2003 FORD SUPER DUTY child restraint

AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
Important SRS precautions
The SRS is designed to work with
the safetybelt to help protect the
driver and right front passenger
from certain upper bodyinjuries. Air
bags DO NOT inflate slowly; there is
a risk of injuryfrom a deploying air
bag.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properlywear their safetybelts, 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.
The National HighwayTraffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance of at least 25 cm (10 inches)
between an occupant’s chest and the driver air bag module.
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Never place your arm over the air bag module as a deploying air
bag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries.
To properlyposition yourself awayfrom the air bag:
•Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
•Recline the seat slightlyone 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 maycause those
objects to be propelled bythe air bag into your face and torso causing
serious injury.
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modifythe air bag
supplemental restraint systems or its fuses. See your Ford or
Lincoln Mercurydealer.
The front passenger air bag is not designed to offer protection to
an occupant in the center front seating position.
Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of the vehicle
(including frame, bumper, front end bodystructure and tow
hooks) mayaffect the performance of the air bag system, increasing
the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.
Additional equipment such as snowplow equipment mayeffect
the performance of the air bag sensors increasing the risk of
injury. Please refer to the Body Builders Lay out Book for instructions
about the appropriate installation of additional equipment.
Removing the blocker beam without installing snow plow
attachment hardware mayeffect air bag deployment in a crash.
Do not operate the truck unless either the blocker beam or snow plow
attachment hardware is installed on the vehicle.
Children and air bags
For additional important safetyinformation, read all information on
safetyrestraints in this guide.
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Children must always be properly restrained. Failure to follow these
instructions mayincrease the risk of injuryin a collision.
An infant in a rear-facing seat faces a high risk of serious or fatal
injuries from a deploying passenger air bag. Rear facing infant
seats should NEVER be placed in the front seats, unless the passenger
air bag is turned off. SeePassenger air bag ON/OFF switch.
How does the air bag supplemental restraint system work?
The air bag SRS is designed to
activate when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration.
The fact that the air bags did not
inflate in a collision does not mean
that something is wrong with the
system. Rather, it means the forces
were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation. Air bags are
designed to inflate in frontal and
near-frontal collisions, not rollover,
side-impact, or rear-impacts.
The air bags inflate and deflate
rapidlyupon activation. After air bag
deployment, it is normal to notice a
smoke-like, powderyresidue or
smell the burnt propellant. This may
consist of cornstarch, talcum
powder (to lubricate the bag) or
sodium compounds (e.g., baking
soda) that result from the
combustion process that inflates the
air bag. Small amounts of sodium
hydroxide may be present which
mayirritate the skin and eyes, but
none of the residue is toxic.
While the system is designed to help
reduce serious injuries, it mayalso
cause minor abrasions, swelling or temporaryhearing loss. Because air
bags must inflate rapidlyand with considerable force, there is the risk of
death or serious injuries such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or
internal injuries, particularlyto occupants who are not properly
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If your vehicle has rear seats, always transport children who are
12 and younger in the rear seat. Always use safety belts and
child restraints properly. If a child in a rear facing infant seat must be
transported in front, the passenger air bagmustbe turned OFF. This is
because the back of the infant seat is too close to the inflating air bag
and the risk of a fatal injuryto the infant when the air bag inflates is
substantial.
The vast majorityof drivers and passengers are much safer with an air
bag than without. To do their job and reduce the risk of life threatening
injuries, air bags must open with great force, and this force can pose a
potentiallydeadlyrisk in some situations, particularlywhen a front seat
occupant is not properlybuckled up. The most effective wayto reduce
the risk of unnecessaryair bag injuries without reducing the overall
safetyof the vehicle is to make sure all occupants are properly
restrained in the vehicle, especiallyin the front seat. This provides the
protection of safetybelts and permits the air bags to provide the
additional protection theywere designed to provide. If you choose to
deactivate your air bag, you are losing the very significant risk reducing
benefits of the air bag and you are also reducing the effectiveness of the
safetybelts, because safetybelts in modern vehicles are designed to
work as a safetysystem with the air bags.
Read all air bag Warning labels in the vehicle as well as the other
important air bag instructions and Warnings in this Owner’s Guide.
NHTSA deactivation criteria (excluding Canada)
1.Infant.An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
•the vehicle has no rear seat;
•the vehicle has a rear seat too small to accommodate a rear-facing
infant seat; or
•the infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant’s
physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front so that
the driver can constantlymonitor the child’s condition.
2.Child age 1 to 12.A child age 1 to 12 must ride in the front seat
because:
•the vehicle has no rear seat;
•although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear seat(s) whenever
possible, children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the front
because no space is available in the rear seat(s) of the vehicle; or
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•the child has a medical condition which, according to the child’s
physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can constantlymonitor the child’s condition.
3.Medical condition.A passenger has a medical condition which,
according to his or her physician:
•causes the passenger air bag to pose a special risk for the passenger;
and
•makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag in a crash
greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and
allowing the passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or
windshield in a crash.
This vehicle has special energymanagement safetybelts for the
driver and right front passenger. These particular belts are
specificallydesigned to work with air bags to help reduce the risk of
injuryin a collision. The energymanagement safetybelt is designed to
give or release additional belt webbing in some accidents to reduce
concentration of force on an occupant’s chest and reduce the risk of
certain bone fractures and injuries to underlying organs. In a crash, if
the air bag is turned OFF, this energymanagement safetybelt might
permit the person wearing the belt to move forward enough to incur a
serious or fatal injury. The more severe the crash, and the heavier the
occupant, the greater the risk is. Be sure the air bag is turned ON for
anyperson who does not qualifyunder the NHTSA deactivation
criteria.
Transport Canada deactivation criteria (Canada Only)
1.Infant:An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
•myvehicle has no rear seat;
•the rear seat in myvehicle cannot accommodate a rear-facing infant
seat; or
•the infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant’s
physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can monitor the infant’s condition.
2.Child age 12 or under:A child age 12 or under must ride in the
front seat because:
•myvehicle has no rear seat;
•although children age 12 and under ride in the rear seat whenever
possible, children age 12 and under have no option but to sometimes
ride in the front seat because rear seat space is insufficient; or
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•the child has a medical condition that, according to the child’s
physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can monitor the child’s condition.
3.Medical condition:A passenger has a medical condition that,
according to his or her physician:
•poses a special risk for the passenger if the air bag deploys; and
•makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag deployment
greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and
experiencing a crash without the protection offered bythe air bag
This vehicle has special energymanagement safetybelts for the
driver and right front passenger. These particular belts are
specificallydesigned to work with air bags to help reduce the risk of
injuryin a collision. The energymanagement safetybelt is designed to
give or release additional belt webbing in some accidents to reduce
concentration of force on an occupant’s chest and reduce the risk of
certain bone fractures and injuries to underlying organs. In a crash, if
the air bag is turned OFF, this energymanagement safetybelt might
permit the person wearing the belt to move forward enough to incur a
serious or fatal injury. The more severe the crash, and the heavier the
occupant, the greater the risk is. Be sure the air bag is turned ON for
anyperson who does not qualifyunder the NHTSA deactivation
criteria.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN
See the following sections for directions on how to properlyuse safety
restraints for children. Also seeAir bag supplemental restraint system
(SRS)in this chapter for special instructions about using air bags.
Important child restraint precautions
You are required bylaw to use safetyrestraints for children in the U.S.
and Canada. If small children (generallychildren who are four years old
or younger and who weigh 18 kg [40 lbs] or less) ride in your vehicle,
you must put them in safetyseats made especiallyfor children. Check
your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements
regarding the safety of children in your vehicle. When possible, always
place children under age 12 in the rear seat of your vehicle. Accident
statistics suggest that children are safer when properlyrestrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seating position.
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Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from
injuryin a collision.
Always follow the instructions and warnings that come with any infant or
child restraint you might use.
Children and safety belts
If the child is the proper size, restrain the child in a safetyseat. Children
who are too large for child safetyseats (as specified byyour child safety
seat manufacturer) should always wear safety belts.
Follow all the important safetyrestraint and air bag precautions that
applyto adult passengers in your vehicle.
If the shoulder belt portion of a combination lap and shoulder belt can
be positioned so it does not cross or rest in front of the child’s face or
neck, the child should wear the lap and shoulder belt. Moving the child
closer to the center of the vehicle mayhelp provide a good shoulder belt
fit.
Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets unattended in
your vehicle.
Child booster seats
Children outgrow a typical convertible or toddler seat when they weigh
40 pounds and are around 4 years of age. Although the lap/shoulder belt
will provide some protection, these children are still too small for
lap/shoulder belts to fit properly, which could increase the risk of serious
injury.
To improve the fit of both the lap and shoulder belt on children who
have outgrown child safetyseats, Ford Motor Companyrecommends use
of a belt-positioning booster.
Booster seats position a child so that safetybelts fit better. Theylift the
child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips and the knees
bend comfortably. Booster seats also make the shoulder belt fit better
and more comfortablyfor growing children.
When children should use booster seats
Children need to use booster seats from the time theyoutgrow the
toddler seat until theyare big enough for the vehicle seat and
lap/shoulder belt to fit properly. Generallythis is when theyweigh about
80 lbs (about 8 to 12 years old).
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Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these
questions:
•Can the child sit all the wayback
against the vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortablyat the
edge of the seat without
slouching?
•Does the lap belt rest low across the hips?
•Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
•Can the child stayseated like this for the whole trip?
Types of booster seats
There are two types of belt-positioning booster seats:
•Those that are backless.
If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the
shield and use the lap/shoulder
belt. If a seating position has a
low seat back and no head
restraint, a backless booster seat
mayplace your child’s head (top
of ear level) above the top of the
seat. In this case, move the
backless booster to another
seating position with a higher seat back and lap/shoulder belts.
•Those with a high back.
If, with a backless booster seat,
you cannot find a seating position
that adequatelysupports your
child’s head, a high back booster
seat would be a better choice.
Both can be used in anyvehicle in a seating position equipped with
lap/shoulder belts if your child is over 40 lbs.
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