Kia Cadenza VG Owner's Manual Quiz
Safety Features of Your Vehicle

Types of Child Restraint Systems

In this manual: Safety Features of Your Vehicle
Your Vehicle at a Glance — 5Safety Features of Your Vehicle — 49Vehicle Specifications — 144Driving Your Vehicle — 109What to Do in an Emergency — 21Maintenance — 61Specifications, Consumer Information and Safety Defect Reporting — 18
~2min read

There are three basic types of child restraint systems: rear-facing seats, forward-facing seats, and booster seats. They are classified by the child's age, height, and weight.

Rear-Facing Child Seats

A rear-facing child seat provides a restraint with a seat back surface against the child's back. The harness system holds the child in place and, in the event of a crash, helps keep the child in the seat and reduces the load on the neck and spine.

All children under one year of age must always ride in a rear-facing infant child restraint.

Convertible and 3-in-1 child seats usually have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep the child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

Continue to use a rear-facing child seat until your child reaches the maximum height and weight allowed by the child seat manufacturer. This is the best way to keep them safe. Once your child has outgrown the rear-facing child restraint, your child is ready for a forward-facing child restraint with the vehicle seat belts.

Forward-facing child restraints

A forward-facing child seat secures the child's body with a harness. Keep children in a forward-facing child seat with a harness until they reach the maximum height or weight limit allowed by the child restraint manufacturer.

Once your child outgrows the child restraint, your child is ready for a booster seat.

Child Seats

A booster is a restraint designed to improve the fit of the vehicle's seat belt system. The booster positions the seat belt so that it fits correctly over your child's lap.

Keep the child in a child seat until they are large enough to sit in the seat without a booster and the seat belt still fits properly. For proper seat belt fit, the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt must lie snugly across the shoulder and chest, not across the neck or face. Children under 13 years old should always ride in the rear seat and always be properly secured to minimize the risk of injury.

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