2001 Nissan Xterra Owner's Manual - Page 23

CHILD SAFETY Children need adults to help protect them. They need to be properly restrained. The proper restraint depends on the child's size. Generally, infants up to about 1 year and less than 20 pounds (9 kg) should be placed in rear facing child restraints. Front facing child restraints are available for children who outgrow rear facing child restraints. WARNING Infants and children need special protection. 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 improperly 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. See ''Child restraints'' later in this section for more information. In addition, there are many types of child restraints available for larger children which should be used for maximum protection. NISSAN recommends that all pre-teen children be restrained in the rear seat if possible. According to accident statistics, 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 restraint system (Supplemental air bag system) for the front passenger (For precautions, see ''Supplemental restraint system'' earlier in this section). Larger children Children who are too large for child restraints should be seated and restrained by the seat belts which are provided. If the child's seating position has a shoulder belt that fits close to the face or neck, the use of a booster seat (commercially available) may help overcome this. The booster seat should raise the child so the shoulder belt is properly positioned across the top, middle portion of the shoulder and the lap belt is low on the hips. The booster seat should fit the vehicle seat and have a label certifying that it complies 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, use the shoulder belt without the booster seat. WARNING Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat and do not allow a child in the cargo areas while the vehicle is moving. The child could be seriously injured or killed in an accident or sudden stop. Infants and small children NISSAN recommends that infants and small children be seated in child restraints that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. You should choose a child restraint which fits your vehicle and always follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation and use. 1-16 Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems