airbag FORD ESCAPE 2003 1.G Owners Manual

Reasons given... Consider...
I was in a hurryPrime time for an accident.
BeltMinder reminds us to take a few
seconds to buckle up.
Seat belts don’t workSafety belts,when used properly,
reduce risk of deathto front seat
occupants by45% in cars,and by
60% in light trucks.
Traffic is lightNearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in
single-vehicle crashes,many when
no other vehicles are around.
Belts wrinkle my clothesPossibly, but a serious crash can do
much more than wrinkle your clothes,
particularly if you are unbelted.
The people I’m with don’t
wear beltsSet 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.
I have an air bagAir bags offer greater protection when
used with safety belts. Frontal airbags
are not designed to inflate in rear and
side crashes or rollovers.
I’d rather be thrown clearNot a good idea.Peoplewho are
ejected are 40 times more likely
to DIE.Safety belts help prevent
ejection, WE CAN’TPICK OUR
CRASH.
Do not sit on top of a buckled safety belt to avoid the Belt
Minder chime. Sitting on the safety belt will increase the risk of
injury in an accident. To disable (one-time) or deactivate the Belt
Minder feature please follow the directions stated below.
Seating and Safety Restraints
92

How does the side air bag system work?
The side air bag system consists of
the following:
•An inflatable nylon bag (air bag)
with a gas generator concealed
behind the outboard bolster of
the driver and front passenger
seatbacks.
•A special seat cover designed to
allow airbag deployment.
•The same warning light,
electronic control and diagnostic
unit as used for the front air
bags.
•The two side sensors are located
on the lower portion of the
b-pillar.
Side air bags, in combination with seat belts, can help reduce the risk of
severe injuries in the event of a significant side impact collision.
The side air bags are fitted on the outboard side of the seatbacks of the
front seats. In certain lateral collisions, the air bag on the side affected
by the collision will be inflated, even if the respective seat is not
occupied. The air bag was designed to inflate between the door panel
and occupant to further enhance the protection provided occupants in
side impact collisions.
The air bag SRS is designed to activate when the vehicle sustains lateral
deceleration sufficient to cause the sensors to close an electrical circuit
that initiates air bag inflation.
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. Side air bags 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.
Seating and Safety Restraints
100