2003 Toyota RAV4 Owners Manual - Page 77

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 50 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 51 in this section for details. D Toyota strongly urges you to use a proper child restraint system which conforms to the size of the child and to install it 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 Make sure you have complied with all installation instructions provided by the child restraint manufacturer and that the system is properly secured. 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. 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 Unless it is unavoidable, do not put a forward-facing child restraint system on the front seat. DA forward-facing child restraint system should be allowed to be put on the front seat only when it is unavoidable. Always move the seat as far back as possible, because the force of the deploying airbag could cause death or serious injury to the child. 68