2022 Ford Bronco Owners Manual - USING SEATBELTS

USING SEATBELTS

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.

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

Perform the following steps when installing a child restraint with seatbelts.

1. Position the child restraint in a seat with a seatbelt.

1. Pull down on the shoulder belt and then grasp the shoulder belt and lap belt together.

1. While holding the shoulder and lap belt portions together, route the tongue through the child restraint according to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions. Make sure you did not twist the belt webbing.

1. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle for that seating position until the latch engages. Make sure the tongue is latched securely by pulling on it.

1. 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 seatbelt out.

Note:   The automatic locking mode is available on the front passenger and rear seats. This vehicle does not require the use of a locking clip.

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

1. Pull the seatbelt 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.

1. 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 you add the extra weight of the child 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 helps to remove remaining slack from the belt.

1. If the child restraint has a tether strap, attach it.

1. 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 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.

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.

USING LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR CHILDREN

WARNING:  Do not attach two child safety restraints to the same anchor. In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two child safety restraint attachments and may break, causing serious injury or death.    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.

The Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) system has three vehicle anchor points:

• Two lower anchors where the vehicle seat backrest and seat cushion meet, called the seat bight.
• One top tether anchor behind that seating position.

LATCH compatible child restraints have two rigid or webbing mounted attachments. These attachments 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 if the lower anchors are not used. For forward facing child restraints, you must also attach the top tether strap to the proper top tether anchor if a top tether strap has been provided with your child restraint.

Follow the instructions later in this chapter on attaching child restraints with tether straps.

INSTALLING A CHILD RESTRAINT IN A CENTER SEAT

WARNING:  The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors is 280 mm (11 in) 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.

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 another child restraint is attached to that anchor.

Each time you use the child restraint, 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 the vehicle. The seat should move less than 2.5 cm (1 in).

If you did not properly anchor the child restraint, the risk of a child being injured in a crash greatly increases.

COMBINING THE SEATBELT AND LOWER ANCHORS FOR ATTACHING CHILD RESTRAINTS

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