Child Safety 2019 Ford Fusion

Owner’s Manuals 2019 Child Safety

Child Safety

See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety restraints for children.

Child	Child Size, Height, Weight, or Age	Recommended Restraint Type
Infants or toddlers	Children weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less (generally age four or younger).	Use a child restraint (sometimes called an infant carrier, convertible seat, or toddler seat).
Small children	Children who have outgrown or no longer properly fit in a child restraint (generally children who are less than 57 in (1.45 m) tall, are greater than age four and less than age 12, and between 40 lb (18 kg) and 80 lb (36 kg) and upward to 100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by your child restraint manufacturer).	Use a belt-positioning booster seat.
Larger children	Children who have outgrown or no longer properly fit in a belt-positioning booster seat (generally children who are at least 57 in (1.45 m) tall or greater than 80 lb (36 kg) or 100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by child restraint manufacturer).	Use a vehicle seatbelt having the lap belt snug and low across the hips, shoulder belt centered across the shoulder and chest, and seat backrest upright.

You are required by law to properly use child restraints for infants and toddlers in the United States and Canada.

Many states and provinces require that small children use approved booster seats until they reach age eight, a height of 57 in (1.45 m) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg). Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements about the safety of children in your vehicle.

When possible, always properly restrain children 12 years of age and under in a rear seating position of your vehicle. Accident statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in a front seating position. See Front Passenger Sensing System (page 46).

When installing a rear facing child restraint, adjust the vehicle seats to avoid interference between the child restraint and the vehicle seat in front of the child restraint.

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Use a child safety seat (sometimes called an infant carrier, convertible seat, or toddler seat) for infants, toddlers, or children weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less (generally age four or younger).

WARNING: Depending on where you secure a child restraint, and depending on the child restraint design, you may block access to certain seatbelt buckle assemblies and LATCH lower anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk of injury, make sure occupants only use seating positions where they are able to be properly restrained.

When installing a child safety seat with combination lap and shoulder belts:

Use the correct seatbelt buckle for that seating position.

Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the buckle.

Keep the buckle release button pointing up and away from the safety seat, with the tongue between the child restraint and the release button, to prevent accidental unbuckling.

Place the vehicle seat upon which the child restraint will be installed in the upright position.

Put the seatbelt in the automatic locking mode. See Step 5. This vehicle does not require the use of a locking clip.

Perform the following steps when installing the child restraint with combination lap and shoulder belts:

Note: Although the child restraint illustrated is a forward facing child restraint, the steps are the same for installing a rear facing child restraint.

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1. Position the child safety seat in a seat with a combination lap and shoulder belt.

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3. While holding the shoulder and lap belt portions together, route the tongue through the child restraint according to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions. Be sure the belt webbing is not twisted.

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2. After positioning the child safety seat in the proper seating position, pull down on the shoulder belt and then grasp the shoulder belt and lap belt together behind the belt tongue.

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Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle (the buckle closest to the direction the tongue is coming from) for that seating position until you hear a snap and feel the latch engage. Make sure the tongue is latched securely by pulling on it.

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To put the retractor in the automatic locking mode, grasp the shoulder portion of the belt and pull downward until you pull all of the belt out.

Note: The automatic locking mode is available on the front passenger and rear seats.

Allow the belt to retract to remove slack. The belt clicks as it retracts to indicate it is in the automatic locking mode.

Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is in the automatic locking mode (you should not be able to pull more belt out). If the retractor is not locked, unbuckle the belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6.

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Remove remaining slack from the belt. Force the seat down with extra weight, for example, by pressing down or kneeling on the child restraint while pulling up on the shoulder belt in order to force slack from the belt. This is necessary to remove the remaining slack that exists once the extra weight of the child is added to the child restraint. It also helps to achieve the proper snugness of the child restraint to your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean toward the buckle provides extra help to remove remaining slack from the belt.

Attach the tether strap (if the child restraint is equipped).

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Before placing the child in the seat, forcibly move the seat forward and back to make sure the seat is securely held in place. To check this, grab the seat at the belt path and attempt to move it side to side and forward and back. There should be no more than 1 in (2.5 cm) of movement for proper installation.

We recommend checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician to make certain the child restraint is properly installed. In Canada, check with Transport Canada for referral to a Child Car Seat Clinic.

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Position the child safety seat in a seat with a combination lap and shoulder belt.

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2. After positioning the child safety seat in the proper seating position, grasp the shoulder belt and lap belt together behind the belt tongue.

7. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is in the automatic locking mode (you should not be able to pull more belt out). If the retractor is not locked, unbuckle the belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6.

To put the retractor in the automatic locking mode, grasp the lap portion of the inflatable seatbelt and pull upward until you pull all of the belt out.

Note: The automatic locking mode is available on the front passenger and rear seats.

Note: Unlike the standard seatbelt, the inflatable seatbelt's unique lap portion locks the child restraint for installation. The ability for the shoulder portion of the belt to move freely is normal, even after the lap belt has been put into the automatic locking mode.

Note: The lock-off device on some child restraints may not accommodate the shoulder portion of the inflatable seatbelt. Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the child restraint regarding the necessary and proper use of the lock-off device. In some instances, these devices have been provided only for use in vehicles with seatbelt systems that would otherwise require a locking clip.

Allow the belt to retract to remove slack. The belt clicks as it retracts to indicate it is in the automatic locking mode.

Remove remaining slack from the belt. Force the seat down with extra weight, for example, by pressing down or kneeling on the child restraint while pulling down on the lap belt in order to force slack from the belt. This is necessary to remove the remaining slack that will exist once the extra weight of the child is added to the child restraint. It also helps to achieve the proper snugness of the child restraint to your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean toward the buckle will additionally help to remove remaining slack from the belt.

Attach the tether strap (if the child restraint is equipped).

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The LATCH system is composed of three vehicle anchor points: two lower anchors where the seat backrest and seat cushion meet (called the seat bight) and one top tether anchor behind that seating position.

LATCH compatible child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted attachments that connect to the two lower anchors at the LATCH equipped seating positions in your vehicle. This type of attachment method eliminates the need to use seatbelts to attach the child restraint. However, you can still use the seatbelt to attach the child restraint. For forward-facing child restraints, the top tether strap must also be attached to the proper top tether anchor if a top tether strap has been provided with your child restraint.

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Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for child restraint installation at the seating positions marked with the child restraint symbol.

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The LATCH anchors are at the rear section of the rear seat between the cushion and seat backrest below the symbols as shown. Follow the child restraint manufacturer's instructions to properly install a child restraint with LATCH attachments. Follow the instructions on attaching child safety seats with tether straps.

Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child restraint only to the anchors shown.

WARNING: The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in (280 mm) center to center. Do not use LATCH lower anchors for the center seating position unless the child restraint manufacturer's instructions permit and specify using anchors spaced at least as far apart as those in this vehicle.

The lower anchors at the center of the second row rear seat are spaced 18 in (46 cm) apart. You cannot install a child

restraint with rigid LATCH attachments at the center seating position. You can only use LATCH compatible child restraints (with attachments on belt webbing) at this seating position provided that the child restraint manufacturer's instructions permit use with the anchor spacing stated. Do not attach a child restraint to any lower anchor if an adjacent child restraint is attached to that anchor.

Each time you use the safety seat, check that the seat is properly attached to the lower anchors and tether anchor, if applicable. Tug the child restraint from side to side and forward and back where it is secured to your vehicle. The seat should move less than 1 in (2.5 cm) when you do this for a proper installation.

If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being injured in a crash greatly increases.

When used in combination, either the seatbelt or the LATCH lower anchors may be attached first, provided a proper installation is achieved. Attach the tether strap afterward, if included with the child restraint.

Many forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which extends from the back of

the child safety seat and hooks to an anchoring point called the top tether anchor. Tether straps are available as an accessory for many older safety seats.

Contact the manufacturer of your child restraint for information about ordering a tether strap, or to obtain a longer tether strap if the tether strap on your safety seat does not reach the appropriate top tether anchor in your vehicle.

Once you install the child safety seat using either the seatbelt, the lower anchors of the LATCH system, or both, you can attach the top tether strap.

The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are in the following positions (shown from top view):

Route the child safety seat tether strap over the back of the seat. For the outermost seating positions, route the tether strap under the head restraint and between the head restraint posts. For the center seating positions, route the tether strap over the top of the head restraint. If needed, you can also remove the head restraints.

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Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position, then open the tether anchor cover.

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Perform the following steps to install a child safety seat with tether anchors:

Note: If you install a child restraint with rigid LATCH attachments, do not tighten the tether strap enough to lift the child restraint off your vehicle seat cushion when the child is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug without lifting the front of the child restraint. Keeping the child restraint just touching your vehicle seat gives the best protection in a severe crash.

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Clip the tether strap to the anchor as shown.

Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the manufacturer's instructions.

If your child restraint system has a tether strap, and the child restraint manufacturer recommends its use, we also recommend its use.

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.

Note: Some booster seat seatbelt guides may not accommodate the shoulder portion of the inflatable seatbelt.

Use a belt-positioning booster seat for children who have outgrown or no longer properly fit in a child safety seat (generally children who are less than 57 in (1.45 m) tall, are greater than age four (4) and less than age twelve (12), and between 40 lb (18 kg) and 80 lb (36 kg) and upward to 100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by your child restraint manufacturer). Many state and provincial laws require that children use approved booster seats until they reach age eight, a height of 57 in (1.45 m) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).

Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these questions when seated without a booster seat:

Can the child sit all the way back against their vehicle seat backrest with knees bent comfortably at the edge of the seat cushion?

Can the child sit without slouching?

Does the lap belt rest low across the hips?

Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?

Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

Always use booster seats in conjunction with your vehicle lap and shoulder belt.

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Backless booster seats

If your backless booster seat has a removable shield, remove the shield. If a vehicle seating position has a low seat backrest or no head restraint, a backless booster seat may place your child's head (as measured at the tops of the ears) above the top of the seat. In this case, move the backless booster to another seating position with a higher seat backrest or head restraint and lap and shoulder belts, or consider using a high back booster seat.

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High back booster seats

If, with a backless booster seat, you cannot find a seating position that adequately supports your child's head, a high back booster seat would be a better choice.

Children and booster seats vary in size and shape. Choose a booster that keeps the lap belt low and snug across the hips, never up across the stomach, and lets you adjust the shoulder belt to cross the chest and rest snugly near the center of the shoulder. The following drawings compare the ideal fit (center) to a shoulder belt uncomfortably close to the neck and a shoulder belt that could slip off the shoulder. The drawings also show how the lap belt should be low and snug across the child's hips.

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If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat upon which it is being used, placing a rubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster seat may improve this condition. Do not introduce any item thicker than this under the booster seat. Check with the booster seat manufacturer's instructions.

Restraint Type	Combined Weight of Child and Child Restraint	Use Any Attachment Method as Indicated Below by X
		LATCH (Lower Anchors and Top Tether Anchor)	LATCH (Lower Anchors Only)	Seatbelt and Top Tether Anchor	Seatbelt and LATCH (Lower Anchors and Top Tether Anchor)	Seatbelt Only
Rear facing child restraint	Up to 65 lb (29.5 kg)		X			X
Rear facing child restraint	Over 65 lb (29.5 kg)					X
Forward facing child restraint	Up to 65 lb (29.5 kg)	X		X	X
Forward facing child restraint	Over 65 lb (29.5 kg)			X	X

Note: The child restraint must rest tightly against the vehicle seat upon which it is installed. It may be necessary to lift or remove the head restraint. See Seats (page 131).

When these locks are set, the rear doors cannot be opened from the inside.

The childproof locks are located on the rear edge of each rear door and must be set separately for each door.

Turn counterclockwise to lock and clockwise to unlock.

Turn clockwise to lock and counterclockwise to unlock.

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2019 Ford Fusion Owners Manual - Child Safety

Child Safety