Get Seating and Safety Restraints -> SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN Guide for Ford Focus 4 Door Second Generation (2004-2010)

Seating and Safety Restraints

The fact that the airbags 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. Side airbags are designed

to inflate in side-impact collisions, not roll-over, rear-impact, frontal or

near-frontal collisions, unless the collision causes sufficient lateral

deceleration.

Several air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not

touch them after inflation.

If the side airbag has

deployed, the airbag will

not function again. The side

airbag system (including the

seat) must be inspected and

serviced by an authorized

dealer. If the airbag is not

replaced, the unrepaired area will

increase the risk of injury in a

collision.

Disposal of airbags and airbag equipped vehicles (including

pretensioners)

See your authorized dealer. Airbags MUST BE disposed of by qualified

personnel.

SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN

See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety

restraints for children. Also see Airbag supplemental restraint system

(SRS) in this chapter for special instructions about using airbags.

Rear-facing child seats or infant carriers should never be placed

in front of an active passenger airbag.

Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back

seat and always use appropriate child restraints.

Accident statistics indicate that children are safer when properly

restrained in the rear seats.

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Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets unattended in

your vehicle.

Safety belts and seats can become hot in a vehicle that has been

closed up in sunny weather, they could burn a small child. Check

seat covers and buckles before you place a child anywhere near them.

Important child restraint precautions

You are required by law to use safety restraints for children in the U.S.

and Canada. If small children (generally children who are four years old

or younger and who weigh 40 lb. [18 kg] or less) ride in your vehicle, you

must put them in safety seats made especially for children. Many states

require that children use approved booster seats until they are eight

years old. 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 properly

restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating position.

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.

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 safety seat. Children

who are too large for child safety seats (as specified by your child safety

seat manufacturer) should always wear safety belts.

Follow all the important safety restraint and airbag precautions that

apply to 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 may help provide a good shoulder belt

fit.

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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 lb. (18 kg) 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 in a crash.

To improve the fit of both the lap and shoulder belt on children who

have outgrown child safety seats, Ford Motor Company recommends use

of a belt-positioning booster.

Booster seats position a child so that safety belts fit better. They lift the

child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips and the knees

bend comfortably. Booster seats may also make the shoulder belt fit

better and more comfortably. Try to keep the belt near the middle of the

shoulder.

When children should use booster seats

Children need to use booster seats from the time they outgrow the

toddler seat until they are big enough for the vehicle seat and

lap/shoulder belt to fit properly. Generally this is when they weigh about

80 lb. (36 kg) (about 8 to 12 years old).

Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these

questions:

• Can the child sit all the way back

against the vehicle seat back with

knees bent comfortably at 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 stay seated like this for the whole trip?

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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

may place 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 adequately supports your

child’s head, a high back booster

seat would be a better choice.

Either type can be used at any seating position equipped with

lap/shoulder belts if your child is over 40 lb. (18 kg).

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Children and booster seats vary widely 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 drawings

below compare the ideal fit (center) to a shoulder belt uncomfortably

close to the neck and a shoulder belt that could slip off the shoulder.

If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat, placing a rubberized mesh

sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster seat may improve this

condition.

The importance of shoulder belts

Using a booster without a shoulder belt increases the risk of a child’s

head hitting a hard surface in a collision. For this reason, you should

never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. It is best to use a booster

seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat- the safest place for children

to ride.

Move a child to a different seating location if the shoulder belt

does not stay positioned on the shoulder during use.

Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the

booster seat.

Never put the shoulder belt under a child’s arm or behind the

back because it eliminates the protection for the upper part of

the body and may increase the risk of injury or death in a collision.

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Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a child. They can

slide around and increase the likelihood of injury or death in a

collision.

SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN

Child and infant or child safety seats

Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the

child. Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions with the

safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the

safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden stop or

collision.

When installing a child safety seat:

• Review and follow the information

presented in the Airbag

supplemental restraint system

(SRS) section in this chapter.

• Use the correct safety belt buckle

for that seating position (the

buckle closest to the direction the

tongue is coming from).

• 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 safety

seat, with the tongue between the child seat and the release button,

to prevent accidental unbuckling.

• Place seat back in upright position.

• Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer to Automatic

locking mode (passenger side front and outboard rear seating

positions) (if equipped) section in this chapter.

• LATCH lower anchors are recommended for use by children up to

48 lb. (22 kg) in a child restraint. Top tether anchors can be used for

children up to 60 lb. (27 kg) in a child restraint, and to provide upper

torso restraint for children up to 80 lb. (36 kg) using an upper torso

harness and a belt-positioning booster.

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Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top tether

strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position with LATCH and

tether anchors. For more information on top tether straps and anchors,

refer to Attaching safety seats with tether straps in this chapter. For

more information of LATCH anchors refer to Attaching safety seats with

LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) attachments in this

chapter.

Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions included

with the safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install

and use the safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden

stop or collision.

Rear-facing child seats or infant carriers should never be placed

in front of an active airbag.

Installing child safety seats with combination lap and shoulder

belts

Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat. NEVER place a

rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag. If you must use

a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the seat all the way

back.

Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the rear

seat whenever possible.

1. Position the child safety seat in a

seat with a combination lap and

shoulder belt.

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2. Pull down on the shoulder belt

and then grasp the shoulder belt

and lap belt together.

3. While holding the shoulder and

lap belt portions together, route the

tongue through the child seat

according to the child seat

manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure

the belt webbing is not twisted.

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 the tongue is

latched securely 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 all of the belt is

pulled out and a click is heard.

6. Allow the belt to retract. The belt will click as it retracts to indicate it

is in the automatic locking mode.

7. Pull the lap belt portion across

the child seat toward the buckle and

pull up on the shoulder belt while

pushing down with your knee on the

child seat.

8. Allow the safety belt to retract to

remove any slack in the belt.

9. Before placing the child in the

seat, forcibly move the seat forward

and back to make sure the seat is

securely held in place. To check

this, grab the seat at the belt path

and attempt to move it side to side

and forward. There should be no

more than one inch of movement for

proper installation.

10. 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 is not locked, unbuckle the belt and repeat Steps 2

through 9.

Check to make sure the child seat is properly secured before each use.

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Attaching child safety seats with tether straps

Most new forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which

goes over the back of the seat and hooks to an anchoring point. Tether

straps are available as an accessory for many older safety seats. Contact

the manufacturer of your child seat for information about ordering a

tether strap.

The rear seats of your vehicle are equipped with built-in tether strap

anchors located behind the seats as described below.

The tether anchors in your vehicle are either located under a cover

marked with the tether anchor symbol (shown with title) or are recessed

bars on the back side of the seatback.

The tether strap anchors in your

vehicle are in the following positions

(shown from top view, left is front

of the vehicle):

Attach the tether strap only to the appropriate tether anchor as

shown. The tether strap may not work properly if attached

somewhere other than the correct tether anchor.

1. Position the child safety seat on the seat cushion.

2. Route the child safety seat tether strap over the back of the seat.

On hatchbacks, the removable luggage area cover must be removed prior

to attaching the tether strap to the tether anchor.

On wagons, it may be necessary to remove the cargo cover assembly

prior to attaching the tether strap to the tether anchor. The tether must

not go around the cargo cover retractor assembly.

For vehicles with adjustable head restraints, route the tether strap under

the head restraint and between the head restraint posts, otherwise route

the tether strap over the top of the seatback.

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3. Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position.

• On Sedan’s the anchors are

located on the rear back panel.

• For 3–door/5–door and Wagon,

the anchors are located on the

back of the rear seat.

4. On a sedan, open the tether

anchor cover.

5. Clip the tether strap to the

anchor as shown.

If the tether strap is clipped

incorrectly, the child safety

seat may not be retained properly

in the event of a collision.

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6. Install the child safety seat tightly using the LATCH anchors or safety

belts. Follow the instructions in this chapter.

7. Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the

manufacturer’s instructions.

If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child

being injured in a collision greatly increases.

Attaching child safety seats with Lower Anchor and Tethers for

Children (LATCH) attachments for child seat anchors

Some child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted attachments

that connect to two anchors at specific seating positions in your vehicle.

This type of child seat eliminates the need to use safety belts to attach

the child seat. For forward-facing child seats, the tether strap must also

be attached to the proper tether anchor point. For information on using

tether straps with the child safety seats, refer to Attaching safety seats

with tether straps in this chapter.

LATCH anchors for child seat

installation have been provided in

your vehicle at the following

locations:

The anchors on both sides of the

center of the rear seat are provided

primarily for child seats at the

outboard seats and are further apart

than the pairs of lower anchors for

child seat installation at other seats. A child seat with rigid LATCH

attachments cannot be installed at the center rear seat. A child seat with

LATCH attachments on belt webbing can be used at the center rear seat

unless a child seat at an outboard rear seat is attached to one of these

lower anchors. Install a child seat onto the lower anchors at the center

rear seat ONLY IF the child restraint manufacturer recommends that the

child seat can be installed to anchors that are spaced up to 450 mm

apart.

Never attach two LATCH child safety seats to the same anchor.

In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two

child seat attachments and may break, causing serious injury or death.

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The LATCH anchors are located on

the rear section of the seat cushion,

at the bottom of the seatback.

Follow the child seat manufacturer’s

instructions to properly install safety

seats with LATCH attachments.

Attach the LATCH lower attachments of the child seat only to

the appropriate locations shown.

Once you have installed the LATCH safety seat, ensure that the seat is

properly attached to LATCH and tether anchors. Also, test the safety

seat before you place the child in it. Tilt the seat from side to side. Also

try to tug the seat forward. Check to see if the anchors hold the seat in

place.

If the safety seat in not anchored properly, the risk of a child

being injured in a collision greatly increases.

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Seating and Safety Restraints -> SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN for Your Ford Focus 4 Door Second Generation (2004-2010)

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