If your child restraint has the LATCH system, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
.
If you have an SUT vehicle, there are no top tether anchors in the second row
outside seating positions. Do not secure a child seat in these positions if a national
or local law requires that the top tether be anchored, or if the instructions that
come with the child restraint say that the top tether must be anchored.
See
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
if
the child restraint has a top tether.
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 manufacturer recommends using a top tether, and
the position you are using has a top tether anchor, attach and tighten the top tether
to the top tether anchor. Refer to the instructions that came with the child restraint
and see
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, if the top tether is attached to the top tether
anchor, disconnect it. 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.