How Does The Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System Work? - Ford 2003 Ranger Owner's Manual

An air bag can kill or injure a child in a child seat. Child seats
should never be placed in the front seats, unless passenger air
bag switch is turned off. See Passenger air bag on/off switch in this
chapter.
Rear facing child seats should NEVER be placed in the front
seats unless the passenger airbag switch is turned off.
Booster seats must be installed only in seating positions
equipped with a combination lap/shoulder belt.
To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit where they
can be properly restrained.

How does the air bag supplemental restraint system work?

The air bag SRS is designed to
activate when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration.
The fact that the air bags did not
inflate in a collision does not mean
that something is wrong with the
system. Rather, it means the forces
were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation. Air bags are
designed to inflate in frontal and
near-frontal collisions, not rollover,
side-impact, or rear-impacts.
Seating and Safety Restraints
89