1998 Lexus SC 300 Owners Manual - Page 103

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT CHILD RESTRAINT Child restraint precautions Lexus strongly urges the use of child restraint systems for children small enough to use them. The laws of all fifty states in the U.S.A. now require the use of a child restraint system. Your vehicle conforms to SAE J1819. If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child should sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the vehicle's seat belt. See "Seat belts" on page 70 for details. D Never put a rear-facing child restraint system on the front seat. In the event of an accident, the force of the rapid inflation of the airbag can cause death or serious injury if a rear-facing child restraint system is put on the front seat. D Unless it is unavoidable, do not put a forward-facing child restraint system on the front seat. D A forward-facing child restraint system should be allowed to put on the front seat only when it is unavoidable. Always move the seat as far back as possible, because the force of a deploying airbag could cause death or serious injury to the child. Make sure you have complied with all installation instructions provided by the child restraint manufacturer and that the system is properly secured. CAUTION D For effective protection in automobile accidents and sudden stops, children must be properly restrained. Holding a child in your arms is not a substitute for a child restraint system using a seat belt or child restraint depending on age and size. In an accident, the child can be crushed against the windshield, or between you and the vehicle's interior if you are unrestrained. D Lexus strongly urges use of a proper child restraint which conforms to the size of the child and is put on the rear seat. According to accident statistics, the child is safer when properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat. Child restraint system A child restraint system for a small child or baby must itself be properly restrained on the seat with the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt. You must carefully consult the manufacturer's instructions which accompany by your child restraint system. To provide proper restraint, use a child restraint system following the manufacturer's instructions about the appropriate age and size of the child for the restraint system. 86