2000 Mercury Mountaineer Owner Guide 1st Printing - Page 117

Seating and safety restraints All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag SRS is provided. It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. Each seating position in your vehicle has a specific safety belt assembly which is made up of one buckle and one tongue that are designed to be used as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt on the outside shoulder only. Never wear the shoulder belt under the arm. 2) Never swing the safety belt around your neck over the inside shoulder. 3) Never use a single belt for more than one person. Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints. Energy Management Feature • This vehicle has a seat belt system with an energy management feature at the front passenger seating position to help further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision. • This seat belt system has a retractor assembly that is designed to pay out webbing in a controlled manner. This feature is designed to help reduce the belt force acting on the occupant's chest. 117