2004 Ford Taurus Owner Guide 3rd Printing - Page 108

Seating and Safety Restraints • Passenger air bag off indicator light. The air bag supplemental restraints are an integral part of the Personal Safety System. They are designed to be deployed in cases where the Personal Safety System has determined the occupant conditions and crash severity are appropriate to activate these devices. Refer to the Personal Safety System section in this chapter. Important supplemental restraint system precautions Air bags DO NOT inflate slowly or gently and the risk of injury from a deploying air bag is greatest close to the trim covering the air bag module. All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided. Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends a minimum distance of at least 25 cm (10 inches) between an occupant's chest and the driver air bag module. Never place your arm over the air bag module as a deploying air bag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries. Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the airbag: • Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the pedals comfortably. 108 2004 Taurus (tau) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA English (fus)