WARNING
Do not allow children to play with the
seat belts. Most seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) mode seat belts. If the seat
belt becomes wrapped around a child’s
neck with the ALR mode activated, the
child can be seriously injured or killed if
the seat belt retracts and becomes
tight. This can occur even if the vehicle
is parked. Unbuckle the seat belt to re-
lease the child. If the seat belt cannot
be unbuckled or is already unbuckled,
release the child by cutting the seat
belt with a suitable tool (such as a knife
or scissors) to release the seat belt.
Children need adults to help protect them.
They need to be properly restrained.
In addition to the general information in
this manual, child safety information is
available from many other sources, includ-
ing doctors, teachers, government traffic
safety offices, and community organiza-
tions. Every child is different, so be sure to
learn the best way to transport your child.
There are three basic types of child re-
straint systems:
• Rear-facing child restraints
• Forward-facing child restraints
• Booster seats
The proper restraint depends on the child's
size. Generally, infants up to about 1 year
and less than 20 lbs. (9 kg) should be placed
in rear-facing child restraints. Forward-
facing child restraints are available for chil-
dren who outgrow rear-facing child re-
straints and are at least 1 year old. Booster
seats are used to help position a vehicle
lap/shoulder belt on a child who can no
longer use a forward-facing child restraint.
WARNING
Infants and children need special pro-
tection. The vehicle's seat belts may
not fit them properly. The shoulder belt
may come too close to the face or neck.
The lap belt may not fit over their small
hip bones. In an accident, an improp-
erly fitting seat belt could cause serious
or fatal injury. Always use appropriate
child restraints.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or
territories require the use of approved child
restraints for infants and small children.
For additional information, see “Child re-
straints” (P. 1-26).
A child restraint may be secured in the ve-
hicle by using either the LATCH (Lower An-
chors and Tethers for CHildren) system or
with the vehicle seat belt. For additional
information, see “Child restraints” (P. 1-26).
NISSAN recommends that all pre-teens
and children be restrained in the rear
seat. Studies show that children are
safer when properly restrained in the
rear seat than in the front seat.
This is especially important because
your vehicle has a supplemental re-
straint system (air bag system) for the
front passenger. For additional informa-
tion, see “Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem (SRS)” (P. 1-48).
INFANTS
Infants up to at least 1 year old should be
placed in a rear-facing child restraint.
NISSAN
recommends
that
infants
be
placed in child restraints that comply with
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
You should choose a child restraint that fits
your vehicle and always follow the manu-
facturer's instructions for installation and
use.
CHILD SAFETY
1-24
Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
SMALL CHILDREN
Children that are over 1 year old and weigh
at least 20 lbs. (9 kg) should remain in a
rear-facing child restraint as long as pos-
sible up to the height or weight limit of the
child restraint. Children who outgrow the
height or weight limit of the rear-facing
child restraint and are at least 1 year old
should be secured in a forward-facing child
restraint with a harness. Refer to the manu-
facturer’s instructions for minimum and
maximum weight and height recommen-
dations. NISSAN recommends that small
children be placed in child restraints that
comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards. You should choose a
child restraint that fits your vehicle and al-
ways follow the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions for installation and use.
LARGER CHILDREN
Children should remain in a forward-facing
child restraint with a harness until they reach
the maximum height or weight limit allowed
by the child restraint manufacturer.
Once a child outgrows the height or weight
limit of the harness-equipped forward-
facing child restraint, NISSAN recommends
that the child be placed in a commercially
available booster seat to obtain proper
seat belt fit. For a seat belt to fit properly, the
booster seat should raise the child so that
the shoulder belt is properly positioned
across the chest and the top, middle por-
tion of the shoulder. The shoulder belt
should not cross the neck or face and
should not fall off the shoulder. The lap belt
should lie snugly across the lower hips or
upper thighs, not the abdomen.
A booster seat can only be used in seating
positions that have a three-point type seat
belt. The booster seat should fit the vehicle
seat and have a label certifying that it com-
plies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards. Once the child has
grown so the shoulder belt is no longer on
or near the face and neck and the lap belt
can be positioned properly across the
lower hips or upper thighs, use the seat belt
without the booster seat.
A booster seat should be used until the
child can pass the seat belt fit test below:
• Are the child’s back and hips against the
vehicle seatback?
• Is the child able to sit without slouching?
• Do the child’s knees bend easily over the
front edge of the seat with feet flat on the
floor?
• Can the child safely wear the seat belt (lap
belt low and snug across the hips and
shoulder belt across mid-chest and
shoulder)?
• Is the child able to use the properly ad-
justed head restraint/headrest?
• Will the child be able to stay in position for
the entire ride?
Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
1-25