Children And Safety Belts - Ford 2001 Mercury Cougar Owner's Manual

Seating and safety restraints

Children and safety belts

Children who are too large for child
safety seats (as specified by the
child safety seat manufacturer)
should always wear safety belts.
Follow all the important safety
restraints and air bag precautions
that apply to adult passengers in
your vehicle.
If the shoulder belt portion of a
combination lap and shoulder belt
can be positioned so it does not
cross or rest in front of the child's
face or neck, the child should wear
the lap and shoulder belt.
To improve the fit of lap and
shoulder belts on children who
have outgrown child safety seats,
Ford recommends use of a
belt positioning booster seat that is
labelled as conforming to all federal
motor vehicle safety standards.
Belt positioning booster seats raise
the child and provide a shorter,
firmer seating cushion that
encourages safer seating posture
and better fit of lap and shoulder
belts on the child. A belt
positioning booster seat should be
used if the shoulder belt rests in
front of the child's face or neck, or
if the lap belt does not fit snugly on
both thighs, or if the thighs are too
short to let the child sit all the way
back on the seat cushion when the
lower legs hang over the edge of
the seat cushion. You may wish to
discuss the special needs of your
child with your pediatrician.