SAFETY
46
Child safety
Children should always be seated safely when
traveling in the vehicle.
General information
Volvo recommends the proper use of restraint
systems (p. 47) for all occupants including chil-
dren. Remember that, regardless of age and size,
a child should always be properly restrained in a
vehicle.
Your vehicle is also equipped with ISOFIX/
LATCH attachments (p. 55), which make it
more convenient to install child seats.
Some restraint systems for children are designed
to be secured in the vehicle by lap belts or the
lap portion of a lap-shoulder belt. Such child
restraint systems can help protect children in
vehicles in the event of an accident only if they
are used properly. However, children could be
endangered in a crash if the child restraints are
not properly secured in the vehicle. Failure to fol-
low the installation instructions for your child
restraint can result in your child striking the vehi-
cle's interior in a sudden stop.
Holding a child in your arms is NOT a suitable
substitute for a child restraint system. In an acci-
dent, a child held in a person's arms can be
crushed between the vehicle's interior and an
unrestrained person. The child could also be
injured by striking the interior, or by being ejected
from the vehicle during a sudden maneuver or
impact. The same can also happen if the infant or
child rides unrestrained on the seat. Other occu-
pants should also be properly restrained to help
reduce the chance of injuring or increasing the
injury of a child.
All states and provinces have legislation govern-
ing how and where children should be carried in
a vehicle. Find out the regulations existing in your
state or province. Recent accident statistics have
shown that children are safer in rear seating
positions than front seating positions when prop-
erly restrained. A child restraint system can help
protect a child in a vehicle. Here's what to look
for when selecting a child restraint system:
It should have a label certifying that it meets
applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand-
ards (FMVSS 213) – or in Canada, CMVSS 213.
Make sure the child restraint system is approved
for the child's height, weight and development –
the label required by the standard or regulation,
or instructions for infant restraints, typically pro-
vide this information.
In using any child restraint system, we urge you
to carefully look over the instructions that are
provided with the restraint. Be sure you under-
stand them and can use the device properly and
safely in this vehicle. A misused child restraint
system can result in increased injuries for both
the infant or child and other occupants in the
vehicle.
When a child has outgrown the child safety seat,
you should use the rear seat with the standard
seat belt fastened. The best way to help protect
the child here is to place the child on a cushion
so that the seat belt is properly located on the
hips (see Booster cushions (p. 54) for illustra-
tion). Legislation in your state or province may
mandate the use of a child seat or cushion in
combination with the seat belt, depending on the
child's age and/or size. Please check local regu-
lations.
A specially designed and tested booster cushion
and backrest can be obtained from your Volvo
retailer. See also Booster cushions (p. 54)