2007 Ford Taurus Owner Guide 1st Printing - Page 82

Seating and Safety Restraints Driver's seat position sensor. Front crash severity sensor. Front passenger sensing system "Passenger airbag off" or "pass airbag off" indicator lamp Restraints Control Module (RCM) with impact and safing sensors. Restraint system warning light and back-up tone. The electrical wiring for the airbags, crash sensor(s), safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt usage sensors, driver seat position sensor, front passenger sensing system, and indicator lights. How does the Personal Safety Systemி work? The Personal Safety System௢ can adapt the deployment strategy of your vehicle's safety devices according to crash severity and occupant classification and conditions. A collection of crash and occupant sensors provides information to the Restraints Control Module (RCM). During a crash, the RCM activates the safety belt pretensioners and/or either none, one, or both stages of the dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints based on crash severity and occupant classification and conditions. The fact that the pretensioners or airbags did not activate for both front seat occupants in a collision does not mean that something is wrong with the system. Rather, it means the Personal Safety System௢ determined the accident conditions (crash severity, belt usage, etc.) were not appropriate to activate these safety devices. Front airbags are designed to activate in frontal and near-frontal collisions (not rollovers, side impacts or rear impacts) unless the collision causes sufficient longitudinal deceleration. The pretensioners are designed to activate in frontal and near-frontal collisions, and in side collisions when the vehicle is equipped with side airbags. Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints The dual-stage airbags offer the capability to tailor the level of airbag inflation energy. A lower, less forceful energy level is provided for more common, moderate-severity impacts. A higher energy level is used for the most severe impacts. Refer to Airbag Supplemental Restraints section in this chapter. Front crash severity sensor The front crash severity sensor enhances the ability to detect the severity of an impact. Positioned up front, it provides valuable information early in the crash event on the severity of the impact. This 82 2007 Taurus (tau) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA (fus)