Ford Escape: Child Safety / Child Safety Precautions

WARNING: Always make sure your child is secured properly in a device that is appropriate for their height, age and weight. Child safety restraints must be bought separately from your vehicle. Failure to follow these instructions and guidelines may result in an increased risk of serious injury or death to your child.

WARNING: All children are shaped differently. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other safety organizations, base their recommendations for child restraints on probable child height, age and weight thresholds, or on the minimum requirements of the law. We recommend that you check with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) to make sure that you properly install the child restraint in your vehicle and that you consult your pediatrician to make sure you have a child restraint appropriate for your child. To locate a child restraint fitting station and CPST, contact NHTSA toll free at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, contact Transport Canada toll free at 1-800-333-0371 or go to www.tc.gc.ca to find a Child Car Seat Clinic in your area. Failure to properly restrain children in child restraints made especially for their height, age and weight, may result in an increased risk of serious injury or death to your child.

WARNING: On hot days, the temperature inside the vehicle can rise very quickly. Exposure of people or animals to these high temperatures for even a short time can cause death or serious heat related injuries, including brain damage. Small children are particularly at risk.

WARNING: Do not place a rearward facing child restraint in front of an active airbag. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.

WARNING: Properly secure children 12 years old and under in a rear seating position whenever possible. If you are unable to properly secure all children in a rear seating position, properly secure the largest child on the front seat. If you must use a forward facing child restraint on the front seat, move the seat as far back as possible. Failure to follow these instructions could result in personal injury or death.

WARNING: Always carefully follow the instructions and warnings provided by the manufacturer of any child restraint to determine if the restraint device is appropriate for your child's size, height, weight, or age. Follow the child restraint manufacturer's instructions and warnings provided for installation and use in conjunction with the instructions and warnings provided by your vehicle manufacturer. A safety seat that is improperly installed or utilized, is inappropriate for your child's height, age, or weight or does not properly fit the child may increase the risk of serious injury or death.

WARNING: Do not allow a passenger to hold a child on their lap when your vehicle is moving. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death in the event of a sudden stop or crash.

WARNING: Do not use pillows, books or towels to boost your child's height. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.

WARNING: Properly secure child restraints or booster seats when they are not in use. They could become projectiles in a sudden stop or crash. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.

WARNING: Do not put the shoulder section of the seatbelt or allow the child to put the shoulder section of the seatbelt under their arm or behind their back. Failure to follow this instruction could reduce the effectiveness of the seatbelt and increase the risk of injury or death in a crash.

WARNING: Do not leave children or pets unattended in your vehicle. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.

When installing a child restraint with seatbelts:

• Place the vehicle seat in the upright position before you install the child restraint.
• Use the correct seatbelt buckle for that seating position.
• Insert the belt tongue into the buckle. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the buckle.
• Keep the buckle release button pointing up and away from the child restraint, with the tongue between the child restraint and the release button, to prevent accidental unbuckling.
• Put the seatbelt in the automatic locking mode.