2000 Ford Ranger Owner's Manual - Page 91

Seating and safety restraints • the infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant's physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front so that the driver can constantly monitor the child's condition. 2. Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must ride in the front seat because: • the vehicle has no rear seat; • although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear seat(s) whenever possible, children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the front because no space is available in the rear seat(s) of the vehicle; or • the child has a medical condition which, according to the child's physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so that the driver can constantly monitor the child's condition. 3. Medical condition. A passenger has a medical condition which, according to his or her physician: • causes the passenger air bag to pose a special risk for the passenger; and • makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag in a crash greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and allowing the passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or windshield in a crash. This vehicle has special energy management safety belts for the driver and/or right front passenger. These particular belts are specifically designed to work with air bags to help reduce the risk of injury in a collision. The energy management safety belt is designed to give or release additional belt webbing in some accidents to reduce concentration of force on an occupant's chest and reduce the risk of certain bone fractures and injuries to underlying organs. In a crash, if the air bag is turned OFF, this energy management safety belt might permit the person wearing the belt to move forward enough to incur a serious or fatal injury. The more severe the crash, and the heavier the occupant, the greater the risk is. Be sure the air bag is turned ON for any person who does not qualify under the NHTSA deactivation criteria. 91