Ram 2500 2019 Owner's Manual

SAFETY 259
Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In VehiclesChild Size, Height, Weight Or AgeRecommended Type Of Child
Restraint
Infants and Toddlers Children who are two years old or
younger and who have not reached the
height or weight limits of their child
restraint Either an Infant Carrier or a Convertible
Child Restraint, facing rearward in a
rear seat of the vehicle
Small Children Children who are at least two years old
or who have outgrown the height or
weight limit of their rear-facing child
restraint Forward-Facing Child Restraint with a
five-point Harness, facing forward in a
rear seat of the vehicle
Larger Children Children who have outgrown their
forward-facing child restraint, but are
too small to properly fit the vehicle’s
seat belt Belt Positioning Booster Seat and the
vehicle seat belt, seated in a rear seat of
the vehicle
Children Too Large for Child Restraints Children 12 years old or younger, who
have outgrown the height or weight
limit of their booster seat Vehicle Seat Belt, seated in a rear seat of
the vehicle
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260 SAFETY
Infant And Child Restraints
Safety experts recommend that children ride rear-facing in
the vehicle until they are two years old or until they reach
either the height or weight limit of their rear-facing child
restraint. Two types of child restraints can be used
rear-facing: infant carriers and convertible child seats.
The infant carrier is only used rear-facing in the vehicle. It is
recommended for children from birth until they reach the
weight or height limit of the infant carrier. Convertible child
seats can be used either rear-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher weight
limit in the rear-facing direction than infant carriers do, so
they can be used rear-facing by children who have outgrown
their infant carrier but are still less than at least two years old.
Children should remain rear-facing until they reach the
highest weight or height allowed by their convertible child
seat.WARNING!
• Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of an air bag. A deploying passenger front air bag can cause
death or serious injury to a child 12 years or younger,
including a child in a rear-facing child restraint.
• Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the front seat of a vehicle. Only use a rear-facing child restraint
in the rear seat. If the vehicle does not have a rear seat,
do not transport a rear-facing child restraint in that
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.

SAFETY 261
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
convertible 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-posi-
tioning 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.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 attachments. Remove the
child restraint before adjusting the vehicle seat posi -
tion. When the vehicle seat has been adjusted, reinstall
the child restraint.
• When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchorages, 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.
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262 SAFETY
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 thevehicle seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front of the vehicle seat – while the child is still sitting all the way
back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching the child’s thighs and not the 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 peri
-
odically and make sure the seat belt buckle is latched. A
child’s squirming or slouching can move the belt out of posi -
tion. 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.

SAFETY 263
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 OnlyLATCH – Lower
Anchors + Top Tether Anchor Seat Belt + Top
Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
X
Rear-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
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264 SAFETY
Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren (LATCH)
Restraint System LATCH Label Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchorage
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 anchor
-
ages 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.

SAFETY 265
LATCH Positions For Installing Child Restraints In This
VehicleRegular Cab LATCH Positions
Crew Cab 60/40 Split Bench LATCH Positions
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
Lower Anchorage Symbol (2 Anchorages Per Seating Position)
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266 SAFETY
Mega Cab LATCH PositionsCrew Cab Full Bench LATCH Positions
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
Lower Anchorage Symbol (2 Anchorages Per Seating Position) Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
Lower Anchorage Symbol (2 Anchorages Per Seating Position)

SAFETY 267
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
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 until 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
restraint? NoDo not use the seat belt when you use the
LATCH anchorage system to attach a
rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint.
Booster seats may be attached to the LATCH
anchorages if allowed by the booster seat
manufacturer. See your booster seat owner’s
manual for more information.
Can a child seat be installed in the
center position using the inner LATCH
lower anchorages from the outboard
seating positions? No – Crew Full Bench
N/A – Mega / Crew Split BenchRegular Cab Front / Crew Cab with full
bench rear seat: use the seat belt and tether
anchor to install a child seat in the center
seating position
Crew Cab with split bench rear seat / Mega
Cab: Child restraints can be installed using
the supplied lower anchorages for the center
seating position.
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268 SAFETY
Can two child restraints be attached
using a common lower LATCH
anchorage?NoNever “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
position.
Can the rear-facing child restraint touch
the back of the front passenger seat? YesThe child seat may touch the back of the front
passenger seat if the child restraint
manufacturer also allows contact. See your
child restraint owner’s manual for more
information.
Can the rear head restraints be
removed? YesThe head restraints can be removed in every
rear seating position if they interfere with the
installation of the child restraint. Refer to
“Head Restraints” in “Getting To Know Your
Vehicle” for further information.
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH