2000 Mercury Cougar Owner Guide 1st Printing - Page 128

Seating and safety restraints Important child restraint precautions You are required by law to use safety restraints for children in the U.S. and Canada. If small children ride in your vehicle (generally children who are four years old or younger and who weigh 18 kg [40 lbs] or less), you must put them in safety seats made especially for children. Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements regarding the safety of children in your vehicle. 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. Whenever possible, put children in one of the rear seats of your vehicle. Accident statistics indicate that children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seats than in the front seats. 128