2009 Ford Taurus Owner Guide 3rd Printing - Page 130

Seating and Safety Restraints WARNING: Front and rear seat occupants, including pregnant women, should wear safety belts for optimum protection in an accident. Combination lap and shoulder belts 1. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle (the buckle closest to the direction the tongue is coming from) until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the buckle. 2. To unfasten, press the release button and remove the tongue from the buckle. All restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts. While you are fastened in the safety belt, the combination lap/shoulder belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you brake hard, turn hard, or if your vehicle receives an impact of 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the safety belt will become locked and help reduce your forward movement. Energy management feature - front outboard • This vehicle has a safety belt system with an energy management feature at the front seats to help further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision. • The energy management feature has a retractor assembly that is designed to extend the safety belt webbing in a controlled manner. This helps reduce the belt force acting on the user's chest. 130