2007 Ford Focus Owner Guide 4th Printing - Page 112

Seating and Safety Restraints 6. Install the child safety seat tightly using the LATCH anchors or safety belts. Follow the instructions in this chapter. 7. Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being injured in a collision greatly increases. Attaching child safety seats with Lower Anchor and Tethers for Children (LATCH) attachments for child seat anchors Some child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted attachments that connect to two anchors at specific seating positions in your vehicle. This type of child seat eliminates the need to use safety belts to attach the child seat. For forward-facing child seats, the tether strap must also be attached to the proper tether anchor point. For information on using tether straps with the child safety seats, refer to Attaching safety seats with tether straps in this chapter. LATCH anchors for child seat installation have been provided in your vehicle at the following locations: The anchors on both sides of the center of the rear seat are provided primarily for child seats at the outboard seats and are further apart than the pairs of lower anchors for child seat installation at other seats. A child seat with rigid LATCH attachments cannot be installed at the center rear seat. A child seat with LATCH attachments on belt webbing can be used at the center rear seat unless a child seat at an outboard rear seat is attached to one of these lower anchors. Install a child seat onto the lower anchors at the center rear seat ONLY IF the child restraint manufacturer recommends that the child seat can be installed to anchors that are spaced up to 450 mm apart. Never attach two LATCH child safety seats to the same anchor. In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two child seat attachments and may break, causing serious injury or death. 112 2007 Focus (foc) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA (fus)