Ford 2003 Thunderbird Owner's Manual page 87

The front passenger air bag and the passenger side air bag should always
be ON (the air bag OFF light should not be illuminated) unless the
passenger is a person who meets the requirements stated either in
Category 1, 2 or 3 of the NHTSA/Transport Canada deactivation criteria
which follows.
The safety belts for the driver and right front passenger seating
positions have been specifically designed to function together
with the air bags in certain types of crashes. When you turn OFF your
air bag, you not only lose the protection of the air bag, you also may
reduce the effectiveness of your safety belt system, which was
designed to work with the air bag. If you are not a person who meets
the requirements stated in the NHTSA/Transport Canada deactivation
criteria turning OFF the air bag can increase the risk of serious injury
or death in a collision.
Always use safety belts and child restraints properly. If a child in
a rear facing infant seat must be transported in front, the
passenger air bag must be turned OFF. This is because the back of the
infant seat is too close to the inflating air bag and the risk of a fatal
injury to the infant when the air bag inflates is substantial.
The vast majority of drivers and passengers are much safer with an air
bag than without. To do their job and reduce the risk of life threatening
injuries, air bags must open with great force, and this force can pose a
potentially deadly risk in some situations, particularly when a front seat
occupant is not properly buckled up. The most effective way to reduce
the risk of unnecessary air bag injuries, without reducing the overall
safety of the vehicle, is to make sure all occupants are properly
restrained in the vehicle, especially in the front seat. This provides the
protection of safety belts and permits the air bags to provide the
additional protection they were designed to provide. If you choose to
deactivate your air bag, you are losing the very significant risk reducing
benefits of the air bag and you are also reducing the effectiveness of the
safety belts, because safety belts in modern vehicles are designed to
work as a safety system with the air bags.
Read all air bag Warning labels in the vehicle as well as the other
important air bag instructions and Warnings in this Owner's Guide.
2003 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
87