If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the
lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position. 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.
- Put the child restraint on the seat.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the
lock.
- To tighten the belt, push down
on the child restraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion
of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor. If you are 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.
- If your child restraint has a top tether, attach and tighten the top tether
to the top tether anchor. Refer to the instructions that came with the child restraint
and to
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
.
- 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. If your vehicle has a retractable hardtop,
when the hardtop is down and the safety belt is not in use, secure the safety belt
latch plate. See
Rear Seat Passengers
.