Ford Transit (2018 year). Manual — part 11

The passenger side airbag should always
be on (the pass airbag off light should not
be illuminated) unless the passenger
meets the requirements stated either in
Category 1, 2 or 3 of the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration or Transport
Canada deactivation criteria which follows.

The vast majority of drivers and passengers
are much safer with an airbag than
without. To do their job and reduce the risk
of life threatening injuries, airbags must
open with great force, and this force can
pose a potentially deadly risk in some
situations, particularly when a front seat
passenger is not using the seatbelt
correctly. The most effective way to reduce
the risk of unnecessary airbag injuries
without reducing the overall safety of your
vehicle is to make sure all passengers are
correctly restrained in the vehicle,
especially in the front seat. This provides
the protection of seatbelts and permits the
airbags to provide the additional protection
they were designed to provide. If you
choose to deactivate your airbag, you are
losing the very significant risk reducing
benefits of the airbag and you are also
reducing the effectiveness of the seatbelts,
because seatbelts in modern vehicles are
designed to work as a safety system with
the airbags.

National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration Deactivation Criteria
(Excluding Canada)

WARNING

This vehicle has special energy
management seatbelts for the driver
and right front passenger. These

particular belts are specifically designed
to work with airbags to help reduce the risk
of injury in a crash. The energy
management seatbelt is designed to give
or release additional belt webbing in some
accidents to reduce concentration of force
on an occupant's chest and reduce the risk
of certain bone fractures and injuries to
underlying organs. In a crash, if the airbag
is turned off, this energy management
seatbelt might permit the person wearing
the belt to move forward enough to incur
a serious or fatal injury. The more severe
the crash, and the heavier the occupant,
the greater the risk is. Be sure the airbag is
turned on for any person who does not
qualify under the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration deactivation criteria.

1. Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old)
must ride in the front seat because:

•

The vehicle has no rear seat;

•

The vehicle has a rear seat too small
to accommodate a rear-facing infant
seat; or

•

The infant has a medical condition
which, according to the infant's
physician, makes it necessary for the
infant to ride in the front so that the
driver can constantly monitor the
child's condition.

2. Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must
ride in the front seat because:

•

The vehicle has no rear seat;

•

Although children ages 1 to 12 ride in
the rear seat(s) whenever possible,
children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must
ride in the front because no space is
available in the rear seat(s) of the
vehicle; or

•

The child has a medical condition
which, according to the child's
physician, makes it necessary for the
child to ride in the front seat so that the
driver can constantly monitor the
child's condition.

3. Medical condition. A passenger has a
medical condition which, according to his
or her physician:

•

Causes the passenger airbag to pose
a special risk for the passenger;

•

Makes the potential harm from the
passenger airbag in a crash greater
than the potential harm from turning
off the airbag and allowing the
passenger, even if belted, to hit the
dashboard or windshield in a crash.

Transport Canada Deactivation Criteria
(Canada Only)

WARNING

This vehicle has special energy
management seatbelts for the driver
and right front passenger. These

particular belts are specifically designed
to work with airbags to help reduce the risk
of injury in a crash. The energy
management seatbelt is designed to give
or release additional belt webbing in some
accidents to reduce concentration of force
on an occupant's chest and reduce the risk
of certain bone fractures and injuries to
underlying organs. In a crash, if the airbag
is turned off, this energy management
seatbelt might permit the person wearing
the belt to move forward enough to incur
a serious or fatal injury. The more severe
the crash, and the heavier the occupant,
the greater the risk is. Be sure the airbag is
turned on for any person who does not
qualify under the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration deactivation criteria.

1. Infant: An infant (less than 1 year old)
must ride in the front seat because:

•

My vehicle has no rear seat;

•

The rear seat in my vehicle cannot
accommodate a rear-facing infant
seat;

•

The infant has a medical condition
which, according to the infant's
physician, makes it necessary for the
infant to ride in the front seat so that
the driver can monitor the infant's
condition.

2. Child age 12 or under: A child age 12 or
under must ride in the front seat because:

•

My vehicle has no rear seat;

•

Athough children age 12 and under ride
in the rear seat whenever possible,
children age 12 and under have no
option but to sometimes ride in the
front seat because rear seat space is
insufficient;

•

The child has a medical condition that,
according to the child's physician,
makes it necessary for the child to ride
in the front seat so that the driver can
monitor the child's condition.

3. Medical condition: A passenger has a
medical condition that, according to his or
her physician:

•

Poses a special risk for the passenger
if the airbag deploys; and

•

Makes the potential harm from the
passenger airbag deployment greater
than the potential harm from turning
off the airbag and experiencing a crash
without the protection offered by the
airbag

Proper Driver and Front Passenger
Seating Adjustment

WARNING

The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration recommends a
minimum distance of at least 10

inches (25 centimeters) between an
occupant’s chest and the driver airbag
module.

To properly position yourself away from
the airbag:
•

Move your seat to the rear as far as you
can while still reaching the pedals
comfortably.

•

Recline the seat slightly (one or two
degrees) from the upright position.

After all occupants have adjusted their
seats and put on seatbelts, it is very
important that they continue to sit
properly. Properly seated occupants sit
upright, lean against the seat back, and
center themselves on the seat cushion,
with their feet comfortably extended on
the floor. Sitting improperly can increase
the chance of injury in a crash event. For
example, if an occupant slouches, lies
down, turns sideways, sits forward, leans
forward or sideways, or puts one or both
feet up, the chance of injury during a crash
is greatly increased.

Children and Airbags

WARNING

Airbags can kill or injure a child in a
child seat. Never place a rear-facing
child seat in front of an active airbag.

If you must use a forward-facing child seat
in the front seat, move the seat upon which
the child seat is installed all the way back.

E142846

Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics suggest that
children are safer when properly restrained
in the rear seating positions than in the
front seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the risk of
injury in a crash.

SIDE AIRBAGS

(If Equipped)

WARNINGS

Do not place objects or mount
equipment on or near the airbag
cover, on the side of the seatbacks

(of the front seats), or in front seat areas
that may come into contact with a
deploying airbag. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk of
personal injury in the event of a crash.

Do not use accessory seat covers.
The use of accessory seat covers
may prevent the deployment of the

side airbags and increase the risk of injury
in an accident.

Do not lean your head on the door.
The side airbag could injure you as it
deploys from the side of the

seatback.

Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify the airbag, its fuses or the
seat cover on a seat containing an

airbag as you could be seriously injured or
killed. Contact your authorized dealer as
soon as possible.

If the side airbag has deployed, the
airbag will not function again. The
side airbag system (including the

seat) must be inspected and serviced by
an authorized dealer. If the airbag is not
replaced, the unrepaired area will increase
the risk of injury in a crash.

The side airbags are located on the
outboard side of the seatbacks of the front
seats. In certain sideways crashes, the
airbag on the side affected by the crash
will be inflated. The airbag was designed
to inflate between the door panel and
occupant to further enhance the protection
provided occupants in side impact crashes.

E152533

The system consists of the following:
•

A label or embossed side panel
indicating that side airbags are found
on your vehicle.

•

Side airbags located inside the
seatback of the driver and front
passenger seats.

E67017

·Crash sensors and monitoring
system with readiness indicator.
See Crash Sensors and Airbag

Indicator (page 52).

The design and development of the side
airbag system included recommended
testing procedures that were developed
by a group of automotive safety experts
known as the Side Airbag Technical
Working Group. These recommended
testing procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of side
airbags.

SAFETY CANOPY™

(If Equipped)

WARNINGS

Do not place objects or mount
equipment on or near the headliner
at the siderail that may come into

contact with a deploying curtain airbag.
Failure to follow these instructions may
increase the risk of personal injury in the
event of a crash.