After selecting a proper child seatand a good place to install the seat,there are three main steps ininstalling the seat:All child seats must besecured to the vehicle with the lappart of a lap/shoulder belt or withthe LATCH (lower anchors andtethers for children) system. Achild whose seat is not properlysecured to the vehicle can beendangered in a crash.After installing a childseat, push and pull the seatforward and from side-to-side toverify that it is secure.A child seat secured with a seat beltshould be installed as firmly aspossible. However, it does not needto be ‘‘rock solid.’’ Some side-to-sidemovement can be expected andshould not reduce the child seat’seffectiveness.If the child seat is not secure, tryinstalling it in a different seatingposition, or use a different style ofchild seat that can be firmly secured.Before purchasing a conventionalchild seat, or using a previouslypurchased one, we recommend thatyou test the seat in the specificvehicle seating position or positionswhere the seat will be used.Make sure the child is properlystrapped in the child seataccording to the child seat maker’sinstructions. A child who is notproperly secured in a child seatcan be seriously injured in a crash.The following pages provideguidelines on how to properly installa child seat. A forward-facing childseat is used in all examples, but theinstructions are the same for rear-facing child seats.3.1.2.3.Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child SeatInstalling a Child SeatProperly secure the child seat tothe vehicle.Make sure the child seat is firmlysecured.The child seat should fit thevehicle seating position (orpositions) where it will be used.Secure the child in the child seat.46
