1996 Toyota 4Runner Owners Manual - Page 44

Child restraint- -Child restraint precautions Toyota 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. and Canada now require the use of a child restraint system. -Child restraint system A child restraint system for a small child or baby must itself be restrained on the seat with either the lap belt or the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt. The child restraint system should conform to the size of the child and properly fit the vehicle seat. For greater safety, the child restraint system should be installed in the rear seat. According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat. ! CAUTION 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. In an accident, the child can be crushed against the windshield, or between you and the vehicle's interior if you are unrestrained. In the following cases, contact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible: S The SRS airbags have been inflated. S The front part of the vehicle (shaded in the illustration) was involved in an accident not of the extent to cause the SRS airbags to inflate. S The pad section of the steering wheel or front passenger airbag cover (shaded in the illustration) is scratched, cracked, or otherwise damaged. ! CAUTION Do not install a child restraint system in the temporary third seat. As the child restraint system may not be capable of being properly secured due to the configuration of this seat. When installing a child restraint system, follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the system. General directions are also provided under the following illustrations. 39