Installing the Car Seat With a Seat Belt and Tether

1. Read your car seat’s instruction manual and your vehicle’s owner manual. Pay close attention to the information about your vehicle’s seat belt system, and how to “lock” the seat belt. Also look for the location of the tether anchors, and directions on how to use this vehicle hardware.
2. Place the car seat in the back seat of your vehicle in the forward-facing position.
3. Carefully thread the seat belt through the forward-facing belt path. Be careful not to have any twists in the seat belts.
4. Buckle the seat belt.
5. Lock the seat belt.
6. Press down firmly on the car seat and tighten.
   • You should not be able to move the car seat side-to-side or front-to-back more than 1 inch.
7. Connect the tether found on the car seat to your vehicle’s tether anchor and tighten. This step is very important as it limits forward movement in a crash.

Fitting Your Child Correctly in the Car Seat

1. Have your child sit with his/her back and bottom flat against the car seat.
2. Properly position the harness on your child. Harness straps should lie flat, not twisted, and be placed through the slots located at or above your child’s shoulders.
   • Some car seats require use of the top-most slot for the forward-facing position. These slots are reinforced to prevent the seat from failing in a crash. Read your car seat’s instruction manual carefully.
3. Buckle the harness and the chest clip, and tighten. The harness is snug enough when you cannot pinch any extra material at the shoulder.
   • Bulky clothing or heavy coats can prevent a snug harness fit. Always buckle the child in the seat first, and then place coats or blankets over the harness.
4. Place the chest clip at armpit level. This holds the harness straps in place on the child’s chest and shoulders.

Best Practice

Continue to use your car seat in the forward-facing position with a harness and tether for as long as possible. Always read the car seat and vehicle manuals for weight limits.

Installing the Car Seat With Lower Anchors and Tether

1. Read your car seat’s instruction manual and your vehicle’s owner manual carefully. Pay close attention to the location of the lower anchors and tether anchors, and directions on how to use this vehicle hardware.
2. Place the car seat in the back seat of your vehicle in the forward-facing position.
3. Locate the lower anchors in your vehicle.
4. Connect the lower anchor attachments on the car seat to the lower anchors, making sure the straps aren’t twisted.
5. Press down firmly on the car seat and tighten the straps.
   • You should not be able to move the car seat side-to-side or front-to-back more than 1 inch.
6. Connect the tether found on the car seat to the tether anchor in the vehicle and tighten. This step is very important as it limits forward movement in a crash.

Fitting Your Child Correctly in the Car Seat

1. Have your child sit with his/her back and bottom flat against the car seat.
2. Properly position the harness on your child. Harness straps should lie flat, not twisted, and be placed through the slots located at or above your child’s shoulders.
   • Some car seats require use of the top-most slot for the forward-facing position. These slots are reinforced to prevent the seat from failing in a crash. Read your car seat’s instruction manual carefully.
3. Buckle the harness and the chest clip, and tighten. The harness is snug enough when you cannot pinch any extra material at the shoulder.
   • Bulky clothing or heavy coats can prevent a snug harness fit. Always buckle the child in the seat first, and then place coats or blankets over the harness.
4. Place the chest clip at armpit level. This holds the harness straps in place on the child’s chest and shoulders.

Best Practice

Don’t rush to move your child to a booster too early. Continue to use your car seat, in the forward-facing position with a harness and tether for as long as possible. If your child reaches the weight limit for the lower anchors but is still within the weight and height limits of the car seat, reinstall the car seat using your vehicle’s seat belt.