This booklet may be copied, printed or reproduced

without modifi cation for non-commercial distribution.

DOT HS 809 245

(revised) March 2005
(Front Cover)

Which child is buckled correctly? 

If you guessed the one in the middle, then you’re right. 

The harness straps are flat, snug and in position, and the 

chest clip is at the proper mid-chest, armpit level.

The other photos illustrate some common mistakes that 

compromise protection and result in almost 80% of children 

being improperly restrained. 

■ Upper left: The child is too small to be in a vehicle lap/

shoulder belt. The shoulder belt is under the child’s arm, 

and the lap belt is resting on the child’s abdomen. 

■ Upper right: Harness straps are too high, loose and the 

chest clip is too low.

■ Bottom right: Harness straps are loose and twisted and 

the chest clip is disconnected. 

■ Bottom left: Although the lap belt is positioned correctly, 

the vehicle shoulder belt is under the child’s arm. 

With the wide variety of child restraint systems, belt 

systems and passenger vehicles, correctly installing a child restraint system can be challenging. This 

booklet is designed to help you identify and learn 

how to correct common mistakes when installing a child restraint and securing your child in the 

restraint. Making the right connections will help improve overall protection for your child. Always read 

child restraint and vehicle manufacturers’ instructions for proper use and installation information. 

Air Bag Warning Label

Harness Slots (3 sets)

Harness Release Mechanism

Harness Release Button (red)

5 Pt. Harness System (contacting child at shoulders, hips and groin)

Harness Chest Clip

Pull Strap To Tighten Harness

Belt Path (not pictured)

See page 6 for an illustration.

the big Picture
I N C o R R E C T

1

Take a back seat to air bags

the danger zone

Air Bags

■ Child should be in the back seat. Infant seat is 

in the air bag deployment zone.

■ Rear-facing child is positioned in front of the 

passenger air bag deployment zone.

■ Seat is resting on the dash/air bag.

■ Child is also incorrectly secured:

 Harness chest clip is too low (should be 

 at armpit level).

 Harness straps are positioned too high 

 (should be at, or below, infant’s shoulders).

Air bags can cause serious 

injury or death to children, 

especially infants in rearfacing child seats.

An infant in a rear-facing 

child restraint should NEVER 

be positioned in the path of 

a frontal air bag. Air Bag 

Deployment Zone

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

air bag

deployment

zone

NO!

NO!

Deployment Zone

deployment

zone
well-connected

■ Harness chest clip is correctly positioned at the child’s mid-chest 

or armpit level.

■ Harness straps are snug and straight. 

■ Rear-facing harness straps should be positioned at, or slightly

below, the child’s shoulders.

the right angle

■ Used with a detachable base, this rear-facing infant 

seat is positioned at approximately a 45-degree angle 

(check the manufacturer’s recommendation for the 

correct angle).

Children are safest when

properly restrained in the

back seat.

2C O R R E C T

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rear-Facing Infant Seats 

A harness chest clip should be positioned 

at the child’s mid-chest or armpit level. 

This keeps the shoulder straps in the 

correct position. 
I N C O R R E C T

3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

too Upright Is Wrong Don’t Let The Clip Slip

Resist The Twist Take The Wraps Off

■ An infant seat sitting too upright can cause 

a child’s head to drop forward, cutting 

off his/her airway. 

■ After-market products 

have forced the chest 

clip to ride too low on 

the child’s abdomen.

■ Twisted, loose harness 

straps compromise 

protection. 

■ Chest clip is not

fastened.

■ Children should 

never be wrapped 

up in a blanket, 

thick coat or other 

bulky garments before being strapped 

into a restraint system. Instead, place 

blankets over the internal harness straps.

NO!

NO!

NO! NO!
4C O R R E C T

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rear-Facing Infant Seats 

Well-Covered

■ Blanket is correctly 

placed over both 

the internal harness 

straps and the child.

A blanket should 

never be placed 

between the child 

and the harness 

straps, or underneath or behind the 

child.

■ Harness straps and 

chest clip are correctly positioned.

■ Blanket covering 

child is correctly 

positioned.

■ Rolled towels are 

placed on both sides 

of the child for proper 

position. 

In Position

■ A rolled towel or foam noodle at

the crack of the vehicle seat helps 

position the infant seat at the 

correct 45-degree angle (check 

the manufacturer’s recommendation for the correct angle). 

■ A washcloth helps

fi ll the space between the restraint 

buckle and the child’s 

groin area.

■ Harness straps are 

snug and straight.

On A Roll

Close The Gap

rolled

towel

Wash 

cloth

rolled

towel

continued
I N C O R R E C T

5

Don’t compromise on size

avoid making a wrong turn

■ The seat is too small for the child. His head is at the top of 

the seat. Use a convertible seat that can be used rear-facing 

to 30-35 lbs.

■ Chest clip is positioned too low. (Should be at armpit level).

■ Rear-facing infant seat is incorrectly placed in 

a forward-facing position.

■ Safety belt is loose and placed through the 

incorrect belt path.

■ Harness straps are loose.

■ Carrying handle is in the upright position.

For most child seats, handle should be in

the down position.

Rear-facing infant seats should NEVER be 

placed in a forward-facing position. 

Babies should ride rear-facing until at least 

one year of age and at least 20 pounds.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NO!

NO!
6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C O R R E C T

Rear-Facing Convertible Seats

Below the Shoulders

The Right Angle

■ Harness straps on rear-facing seats should be positioned at, 

or slightly below, the child’s shoulders.

■ Harness chest clip is in the correct location.

■ Harness straps are snug and straight.

■ Child restraint is positioned at approximately 

a 45-degree angle (check the manufacturer’s 

recommendation for the correct angle).

■ Harness straps and chest clip 

are correctly positioned on the 

child’s body.

For a snug fi t, adjust harness 

straps so they lie in a straight 

line without sagging. Place the 

chest clip at the armpit level.

■ Child seat is secured using the 

correct belt path. 
I N C O R R E C T

7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

oversized seats minimize safety Don’t Take The Wrong Path

Straps That ARe Loose Limit Use avoid the upright position

■ Infant is much too small for the 

convertible seat. Her head is in 

front of the shield.

■ Safety belt system is placed through 

the incorrect belt path.

■ Harness straps are 

loose, twisted and 

positioned too high 

above the infant’s 

shoulders. Straps 

must be snug, lie 

fl at and be at, or 

slightly below, the 

infant’s shoulders. 

■ Chest clip is positioned too low. 

It should be at 

armpit level.

■ Restraint is positioned at the incorrect angle causing 

the infant to sit too 

upright. This could 

cause an infant to 

drop his/her head, 

cutting off the airway.

■ Harness straps are 

not touching the 

child’s shoulders.

■ Child is too small for 

the restraint.

incorrect

correct

NO!

NO!

NO! NO!

incorrect

correct

cutting off the airway.
8C O R R E C T

over and Above

Fit To A T-shield shield of defense

■ Harness straps on 

forward-facing 

restraints should 

be positioned at, or 

slightly above, the 

child’s shoulders.

■ Harness straps are 

snug and straight.

■ Harness chest clip 

is positioned at the 

child’s mid-chest or 

armpit area.

Forward-Facing Convertible Seats

■ T-shield is correctly 

positioned, and is 

resting snugly on 

the child’s thighs.

■ Harness straps are 

snug and straight 

and are at, or above, 

shoulder level.

■ Harness chest 

clip is positioned 

at the child’s midchest or armpit level.

■ Tray shield is correctly positioned 

on the child.

■ Harness straps are 

snug and straight 

and are at, or above, 

shoulder level.

Children should remain in a 

forward facing child restraint

until they are approximately

40 pounds and 4 years of age.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I N C O R R E C T

9

Take Up The slack

Stay Connected

Tighten up the straps

■ Harness straps are 

loose and twisted.

■ Harness chest clip is 

too low and not 

connected.

■ Harness straps are 

loose.

■ Harness chest clip is 

too low.

■ Harness straps are 

not in use.

■ This infant should 

not be forward-facing. Children under

one year and under 

20 pounds should 

remain rear-facing.

■ Harness straps are 

loose. 

■ Chest clip is too low 

and not connected.

■ Safety belt system is 

placed through the 

incorrect belt path.

Be sure to read

the manufacturer’s 

instructions to 

determine which 

harness slots 

should be used.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

keep infants rear-facing

NO! NO!

NO! NO!

connected.

too low.
Forward-Facing Seats

10

the right combination

an overlapping option built-in protection

C O R R E C T

■ Combination seats 

convert from a 5-point 

harness system to a 

belt-positioning 

booster seat.

■ At 40 pounds, 

harness straps should 

be removed and child 

should use the vehicle 

lap/shoulder belt.

■ Some combination 

seats may be used 

without harness 

straps up to 60, 65, 

70 or 80 pounds. 

■ This looks like a 

booster seat. But, 

it is a forward-facing 

restraint that can be 

used with either a 

lap or lap/shoulder 

belt combination 

on a child weighing 

30–65 pounds. 

■ An integrated seat 

is a built-in option 

on some vehicles and 

is forward-facing only.

■ Integrated child restraints have a 5-point 

harness system.

■ Read the vehicle 

owner’s manual for 

weight limits.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

art to 

■ No longer in 

production.

5-Point Harness

■ When a combination 

seat is used with a 

5-point harness, the 

child seat must be 

secured to the 

vehicle using the 

vehicle’s safety belt 

system.

■ This seat has a fl ap 

in the seat cover to 

make threading the 

safety belt through 

the child seat easier.
I N C O R R E C T

11

size up the situation

KEEP STRAPS at or ABOVE 

THE SHOULDERS

■ Child has outgrown the internal harness system of the child restraint. 

The harness straps are below the child’s shoulders.

■ Internal harness system should be removed.

■ Child should use the seat as a belt-positioning booster with the vehicle 

lap/shoulder belt system. 

■ Harness straps in a forward-facing restraint system should not be below the child’s shoulders.

■ The shoulder belt is behind the child and the lap belt is riding up 

on the child’s stomach. This can cause serious injury in a crash.

■ Child is too small for the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt. The 

child should ride in a child safety seat until 40 lbs., then use 

a belt positioning booster seat until at least 8 years old, unless 

the child is 4’9” tall. 

don’t move them out of

a safety seat too soon 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NO!

NO!

■ Harness straps in a forward-facing restraint system should not be below the child’s shoulders.
12C O R R E C T

Raise them up

a good fi t

■ High-back booster is used to correctly position the 

vehicle lap/shoulder belt on the child; correctly positioning the lap belt across the child’s upper thighs and the 

shoulder belt across the chest.

■ A safety belt system may not fi t properly on children who 

cannot sit all the way back against the vehicle seat with 

knees bent comfortably over the edge of the vehicle seat.

Always use the lap/shoulder belt 

combination with a belt-positioning 

booster. Never use a lap belt only.

High-back and no-back booster seats are 

for children who have outgrown child safety 

seats, at 40 lbs, and are not large enough 

for the vehicle belt system. Children should 

use a belt positioning booster seat until 

they are at least 8 years old or 4’9” tall.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

■ No-back booster is used to correctly position the child 

in a vehicle lap/shoulder belt. 

■ Booster seat correctly positions the lap belt across the

child’s upper thighs and the shoulder belt across the chest.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Belt-Positioning Booster Seats
no-back booster high-back booster

I N C O R R E C T

13

■ Child does not have 

vehicle safety belt on.

■ Belt positioning 

booster seat must be 

used with the 

vehicle’s lap and 

shoulder belt.

No vehicle safety belt

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

■ Child is incorrectly 

positioned with a 

vehicle lap belt only 

and is at risk for 

serious abdominal, 

spinal and other 

injuries.

■ Always use the lap/

shoulder belt with a 

no-back, belt-positioning booster seat.

■ Child is incorrectly 

positioned with a 

vehicle lap belt only 

and is at risk for 

serious abdominal, 

spinal and other 

injuries. 

■ Always use the lap/

shoulder belt with a 

high-back booster.

NO! NO!

NO!
14C O R R E C T

Safety Belt Systems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

maintain good posture

keep lap belt low on the upper thighS

The lap belt should fi t snug and low 

over the upper thighs. If it rides up on 

the abdomen, it could cause serious 

injuries in a crash.

Children should sit straight 

against the seat back. 

Shoulder belts should fi t 

snugly across the chest.

■ This lap/shoulder restraint system fi ts properly. The child’s back is 

straight and her knees are bent at the edge of the vehicle seat.

■ The lap belt is positioned securely on the child’s 

upper thighs.
I N C O R R E C T

15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

no belts behind the back

A belt under the 

arm can cause harm

■ Shoulder belt is 

incorrectly positioned behind the 

child’s back.

■ Lap belt is too 

high on the child’s 

stomach.

■ Running the shoulder belt under a 

child’s arm can 

cause life-threatening injuries in a 

crash. 

■ Child is too small 

to be in a vehicle 

lap/shoulder belt.

■ Lap belt is on the 

child’s abdomen, 

which can cause 

serious injury in 

a crash.

avoid add-on products

■ Add-on product has 

positioned the vehicle 

lap belt too high on 

the child’s abdomen. 

These types of products are not crashtested by NHTSA.

■ Child should be in 

a belt-positioning 

booster seat.

Never allow a child 

to place a shoulder 

belt behind his/her 

back.

NO! NO!

NO!
Things To Remember

16C O R R E C T

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

stay informed

put your weight into it

■ Get a tight fi t between 

the child restraint 

system and the 

vehicle seat. Put your 

weight into the child 

restraint system to 

compress the vehicle 

seat while tightening the safety belt as 

much as possible.

■ Information on using vehicle safety belts with 

child restraints may be obtained from the 

vehicle safety belt’s and the owner’s manual.

■ For proper installation, read both the vehicle 

owner’s manual and the child restraint instruction manual. 

special needs

■ Some children require special child restraints. 

Premature infants, children with respiratory diffi culties, orthopedic challenges, and neurological and behavioral problems may require special 

child restraints. 

lock it up

■ Newer safety belt 

systems have 

a built-in locking 

mechanism.

■ Some vehicle safety 

belt systems require 

additional hardware, 

such as a locking 

clip, to lock the child 

restraint during normal 

driving conditions.

■ Check your vehicle’s 

owner’s manual to 

determine whether 

a locking clip is 

needed to secure 

the child safety seat.

restraint during normal 
Things To Avoid

The path of least resistance the “child crusher” position

avoid child’s play A lack of restraint

■ A child should never be unrestrained in any 

vehicle seat, with or without an air bag system.

A lap-held, 

unrestrained 

child is in the 

“child crusher” 

position.

■ Infant carriers are not designed to protect 

infants in a crash. They do not have a belt 

path or a label stating they meet federal 

motor vehicle safety standards.

■ Child is unrestrained 

and should be in the 

child restraint in the 

back seat. No adult 

can safely transport 

a child on his/her lap.

■ Hard toys and 

other objects 

can become 

dangerous 

projectiles 

during hard 

braking and 

crash situations. Use soft 

toys only.

17I N C O R R E C T

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NO!

NO!

NO!

Always use the 

correct child 

restraint system. 

Never use pillows, 

books or towels 

to boost a child. 

Doing so can 

compromise your 

child’s safety.

NO!
Warning Labels

18

read the labels

A I R B A G S

■ Air bag warning 

label on the safety 

belt system.

■ Air bag warning label on vehicle visor.

Air bags have saved the lives 

of more than 6,500 people. 

However, they work best 

when everyone is buckled. 

Children under 12 are safest 

when properly restrained in 

the back seat.

stay advised

heed the warning

■ Air bag warning label 

on child restraint 

system.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19

LATCH

A T T A C H M E N T S

Upper tether attachment improves 

protection by attaching the top of 

the child safety seat more securely 

to the vehicle. Older model vehicles 

may require special hardware installation. Lower attachments make 

installation easier by allowing the 

child restraint to be attached to the 

vehicle without using the vehicle’s 

belt system.

lower anchor attachment

latch child restraint 

attachment

upper tether attachment

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

LATCH is required on most child safety 

seats and all vehicles manufactured 

after September 1, 2002.

 (lower anchors and tethers for children)
20

no middle seat contoured seat

jumpseats

Compatibility Issues

seat buckles

V E H I C L E S E A T S

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

■ Some vehicle seats do not have a 

middle position that can be used 

with a child restraint system.

■ Contours in vehicle 

seats can make it 

diffi cult to install a 

child restraint 

correctly.

■ Rear-facing convertible seat is too 

upright.

■ Child restraint system 

manufacturers prohibit the use of child 

restraints in sidefacing vehicle seats 

(jumpseats). 

■ Buckles on extended webbing may make it 

diffi cult to properly install a child restraint 

system.
(Front Cover)

Which child is buckled correctly? 

If you guessed the one in the middle, then you’re right. 

The harness straps are flat, snug and in position, and the 

chest clip is at the proper mid-chest, armpit level.

The other photos illustrate some common mistakes that 

compromise protection and result in almost 80% of children 

being improperly restrained. 

■ Upper left: The child is too small to be in a vehicle lap/

shoulder belt. The shoulder belt is under the child’s arm, 

and the lap belt is resting on the child’s abdomen. 

■ Upper right: Harness straps are too high, loose and the 

chest clip is too low.

■ Bottom right: Harness straps are loose and twisted and 

the chest clip is disconnected. 

■ Bottom left: Although the lap belt is positioned correctly, 

the vehicle shoulder belt is under the child’s arm. 

With the wide variety of child restraint systems, belt 

systems and passenger vehicles, correctly installing a child restraint system can be challenging. This 

booklet is designed to help you identify and learn 

how to correct common mistakes when installing a child restraint and securing your child in the 

restraint. Making the right connections will help improve overall protection for your child. Always read 

child restraint and vehicle manufacturers’ instructions for proper use and installation information. 

Air Bag Warning Label

Harness Slots (3 sets)

Harness Release Mechanism

Harness Release Button (red)

5 Pt. Harness System (contacting child at shoulders, hips and groin)

Harness Chest Clip

Pull Strap To Tighten Harness

Belt Path (not pictured)

See page 6 for an illustration.

the big Picture
This booklet may be copied, printed or reproduced

without modifi cation for non-commercial distribution.

DOT HS 809 245

(revised) March 2005