Energy Management Feature; Safety Belt Pretensioner - Ford F-250 2012 Owner's Manual

Seating and Safety Restraints
WARNING: BELT AND RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MUST BE
REPLACED if the safety belt assembly "automatic locking
retractor" feature or any other safety belt function is not operating
properly when checked by an authorized dealer. Failure to replace the
belt and retractor assembly could increase the risk of injury in
collisions.

Energy management feature

• This vehicle has a safety belt system with an energy management
feature at the front outboard seating positions to help further reduce
the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision.
• The front outboard safety belt systems have a retractor assembly that
is designed to pay out webbing in a controlled manner. This feature is
designed to help reduce the belt force acting on the occupant's chest.

Safety belt pretensioner

The safety belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the safety belts firmly against the occupant's body
during frontal collisions, and in side collisions and rollovers. This helps
increase the effectiveness of the safety belts. In frontal collisions, the
safety belt pretensioners can be activated alone or, if the collision is of
sufficient severity, together with the front airbags.
The driver and front outboard passenger safety belt system (including
retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be replaced if the vehicle
is involved in a collision that results in the activation of the safety belt
pretensioners. Refer to the Child restraint and safety belt
maintenance section in this chapter.
WARNING: Failure to replace the safety belt assembly under
the above conditions could result in severe personal injuries in
the event of a collision.
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2012 F-250/350/450/550 (f23)
Owners Guide, 4th Printing
USA (fus)
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