Q: What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt
is very close to the child’s face or neck?
A: If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window,
move the child toward the center of the vehicle.
If the child is sitting in a center rear seat position,
move the child toward the safety belt buckle.
In either case, be sure that the shoulder belt still is
on the child’s shoulder, so that in a crash the
child’s upper body would have the restraint that
belts provide. If the child is sitting in a rear outboard
position, see Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides on
page 1-37.
{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is
behind the child. If the child wears the belt in
this way, in a crash the child might slide under
the belt. The belt’s force would then be applied
right on the child’s abdomen. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries.
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