Ford F-450 (2017 year). Manual — part 11

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 seatbelts are specifically
designed to work with airbags to help
reduce the risk of injury in a crash. The
energy management seatbelt gives or
releases additional seatbelt webbing in
some accidents to reduce the
concentration of force on an occupant's
chest and to reduce the risk of certain bone
fractures and injuries to underlying organs.
In a crash, if the airbag is off, this energy
management seatbelt might permit the
passenger wearing the seatbelt to move
forward enough to have a serious or fatal
injury. The more severe the crash, and the
heavier the occupant, the greater the risk.
Make sure the airbag is on for any
passenger 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 seatbelts are specifically
designed to work with airbags to help
reduce the risk of injury in a crash. The
energy management seatbelt gives or
releases additional seatbelt webbing in
some accidents to reduce the
concentration of force on an occupant's
chest and to reduce the risk of certain bone
fractures and injuries to underlying organs.
In a crash, if the airbag is off, this energy
management seatbelt might permit the
passenger wearing the seatbelt to move
forward enough to have a serious or fatal
injury. The more severe the crash, and the
heavier the occupant, the greater the risk.
Make sure the airbag is on for any
passenger 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;

•

Although 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

National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance

of at least 10 in (25 cm) 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
greatly increases.

Children and Airbags

WARNING

Airbags can kill or injure a child in a
child restraint. Never place a
rear-facing child restraint in front of

an active airbag. If you must use a
forward-facing child restraint 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.

If two adults and a child occupy a Regular
Cab, properly restrain the child in the
center front unless doing so would interfere
with driving your vehicle. This provides lap
and shoulder belt protection for all
occupants, and airbag protection for the
adults. A child or infant properly restrained
in the center front seat should not incur
risk of serious injury from the airbags.

SIDE AIRBAGS

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.

·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™

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.

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

Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify the curtain airbags, its fuses,
the A, B, or C pillar trim, or the

headliner on a vehicle containing curtain
airbags as you could be seriously injured
or killed. Contact your authorized dealer
as soon as possible.

All occupants of your vehicle
including the driver should always
wear their safety belts even when an

airbag supplemental restraint system and
curtain airbag is provided. Failure to
properly wear your safety belt could
seriously increase the risk of injury or death.

To reduce risk of injury, do not
obstruct or place objects in the
deployment path of the curtain

airbag.

If the curtain airbags have deployed,
the curtain airbags will not function
again. The curtain airbags (including

the A, B and C pillar trim and headliner)
must be inspected and serviced by an
authorized dealer. If the curtain airbag is
not replaced, the unrepaired area will
increase the risk of injury in a crash.