2005 Lexus LX 470 Owners Manual - Page 180

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS CHILD RESTRAINT Child restraint precautions Lexus strongly urges the use of appropriate child restraint systems for children. The laws of all 50 states in the U.S.A. and Canada 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 121 for details. D Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front passenger seat. In the event of an accident, the force of the rapid inflation of the front passenger airbag can cause death or serious injury to the child if the rear-facing child restraint system is installed on the front passenger seat. D A forward-facing child restraint system should be allowed to be installed on the front passenger seat only when it is unavoidable. Always move the seat as far back as possible, because the front passenger airbag could inflate with considerable speed and force. Otherwise, the child may be killed or seriously injured. D Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a child restraint system on the front or rear passenger seat. If installing a child restraint system with the seat belt extender connected to the seat belt, the seat belt will not securely hold the child restraint system, which could cause death or serious injury to the child or other passengers in the event of collision. D Make sure you have complied with all installation instructions provided by the child restraint manufacturer and that the system is properly secured. If it is not secured properly, it may cause death or serious injury to the child in the event of a sudden stop or accident. CAUTION D For effective protection in automobile accidents and sudden stops, a child must be properly restrained, using a seat belt or child restraint depending on age and size of the child. Holding a child in your arms is not a substitute for a child restraint system. In an accident, the child can be crushed against the windshield, or between you and the vehicle's interior. D Lexus strongly urges use of a proper child restraint system which conforms to the size of the child installed on the rear seat. According to accident statistics, the child is safer when properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat. 156