2021 Ford F-350 Owners Manual - Child Safety

Child Safety

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

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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.

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 restraint (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).

When installing a child restraint 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 child restraint, with the tongue between the child restraint and the release button, to prevent accidental unbuckling.

Place the vehicle seat in the upright position before you install the child restraint.

Put the seatbelt in the automatic locking mode. 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 restraint in a seat with a combination lap and shoulder belt.

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.

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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 you securely latched the tongue by pulling on it.

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

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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.

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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.

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 did not lock, 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 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.

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

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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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The belt webbing below the tongue is the lap portion of the combination lap and shoulder belt. The belt webbing above the tongue is the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap and shoulder belt.

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Position the child restraint in the front center seat.

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

2. Slide the tongue up the webbing.

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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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While pushing down with your knee on the child restraint, pull up on the shoulder belt portion to tighten the lap belt portion of the combination lap and shoulder belt.

Allow the seatbelt to retract and remove any slack in the belt to securely tighten the child restraint in the vehicle.

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

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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.

Check from time to time to be sure that there is no slack in the lap and shoulder belt. The shoulder belt must be snug to keep the lap belt tight during a crash.

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.

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

LATCH compatible child restraints 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 if the

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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.

Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for child restraint installation at the following seating positions (LATCH is not available on Regular Cab):

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The lower LATCH anchors are at the rear section of the rear seat between the cushion and seat backrest. Follow the child restraint manufacturer's instructions to properly install a child restraint with LATCH attachments.

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

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

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The lower anchors at the center of the second row rear seat are spaced 26 in (652 mm) apart. The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in (280 mm) center to center. 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 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 1 in (2.5 cm) when you do this for a proper installation.

If you did not properly anchor the child restraint, 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 restraints include a tether strap which extends from the back of the child restraint 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 child restraint does not reach the appropriate top tether anchor in the vehicle.

The passenger seats of your vehicle may have built-in tether strap anchors behind the seats as described below.

The tether anchors in your vehicle may be loops of webbing above the seat backrest or an anchor bracket behind the seat on the rear edge of the seat cushion.

The rear seat in the Crew Cab and Super Cab has three straps along the top of the seat backrest that function as both routing loops for the tether straps and anchor loops.

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

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Attach the tether strap only to the appropriate tether anchor as shown. The tether strap may not work properly if attached somewhere other than the correct tether anchor.

If you install a child restraint with rigid LATCH attachments, do not tighten the tether strap enough to lift the child restraint off the 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 the vehicle seat gives the best protection in a severe crash.

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

Note: For vehicles with adjustable head restraints, route the tether strap under the head restraint and between the head restraint posts, otherwise route the tether strap over the top of the seat backrest.

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Route the child restraint tether strap over the back of the seat and under the head restraint.

Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position. You may need to pull the seat backrest forward to access the tether anchors. Make sure the seat is locked in the upright position before installing the child restraint.

Clip the tether strap to the anchor.

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

If you clip the tether strap incorrectly, the child restraint may not be retained properly in the event of a crash.

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

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

There are three loops of webbing just above the back of the rear seat (along the bottom edge of the rear window). Use these loops as both routing loops and anchor loops for up to three child restraint tether straps.

For example, you can use the center loop as a routing loop for a child restraint in the center rear seat and as an anchoring loop for child restraints installed in the outboard rear seats.

Many tether straps cannot be tightened if the tether strap is hooked to the loop directly behind the child restraint.

To provide a tight tether strap:

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Route the vehicle tether loop between the head restraint posts, then route the child restraint tether strap through the loop, forward of the head restraint.

Hook the strap to the vehicle tether anchor loop in the adjacent seating position. If using the driver side, pass the strap behind the shoulder belt for the center seat. Always put the tether strap through the routing loop. The head restraint support post holds the child restraint tightly, but the head restraint post is not strong enough to hold the child restraint during a crash.

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

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

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

Use a belt-positioning booster seat for children who have outgrown or no longer properly fit in a child safety restraint (generally children who are less than 57 in (1.45 m) tall, are greater than age 4 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). 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:

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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.

WARNING: Always carefully follow the instructions and warnings provided by the manufacturer of any child restraint to determine if the restraint device is appropriate for your child's size, height, weight, or age. Follow the child restraint manufacturer's instructions and warnings provided for installation and use in conjunction with the instructions and warnings provided by your vehicle manufacturer. A safety seat that is improperly installed or utilized, is inappropriate for your child's height, age, or weight or does not properly fit the child may increase the risk of serious injury or death.

WARNING: Do not allow a passenger to hold a child on their lap when your vehicle is moving. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death in the event of a sudden stop or crash.

WARNING: Do not use pillows, books or towels to boost your child's height. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.

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WARNING: Properly secure child restraints or booster seats when they are

not in use. They could become projectiles in a sudden stop or crash. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.

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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 151).

CHILD SAFETY LOCKS (IF EQUIPPED)

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.

Left-Hand Side

Turn counterclockwise to lock and clockwise to unlock.

Turn clockwise to lock and counterclockwise to unlock.

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