Lincoln Aviator (2020 year). Instruction — part 2

Recommendations for Safety Restraints for Children

Recommended Restraint Type

Child Size, Height, Weight, or Age

Child

Use a child restraint (sometimes called an

infant carrier, convertible seat, or toddler

seat).

Children weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less (generally age four or

younger).

Infants or toddlers

Use a belt-positioning booster seat.

Children who have outgrown or no longer properly fit in a child

restraint (generally children who are less than 57 in (1.45 m) tall,

are greater than age four and less than age 12, and between 40 lb

(18 kg) and 80 lb (36 kg) and upward to 100 lb (45 kg) if recom-

mended by your child restraint manufacturer).

Small children

Use a vehicle seatbelt having the lap belt

snug and low across the hips, shoulder belt

centered across the shoulder and chest, and

seat backrest upright.

Children who have outgrown or no longer properly fit in a belt-

positioning booster seat (generally children who are at least 57 in

(1.45 m) tall or greater than 80 lb (36 kg) or 100 lb (45 kg) if

recommended by child restraint manufacturer).

Larger children

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•

You are required by law to properly use
child restraints for infants and toddlers in
the United States and Canada.

•

Many states and provinces require that
small children use approved booster
seats until they reach age eight, a height
of 57 in (1.45 m) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).
Check your local and state or provincial
laws for specific requirements about the
safety of children in your vehicle.

•

When possible, properly restrain children
12 years of age and under in a rear
seating position of your vehicle. Accident
statistics suggest that children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in a front seating
position. See Front Passenger Sensing
System (page 55).

•

When installing a rear facing child
restraint, adjust the vehicle seats to avoid
interference between the child restraint
and the vehicle seat in front of the child
restraint.

INSTALLING CHILD RESTRAINTS

Child Seats

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Use a child restraint (sometimes called an
infant carrier, convertible seat, or toddler
seat) for infants, toddlers and children
weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less (generally
four-years-old or younger).

Using Lap and Shoulder Belts

WARNING: Do not place a rearward

facing child restraint in front of an active
airbag. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death.

WARNING: Properly secure children

12 years old and under in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If you are
unable to properly secure all children in a
rear seating position, properly secure the
largest child on the front seat. If you must
use a forward facing child restraint on the
front seat, move the seat as far back as
possible. Failure to follow these
instructions could result in personal injury
or death.

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WARNING: Depending on where you

secure a child restraint, and depending on
the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain seatbelt buckle
assemblies and LATCH lower anchors,
rendering those features potentially
unusable. To avoid risk of injury, make sure
occupants only use seating positions
where they are able to be properly
restrained.

When installing a child restraint with
combination lap and shoulder belts:
•

Use the correct seatbelt buckle for that
seating position.

•

Insert the belt tongue into the proper
buckle until you hear a snap and feel it
latch. Make sure the tongue is securely
fastened in the buckle.

•

Keep the buckle release button pointing
up and away from the child restraint, with
the tongue between the child restraint
and the release button, to prevent
accidental unbuckling.

•

Place the vehicle seat in the upright
position before you install the child
restraint.

•

For second row seating positions, adjust
the recliner slightly to improve child
restraint fit. If needed, remove the head
restraints.

•

For third row seating positions, stow the
head restraints to improve child restraint
fit. See Head Restraints (page 168).

•

Put the seatbelt in the automatic locking
mode. See Step 5. This vehicle does not
require the use of a locking clip.

Perform the following steps when installing
the child restraint with combination lap and
shoulder belts:

Note: Although the child restraint illustrated
is a forward facing child restraint, the steps
are the same for installing a rear facing child
restraint.

Note: Follow all instructions provided by the
manufacturer of the child restraint regarding
the necessary and proper use of the lock-off
device. In some instances these devices
have been provided only for use in vehicles
with seatbelt systems that would otherwise
require a locking clip.

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1. Position the child restraint in a seat with

a combination lap and shoulder belt.

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2. After positioning the child restraint in the

proper seating position, pull down on the
shoulder belt and then grasp the
shoulder belt and lap belt together
behind the belt tongue.

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3. While holding the shoulder and lap belt

portions together, route the tongue
through the child restraint according to
the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions. Make sure you do not twist
the belt webbing.

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4. Insert the belt tongue into the proper

buckle (the buckle closest to the direction
the tongue is coming from) for that
seating position until you hear a snap and
feel the latch engage. Make sure you
securely latch the tongue by pulling on
it.

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5. To put the retractor in the automatic

locking mode, grasp the shoulder portion
of the belt and pull downward until you
pull all of the belt out.

Note: The automatic locking mode is
available on the front passenger and rear
seats.

6. Allow the belt to retract to remove slack.

The belt clicks as it retracts to indicate it
is in the automatic locking mode.

7. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to

make sure the retractor is in the
automatic locking mode. You should not
be able to pull more belt out. If the
retractor did not lock, unbuckle the belt
and repeat Steps 5 and 6.

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8. Remove remaining slack from the belt.

Force the seat down with extra weight,
for example, by pressing down or
kneeling on the child restraint as you pull
up on the shoulder belt to force slack
from the belt. This is necessary to remove
the remaining slack that exists once you

add the extra weight of the child to the
child restraint. It also helps to achieve the
proper snugness of the child restraint to
your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean
toward the buckle provides extra help to
remove remaining slack from the belt.

9. If the child restraint has a tether strap,

attach it.

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10.

Before placing the child in the seat,
forcibly move the seat forward and back
to make sure you have the seat
securely held in place. To check this,
grab the seat at the belt path and
attempt to move it side to side and
forward and back. There should be no
more than 1 in (2.5 cm) of movement for
proper installation.

We recommend checking with a NHTSA
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician
to make certain the child restraint is properly
installed. In Canada, check with Transport
Canada for referral to a Child Car Seat Clinic.

Using Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren (LATCH)

WARNING: Do not attach two child

safety restraints to the same anchor. In a
crash, one anchor may not be strong
enough to hold two child safety restraint
attachments and may break, causing
serious injury or death.

WARNING: Depending on where you

secure a child restraint, and depending on
the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain seatbelt buckle
assemblies and LATCH lower anchors,
rendering those features potentially
unusable. To avoid risk of injury, make sure
occupants only use seating positions
where they are able to be properly
restrained.

The LATCH system has three vehicle anchor
points: two lower anchors where the seat
backrest and seat cushion meet (called the
seat bight) and one top tether anchor behind
that seating position.

LATCH compatible child restraints have two
rigid or webbing mounted attachments that
connect to the two lower anchors at the
LATCH equipped seating positions in your
vehicle. This type of attachment method
eliminates the need to use seatbelts to attach

the child restraint. However, you can still use
the seatbelt to attach the child restraint. For
forward-facing child restraints, you must also
attach the top tether strap to the proper top
tether anchor if one came with your child
restraint.

Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for
child restraint installation at the seating
positions marked with the child restraint
symbol.

Second Row Bucket Seats and Third Row
Seats

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Second Row Bench Seats and Third Row
Seats

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The LATCH anchors are at the rear section
of the rear seat between the cushion and
seat backrest below the symbols as shown.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions to properly install a child restraint
with LATCH attachments.

Follow the instructions on attaching child
restraints with tether straps. See Using
Tether Straps later in this chapter.

Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child
restraint only to the anchors shown.

Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from the
Outermost Seating Positions (Center
Seating Use)

WARNING: The standardized spacing

for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in (280 mm)
center to center. Do not use LATCH lower
anchors for the center seating position
unless the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions permit and specify using
anchors spaced at least as far apart as
those in this vehicle.

The lower anchors at the center of the
second row bench seat are spaced 20.5 in
(52 cm) apart. The standardized spacing for
LATCH lower anchors is 11 in (28 cm) center
to center. You cannot install a child restraint
with rigid LATCH attachments at the center
seating position. You can only use LATCH
compatible child restraints with attachments
on belt webbing at this seating position
provided that the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions permit use with
the anchor spacing stated. Do not attach a
child restraint to any lower anchor if you have
an adjacent child restraint attached to that
anchor.

Each time you use the child restraint, check
that the seat is properly attached to the lower
anchors and tether anchor, if applicable. Tug
the child restraint from side to side and
forward and back where you secured it to
your vehicle. The child restraint should move
less than 1 in (2.5 cm) if you properly installed
it.

If you do not properly anchor the child
restraint, the risk of injury to a child greatly
increases in a crash.

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Combining Seatbelt and LATCH Lower
Anchors for Attaching Child Restraints

When used in combination, you can attach
either the seatbelt or the LATCH lower
anchors first, provided a proper installation
is achieved. Attach the tether strap afterward,
if included with the child restraint.

Using Tether Straps

Many forward-facing child
restraints include a tether strap
which extends from the back of the

child restraint and hooks to an anchoring
point called the top tether anchor. Tether
straps are available as an accessory for many
older child restraints.

Contact the manufacturer of your child
restraint for information about ordering a
tether strap, or to obtain a longer tether strap
if the tether strap on your child restraint does
not reach the appropriate top tether anchor
in your vehicle.

Once you install the child restraint using
either the seatbelt, the lower anchors of the
LATCH system, or both, you can attach the
top tether strap.

The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are
in the following positions (shown from top
view):

Second Row Bucket Seats and Third Row
Seats

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Second Row Bench Seats and Third Row
Seats

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Perform the following steps to install a child
restraint with tether anchors:

Note: If you install a child restraint with rigid
LATCH attachments, do not tighten the
tether strap enough to lift the child restraint
off your vehicle seat cushion when the child
is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug
without lifting the front of the child restraint.
Keeping the child restraint just touching your
vehicle seat gives the best protection in a
severe crash.

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For second row outermost seating positions,
route the child restraint tether strap over the
seat backrest, under the head restraint and
between the head restraint posts. If needed,
remove the head restraint to improve the fit
of the child restraint or tether strap.

For the second row center seating position,
route the child restraint tether strap over the
top of the head restraint. If needed, remove
the head restraint to improve the fit of the
child restraint or tether strap. See Head
Restraints (page 168).

For third row seating positions, route the
child restraint tether strap over the seat
backrest, under the head restraint and
between the head restraint posts. If needed,
fold the head restraint down to improve the
fit of the child restraint or tether strap. See
Head Restraints (page 168).

1. Route the tether strap.

2. Locate the correct anchor for the

selected seating position.

3. Clip the tether strap to the anchor as

shown. The tether hook may be twisted
½ turn to improve installation. If you clip
the tether strap incorrectly, the child
restraint may not be retained properly in
the event of a crash.

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4. Tighten the child restraint tether strap

according to the manufacturer's
instructions.

If the child restraint is not anchored properly,
the risk of injury to a child greatly increases
in a crash.

If your child restraint system has a tether
strap, and the child restraint manufacturer
recommends its use, we also recommend its
use.

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Second Row Bucket Seats

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Second Row Bench Seats

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Third Row Seats

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Note: The cargo tie downs at the rear edge
of the floor are not tether anchors.

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BOOSTER SEATS

WARNING: Do not put the shoulder

section of the seatbelt or allow the child to
put the shoulder section of the seatbelt
under their arm or behind their back.
Failure to follow this instruction could
reduce the effectiveness of the seatbelt
and increase the risk of injury or death in
a crash.

Use a belt-positioning booster seat for
children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety restraint
(generally children who are less than 57 in
(1.45 m) tall, are greater than age 4 and less
than age 12, and between 40 lb (18 kg) and
80 lb (36 kg) and upward to 100 lb (45 kg) if
recommended by your child restraint
manufacturer). Many state and provincial
laws require that children use approved
booster seats until they reach age eight, a
height of 57 in (1.45 m) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).

Booster seats should be used until you can
answer YES to ALL of these questions when
seated without a booster seat:

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•

Can the child sit all the way back against
their vehicle seat backrest with knees
bent comfortably at the edge of the seat
cushion?

•

Can the child sit without slouching?

•

Does the lap belt rest low across the
hips?

•

Is the shoulder belt centered on the
shoulder and chest?

•

Can the child stay seated like this for the
whole trip?

Always use booster seats in conjunction with
your vehicle lap and shoulder belt.

Types of Booster Seats

E68924

•

Backless booster seats

If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the shield. If a
vehicle seating position has a low seat
backrest or no head restraint, a backless
booster seat may place your child's head (as
measured at the tops of the ears) above the
top of the seat. In this case, move the
backless booster to another seating position
with a higher seat backrest or head restraint
and lap and shoulder belts, or consider using
a high back booster seat.

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•

High back booster seats

If, with a backless booster seat, you cannot
find a seating position that adequately
supports your child's head, a high back
booster seat would be a better choice.

Children and booster seats vary in size and
shape. Choose a booster that keeps the lap
belt low and snug across the hips, never up
across the stomach, and lets you adjust the
shoulder belt to cross the chest and rest
snugly near the center of the shoulder. The

following drawings compare the ideal fit
(center) to a shoulder belt uncomfortably
close to the neck and a shoulder belt that
could slip off the shoulder. The drawings also
show how the lap belt should be low and
snug across the child's hips.

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If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat
upon which it is being used, placing a
rubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpet liner
under the booster seat may improve this
condition. Do not introduce any item thicker
than this under the booster seat. Check with
the booster seat manufacturer's instructions.

CHILD RESTRAINT POSITIONING

WARNING: Do not place a rearward

facing child restraint in front of an active
airbag. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death.

WARNING: Properly secure children

12 years old and under in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If you are
unable to properly secure all children in a
rear seating position, properly secure the
largest child on the front seat. If you must
use a forward facing child restraint on the
front seat, move the seat as far back as
possible. Failure to follow these
instructions could result in personal injury
or death.

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WARNING: Always carefully follow

the instructions and warnings provided by
the manufacturer of any child restraint to
determine if the restraint device is
appropriate for your child's size, height,
weight, or age. Follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions and warnings
provided for installation and use in
conjunction with the instructions and
warnings provided by your vehicle
manufacturer. A safety seat that is
improperly installed or utilized, is
inappropriate for your child's height, age,
or weight or does not properly fit the child
may increase the risk of serious injury or
death.

WARNING: Do not allow a passenger

to hold a child on their lap when your
vehicle is moving. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death in the event of a sudden stop or
crash.

WARNING: Do not use pillows, books

or towels to boost your child's height.
Failure to follow this instruction could result
in personal injury or death.

WARNING: Properly secure child

restraints or booster seats when they are
not in use. They could become projectiles
in a sudden stop or crash. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in personal
injury or death.

WARNING: Do not put the shoulder

section of the seatbelt or allow the child to
put the shoulder section of the seatbelt
under their arm or behind their back.
Failure to follow this instruction could
reduce the effectiveness of the seatbelt
and increase the risk of injury or death in
a crash.

WARNING: Do not leave children or

pets unattended in your vehicle. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death.

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