the vehicle to your
authorized dealer. Only manufacturer approved
seat accessories may be used. If it is necessary to
modify the air bag system for persons with dis-
abilities, contact your authorized dealer.
Event Data Recorder (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder
(EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in
certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as an air
bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle’s systems per-
formed. The EDR is designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle
is designed to record such data as:•How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
•Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts
were buckled/fastened;
•How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
•How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understanding of
the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
NOTE:EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a
non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data are recorded by
the EDR under normal driving conditions and no per-
sonal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and crash location)
are recorded. However, other parties, such as law en-
forcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data routinely acquired during a
crash investigation.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 83

There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner ’s Manual to make sure you have the correct
seat for your child. Carefully read and follow all the
instructions and warnings in the child restraint Owner ’s
Manual and on all the labels attached to the child
restraint.
Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it has
a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. You should also make sure that you can install
it in the vehicle where you will use it.NOTE:
•For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–732–8243.
•Canadian residents should refer to Transport Cana-
da’s website for additional information: www.tc.gc.ca/
eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-
index-53.htm
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 85

Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
Child Size, Height, Weight Or Age Recommended Type Of Child Restraint
Infants and
ToddlersChildren who are two years old or
younger and who have not reached the
height or weight limits of their child re-
straintEither an Infant Carrier or a Convertible
Child Restraint, facing rearward in the rear
seat of the vehicle
Small Children Children who are at least two years old or
who have out-grown the height or weight
limit of their rear-facing child restraintForward-Facing Child Restraint with a
five-point Harness, facing forward in the
rear seat of the vehicle
Larger Children Children who have out-grown their
forward-facing child restraint, but are too
small to properly fit the vehicle’s seat beltBelt Positioning Booster Seat and the ve-
hicle seat belt, seated in the rear seat of the
vehicle
Children Too Large
for Child RestraintsChildren 12 years old or younger, who
have out-grown the height or weight limit
of their booster seatVehicle Seat Belt, seated in the rear seat of
the vehicle
86 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Do not install a rear-facing car seat using a rear support
leg in this vehicle. The floor of this vehicle is not
designed to manage the crash forces of this type of car
seat. In a crash, the support leg may not function as it
was designed by the car seat manufacturer, and your
child may be more severely injured as a result.
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have outgrown their
rear-facing convertible child seat can ride forward-facing in
the vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible child
seats used in the forward-facing direction are for children
who are over two years old or who have outgrown the
rear-facing weight or height limit of their rear-facing convert-
ible child seat. Children should remain in a forward-facing
child seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the
highest weight or height allowed by the child seat.
All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a
belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belts
fit properly. If the child cannot sit with knees bent over
the vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back is against
the seatback, they should use a belt-positioning booster
seat. The child and belt-positioning booster seat are held
in the vehicle by the seat belt.
88 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s
directions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
•After a child restraint is installed in the vehicle, do
not move the vehicle seat forward or rearward
because it can loosen the child restraint attach-
ments. Remove the child restraint before adjusting
the vehicle seat position. When the vehicle seat has
been adjusted, reinstall the child restraint.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchor-
ages, or remove it from the vehicle. Do not leave it
loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or accident, it
could strike the occupants or seatbacks and cause
serious personal 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?
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 89

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 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 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.
90 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Restraint Type Combined
Weight of the
Child + Child
RestraintUse any attachment method shown with an “X” Below
LATCH –
Lower Anchors
OnlySeat Belt Only LATCH –
Lower Anchors
+ Top Tether
AnchorSeat Belt + Top
Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing
Child RestraintUp to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg)XX
Rear-Facing
Child RestraintMore than
65 lbs (29.5 kg)X
Forward-Facing
Child RestraintUp to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg)XX
Forward-Facing
Child RestraintMore than
65 lbs (29.5 kg)X2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 91

Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren
(LATCH) Restraint SystemYour 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.
92 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
What is the weight limit (child’s weight
+ weight of the child restraint) for us-
ing the LATCH anchorage system to
attach the child restraint?65 lbs (29.5 kg) Use the LATCH anchorage system until
the combined weight of the child and
the child restraint is 65 lbs (29.5 kg).
Use the seat belt and tether anchor in-
stead 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?No Do not use the seat belt when you use
the LATCH anchorage system to attach
a rear-facing or forward-facing child
restraint.
Can a child seat be installed in the cen-
ter position using the inner LATCH
lower anchorages?No Full bench rear seat only: Use the seat
belt and tether anchor to install a child
seat in the center seating position.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 95

Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
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 dedicated
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 po-
sition.
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 re-
straint manufacturer also allows con-
tact. See your child restraint owner ’s
manual for more information.
Can the head restraints be removed? No
96 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE