2005 Lexus RX 330 Owners Manual - Page 229

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS 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 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 154 for details. CAUTION D For effective protection in automobile accidents and sudden stops, a child must be properly restrained, using a seat belt or child restraint system depending on the 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. D Never install a rear−facing child restraint system on the front passenger seat even if the "AIRBAG OFF" indicator light is illuminated. 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 Only when it is unavoidable should a forward−facing child restraint system be installed on the front passenger seat. Always move the seat as far back as possible even if the "AIRBAG OFF" indicator light is illuminated, because the front passenger airbag could inflate with considerable speed and force. Otherwise, the child may be killed or seriously injured. 198