2002 Nissan Sentra Owner's Manual - Page 27

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. 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-teens and 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 (Air bag system) for the front passenger. See ''Supplemental restraint system'' earlier in this section. Infants and small children NISSAN recommends that infants and small children be placed in child restraints that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. You should choose a child restraint that fits your vehicle and always follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation and use. 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. PREGNANT WOMEN NISSAN recommends that pregnant women use seat belts. The seat belt should be worn snug, and always position the lap belt as low as possible around the hips, not the waist. Place the shoulder belt over your shoulder and across your chest. Never run the lap/shoulder belt over your abdominal area. Contact your doctor for specific recommendations. 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 that 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 Standard 213 or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. 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. INJURED PERSONS NISSAN recommends that injured persons use seat belts. Check with your doctor for specific recommendations. 1-20 Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems