2000 FORD MUSTANG child restraint

The following warning may be required by California
law:
CALIFORNIA Proposition 65 Warning
Engine exhaust, some if its constituents, and
certain vehicle components contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer, or birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
ICONS
Indicates a safety alert.
Read the following
section onWarnings.
Indicates vehicle
information related to
recycling and other
environmental
concerns will follow.
Correct vehicle usage and the authorized disposal of
waste cleaning and lubrication materials are
significant steps towards protecting the
environment.
Indicates a message
regarding child safety
restraints. Refer to
Seating and safety
restraintsfor more information.
Indicates that this
Owner Guide contains
information on this
subject. Please refer to
the Index to locate the appropriate section which
will provide you more information.
Introduction
2

To reduce the risk of injury, make sure
children sit where they can be properly
restrained.
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or
her lap while the vehicle is moving. The
passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a
collision.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the
driver, should always properly wear their
safety belts, even when an air bag SRS is provided.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow
people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is
not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt.
Each seating position in your vehicle has a
specific safety belt assembly which is made
up of one buckle and one tongue that are designed
to be used as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt on
the outside shoulder only. Never wear the shoulder
belt under the arm. 2) Never swing the safety belt
around your neck over the inside shoulder.
3) Never use a single belt for more than one
person.
Seating and safety restraints
66

Always transport children 12 years old and
under in the back seat and always properly
use appropriate child restraints.
Combination lap and shoulder belts
Before fastening the
safety belt, make sure
the shoulder belt
passes through the belt
holder on the top of
the seatback.
Coupe shown,
convertible is similar
and safety belt must also pass through the belt
holder.
1. Insert the belt
tongue into the proper
buckle (the buckle
closest to the direction
the tongue is coming
from) until you hear a
snap and feel it latch.
Make sure the tongue
is securely fastened in
the buckle.
2. To unfasten, push
the release button and
remove the tongue
from the buckle.
Seating and safety restraints
67

The front and rear outboard safety restraints in the
vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts. The
front passenger and rear seat outboard safety belts
have two types of locking modes described below:
Vehicle sensitive mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the normal retractor
mode, allowing free shoulder belt length adjustment
to your movements and locking in response to
vehicle movement. For example, if the driver brakes
suddenly or turns a corner sharply, or the vehicle
receives an impact of approximately 8 km/h (5 mph)
or more, the combination safety belts will lock to
help reduce forward movement of the driver and
passengers.
The seat belt system can also be made to lock
manually by quickly pulling on the shoulder belt.
Automatic locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically
pre-locked. The belt will still retract to remove any
slack in the shoulder belt.
The automatic locking mode is not available on the
driver safety belt.
When to use the automatic locking mode
²Anytimea child safety seat is installed in a
passenger front or outboard rear seating position
(if equipped). Children 12 years old and under
should be properly restrained in the rear seat
whenever possible. Refer toSafety Restraints for
ChildrenorSafety Seats for Childrenlater in
this chapter.
Seating and safety restraints
68

The following are reasons most often given for not
wearing safety belts: (All statistics based on U.S.
data)
Reasons
given...Consider...
9Crashes are
rare events9
36 700 crashes occur every day.The
more we drive, the more we are exposed
to9rare9events, even for good drivers.1
in 4 of us will be seriously injured in a
crash during our lifetime.
9I'm not going
far93of4fatal crashes occur within25
miles of home.
9Belts are
uncomfortable9Ford designs its safety belts to enhance
comfort. If you are uncomfortable - try
different positions for the safety belt
upper anchorage and seatback which
should be as upright as possible; this
can improve comfort.
9I was in a
hurry9Prime time for an accident.Belt
Minder reminds us to take a few
seconds to buckle up.
9Seat belts
don't work9Safety belts,when used properly,
reduce risk of deathto front seat
occupants by45% in cars,and by60%
in light trucks.
9Traffic is
light9Nearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in
single-vehicle crashes,many when no
other vehicles are around.
9Belts wrinkle
my clothes9Possibly, but a serious crash can do
much more than wrinkle your clothes,
particularly if you are unbelted.
9The people
I'm with don't
wear belts9
Set the example, teen deaths occur 4
times more often in vehicles with TWO or
MORE people. Children and younger
brothers/sisters imitate behavior they see.
9I have an air
bag9Air bags offer greater protection when
used with safety belts. Frontal airbags
are not designed to inflate in rear and
side crashes or rollovers.
9I'd rather be
thrown clear9Not a good idea,peoplewho are
ejected are 40 times more likely to
DIE.Safety belts help prevent ejection,
WE CAN'T9PICK OUR CRASH9.
Seating and safety restraints
72

front seat belt buckle assemblies, buckle support
assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder belt
height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt guide
on seatback (if equipped), child safety seat tether
bracket assemblies (if equipped), and attaching
hardware, should be inspected after a collision. Ford
recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in
vehicles involved in a collision be replaced. However,
if the collision was minor and a qualified technician
finds that the belts do not show damage and
continue to operate properly, they do not need to be
replaced. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a
collision should also be inspected and replaced if
either damage or improper operation is noted.
Failure to inspect and if necessary replace
the safety belt assembly under the above
conditions could result in severe personal injuries
in the event of a collision.
Refer toCleaning and maintaining the safety
beltsin theMaintenance and caresection.
AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM
(SRS)
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records information about
the air bag and sensor systems. In the event of a
collision this module may save information related to
the collision including information about the air bag
system and impact severity. This information will
assist Ford in the servicing of your vehicle and may
help Ford better understand real world collisions
and further improve the safety of future vehicles.
Seating and safety restraints
75

Important supplemental restraint system (SRS)
precautions
The supplemental
restraint system is
designed to work with
the safety belt to help
protect the driver and
right front passenger
from certain upper body
injuries.
Air bags DO NOT inflate
slowly or gently and the
risk of injury from a deploying air bag is greatest
close to the trim covering the air bag module.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the
driver, should always properly wear their
safety belts, even when an air bag SRS is provided.
Always transport children 12 years old and
under in the back seat and always properly
use appropriate child restraints.
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) recommends a
minimum distance of at least 25 cm (10 inches)
between an occupant's chest and the driver air bag
module.
Never place your arm over the air bag
module as a deploying air bag can result in
serious arm fractures or other injuries.
Steps you can take to properly position yourself
away from the air bag:
²Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while
still reaching the pedals comfortably.
Seating and safety restraints
76

²Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees)
from the upright position.
Do not put anything on or over the air bag
module. Placing objects on or over the air
bag inflation area may cause those objects to be
propelled by the air bag into your face and torso
causing serious injury.
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify
the Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System
or its fuses. See your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury
dealer.
Modifications to the front end of the vehicle,
including frame, bumper, front end body
structure and tow hooks may effect the
performance of the air bag sensors increasing the
risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the
vehicle.
Children and air bags
For additional
important safety
information, read all
information on safety
restraints in this guide.
Children must always
be properly restrained.
Accident statistics
suggest that children
are safer when
properly restrained in
the rear seating
positions than in the front seating position. Failure
to follow these instructions may increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
Seating and safety restraints
77