Ford Taurus X (2009 year). Manual — part 44

WARNING: Position the safety belt height adjusters so that the
belt rests across the middle of your shoulder. Failure to adjust

the safety belt properly could reduce the effectiveness of the seat belt
and increase the risk of injury in a collision.

Safety belt pretensioner

Your vehicle is equipped with safety belt pretensioners at the driver and
front outboard passenger seating positions.

The safety belt pretensioner tightens the safety belts firmly against the
occupant’s body at the start of the crash.

WARNING: The driver and front passenger safety belt system
(including retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be

replaced if the vehicle is involved in a collision that results in
deployment of front airbags, seat-mounted side airbags and Safety
Canopy

威, and safety belt pretensioners.

Safety belt extension assembly

If the safety belt is too short when fully extended, there is an 8 inch
(20 cm) safety belt extension assembly that can be added (part number
611C22). This assembly can be obtained from an authorized dealer.

Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the safety
belt. Manufacturer identification is located at the end of the webbing on
the label. Also, use the safety belt extension only if the safety belt is too
short for you when fully extended.

WARNING: Do not use extensions to change the fit of the
shoulder belt across the torso.

Safety belt warning light and indicator chime

The safety belt warning light illuminates in the instrument cluster and a
chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.

Seating and Safety Restraints

178

Conditions of operation

If...

Then...

The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the on
position...

The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8 seconds.

The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...

The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.

The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the on
position...

The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.

Belt-Minder

姞

The Belt-Minder

威 feature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt

warning function. This feature provides additional reminders by
intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning
light in the instrument cluster when the driver’s and front passenger’s
safety belt is unbuckled.

The Belt-Minder

威 feature uses information from the front passenger

sensing system to determine if a front seat passenger is present and
therefore potentially in need of a warning. To avoid activating the
Belt-Minder

威 feature for objects placed in the front passenger seat,

warnings will only be given to large front seat occupants as determined
by the front passenger sensing system.

Both the driver’s and passenger’s safety belt usages are monitored and
either may activate the Belt-Minder

威 feature. The warnings are the same

for the driver and the front passenger. If the Belt-Minder

威 warnings have

expired (warnings for approximately five minutes) for one occupant
(driver or front passenger), the other occupant can still activate the
Belt-Minder

威 feature.

Seating and Safety Restraints

179

If...

Then...

The driver’s and front
passenger’s safety belts are
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the on
position or less than
1-2 minutes have elapsed since
the ignition switch has been
turned to on...

The Belt-Minder

威 feature will not

activate.

The driver’s or front
passenger’s safety belt is not
buckled when the vehicle has
reached at least 3 mph
(5 km/h) and 1-2 minutes have
elapsed since the ignition
switch has been turned to on...

The Belt-Minder

威 feature is activated

- the safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds for six seconds every
30 seconds, repeating for
approximately five minutes or until
the safety belts are buckled.

The driver’s or front
passenger’s safety belt becomes
unbuckled for approximately
one minute while the vehicle is
traveling at least 3 mph
(5 km/h) and more than
1-2 minutes have elapsed since
the ignition switch has been
turned to on...

The Belt-Minder

威 feature is activated

- the safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds for six seconds every
30 seconds, repeating for
approximately five minutes or until
the safety belts are buckled.

Seating and Safety Restraints

180

The following are reasons most often given for not wearing safety belts
(All statistics based on U.S. data):

Reasons given... Consider...

“Crashes are rare
events”

36700 crashes occur every day. The more we
drive, the more we are exposed to “rare” events,
even for good drivers. 1 in 4 of us will be seriously
injured in a crash during our lifetime.

“I’m not going
far”

3 of 4 fatal crashes occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home.

“Belts are
uncomfortable”

We design our safety belts to enhance comfort. If
you are uncomfortable - try different positions for
the safety belt upper anchorage and seatback which
should be as upright as possible; this can improve
comfort.

“I was in a hurry” Prime time for an accident. Belt-Minder

威 reminds

us to take a few seconds to buckle up.

“Safety belts
don’t work”

Safety belts, when used properly, reduce risk of
death to front seat occupants by 45% in cars, and
by 60% in light trucks.

“Traffic is light”

Nearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in single-vehicle
crashes, many when no other vehicles are around.

“Belts wrinkle
my clothes”

Possibly, but a serious crash can do much more than
wrinkle your clothes, particularly if you are
unbelted.

“The people I’m
with don’t wear
belts”

Set the example, teen deaths occur 4 times more
often in vehicles with TWO or MORE people.
Children and younger brothers/sisters imitate
behavior they see.

“I have an
airbag”

Airbags offer greater protection when used with
safety belts. Frontal airbags are not designed to
inflate in rear and side crashes or rollovers.

“I’d rather be
thrown clear”

Not a good idea. People who are ejected are 40
times more likely to DIE. Safety belts help
prevent ejection, WE CAN’T “PICK OUR CRASH”.

Seating and Safety Restraints

181