2014 Ford Escape Owner Manual Printing 2 - Page 31

Safety Belts All safety restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts. The driver safety belt has the first type of locking mode, and the front outboard passenger and rear seat safety belts have both types of locking modes described as follows: Vehicle Sensitive Mode This is the normal retractor mode, which allows 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 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the combination safety belts will lock to help reduce forward movement of the driver and passengers. In addition, the retractor is designed to lock if the webbing is pulled out too quickly. If this occurs, let the belt retract slightly and pull webbing out again in a slow and controlled manner. 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 This mode should be used any time a child safety seat, except a booster, is installed in passenger front or rear seating positions. Children 12 years old and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating position whenever possible. See Child Safety (page 14). E142590 Pregnant women should always wear their safety belt. The lap belt portion of a combination lap and shoulder belt should be positioned low across the hips below the belly and worn as tight as comfort will allow. The shoulder belt should be positioned to cross the middle of the shoulder and the center of the chest. Safety Belt Locking Modes WARNINGS After any vehicle crash, the safety belt system at all passenger seating positions must be checked by an authorized dealer to verify that the automatic locking retractor feature for child seats is still functioning properly. In addition, all safety belts should be checked for proper function. BELT AND RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MUST BE REPLACED if the safety belt assembly automatic locking retractor feature or any other safety belt function is not operating properly when checked by an authorized dealer. Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly could increase the risk of injury in crashes. 28 Escape/Kuga (TM2)