Get Child Safety Guide for Ford Ecosport SUV 2020

Child Safety

GENERAL INFORMATION

See the following sections for directions

on how to properly use safety restraints

for children.

(CPST) to make sure that you properly

install the child restraint in your vehicle

and that you consult your pediatrician to

make sure you have a child restraint

appropriate for your child. To locate a

child restraint fitting station and CPST,

contact NHTSA toll free at

WARNING:Always make sure your

child is secured properly in a device that

is appropriate for their height, age and

weight. Child safety restraints must be

bought separately from your vehicle.

Failure to follow these instructions and

guidelines may result in an increased risk

of serious injury or death to your child.

1-888-327-4236 or go to

www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, contact

Transport Canada toll free at

1-800-333-0371 or go to www.tc.gc.ca

to find a Child Car Seat Clinic in your

area. Failure to properly restrain children

in child restraints made especially for

their height, age and weight, may result

in an increased risk of serious injury or

death to your child.

WARNING:All children are shaped

differently. The National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration and other safety

organizations, base their

WARNING: On hot days, the

temperature inside the vehicle can rise

very quickly. Exposure of people or

animals to these high temperatures for

even a short time can cause death or

serious heat related injuries, including

brain damage. Small children are

particularly at risk.

recommendations for child restraints on

probable child height, age and weight

thresholds, or on the minimum

requirements of the law. We recommend

that you check with a NHTSA Certified

Child Passenger Safety Technician

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Child Safety

Recommendations for Safety Restraints for Children

Child

Child Size, Height, Weight, or Age

Recommended Restraint

Type

Use a child restraint

(sometimes called an

infant carrier, convertible

seat, or toddler seat).

Infants or

toddlers

Children weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less

(generally age four or younger).

Children who have outgrown or no longer

properly fit in a child restraint (generally

children who are less than 57 in (1.45 m)

tall, are greater than age four 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).

Use a belt-positioning

booster seat.

Small children

Children who have outgrown or no longer

properly fit in a belt-positioning booster

seat (generally children who are at least

Use a vehicle seatbelt

having the lap belt snug

and low across the hips,

shoulder belt centered

Larger children 57 in (1.45 m) tall or greater than 80 lb

(36 kg) or 100 lb (45 kg) if recommended across the shoulder and

by child restraint manufacturer).

chest, and seat backrest

upright.

•

You are required by law to properly use

child restraints for infants and toddlers

in the United States and Canada.

•

When possible, 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. See

General Information (page 18).

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.

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.

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Child Safety

INSTALLING CHILD

RESTRAINTS

Child Seats

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.

When installing a child safety seat with

combination lap and shoulder belts:

•

Use the correct safety belt 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 safety

seat, with the tongue between the child

seat and the release button, to prevent

accidental unbuckling.

Use a child safety seat (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).

•

Using Lap and Shoulder Belts

•

Place the vehicle seat upon which the

child seat will be installed in the upright

position.

Put the safety belt in the automatic

locking mode. See Step 5. This vehicle

does not require the use of a locking

clip.

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

restraint is installed all the way back.

Perform the following steps when

installing the child seat with combination

lap and shoulder belts:

Note: Although the child seat illustrated is

a forward facing child seat, the steps are

the same for installing a rear facing child

seat.

WARNING: Airbags can kill or

injure a child in a child restraint. Properly

restrain children 12 and under in the rear

seat whenever possible.

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EcoSport (CBW) Canada/United States of America, Vehicles Built From: 17-06-2019, LN1J-19A321-ZFA enUSA, Edition date: 201904, First-Printing

Child Safety

Standard safety belts

3. While holding the shoulder and lap belt

portions together, route the tongue

through the child seat according to the

child seat manufacturer's instructions.

Be sure the belt webbing is not twisted.

1. Position the child safety seat in a seat

with a combination lap and shoulder

belt.

2. After positioning the child safety seat

in the proper seating position, pull

down on the shoulder belt and then

grasp the shoulder belt and lap belt

together behind the belt tongue.

4. 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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Child Safety

8. 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 will exist once the extra

weight of the child is added to the child

restraint. It also helps to achieve the

proper snugness of the child seat to

your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean

toward the buckle will provide extra

help to remove remaining slack from

the belt.

5. To put the retractor in the automatic

locking mode, grasp the shoulder

portion of the belt and pull downward

until all of the belt is pulled out.

9. Attach the tether strap (if the child seat

is equipped).

Note: The automatic locking mode is

available on the front passenger and rear

seats.

6. Allow the belt to retract to remove

slack. The belt will click as it retracts

to indicate it is in the automatic locking

mode.

7. 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 is not locked, unbuckle the

belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6.

10. 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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EcoSport (CBW) Canada/United States of America, Vehicles Built From: 17-06-2019, LN1J-19A321-ZFA enUSA, Edition date: 201904, First-Printing

Child Safety

Using Lower Anchors and Tethers

for CHildren (LATCH)

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

Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for

child seat installation at the seating

positions marked with the child seat

symbol.

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 LATCH system is composed of three

vehicle anchor points: two lower anchors

located where seat back and seat cushion

meet (called the seat bight) and one top

tether anchor located behind that seating

position.

LATCH compatible child safety seats have

two rigid or webbing mounted

The LATCH anchors are located at the rear

section of the rear seat between the

cushion and seat back below the symbols

as shown. Follow the child seat

manufacturer's instructions to properly

install a child seat with LATCH

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 safety belts to attach the child seat,

however the safety belt can still be used

to attach the child seat. For forward-facing

child seats, the top tether strap must also

be attached to the proper top tether

anchor, if a top tether strap has been

provided with your child seat.

attachments. Follow the instructions on

attaching child safety seats with tether

straps.

Attach LATCH lower attachments of the

child seat only to the anchors shown.

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Child Safety

Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from the

Combining Safety Belt and LATCH

Lower Anchors for Attaching Child

Safety Seats

Outboard Seating Positions (Center

Seating Use)

When used in combination, either the

safety belt 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

seat.

WARNING: The standardized

spacing for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in

(280 mm) 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.

Using Tether Straps

Many forward-facing child safety

seats include a tether strap

which extends from the back of

The lower anchors at the center of the

second row rear seat are spaced 15.75 in

(40 cm) apart. A child seat with rigid

LATCH attachments cannot be installed

at the center seating position. LATCH

compatible child seats (with attachments

on belt webbing) can only be used at this

seating position provided that the child

seat manufacturer's instructions permit

use with the anchor spacing stated. Do not

attach a child seat to any lower anchor if

an adjacent child seat is attached to that

anchor.

Each time you use the safety seat, check

that the seat is properly attached to the

lower anchors and tether anchor, if

applicable. Tug the child seat from side to

side and forward and back where it is

secured to your vehicle. The seat should

move less than one inch when you do this

for a proper installation.

the child safety seat 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

seat for information about ordering a

tether strap, or to obtain a longer tether

strap if the tether strap on your safety seat

does not reach the appropriate top tether

anchor in your vehicle.

Once the child safety seat has been

installed using either the safety belt, the

lower anchors of the LATCH system, or

both, you can attach the top tether strap.

The tether strap anchors in your vehicle

are in the following positions (shown from

top view):

If the safety seat is not anchored properly,

the risk of a child being injured in a crash

greatly increases.

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Child Safety

Perform the following steps to install a

child safety seat with tether anchors:

Note: If you install a child seat with rigid

LATCH attachments, do not tighten the

tether strap enough to lift the child seat off

your vehicle seat cushion when the child is

seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug

without lifting the front of the child seat.

Keeping the child seat just touching your

vehicle seat gives the best protection in a

severe crash.

1. Route the child safety seat tether strap

over the back of the seat. For outboard

seating positions, route the tether strap

under the head restraint and between

the head restraint posts. For the center

seating positions, route the tether strap

over the top of the head restraint. If

needed, the head restraints can also

be removed.

3. Clip the tether strap to the anchor as

shown.

4. Tighten the child safety seat tether

strap according to the manufacturer's

instructions.

If your child restraint system is equipped

with a tether strap, and the child restraint

manufacturer recommends its use, Ford

also recommends its use.

BOOSTER SEATS

WARNING: Do not put the

shoulder section of the seatbelt or allow

the child to put the shoulder section of

the seatbelt under their arm or behind

their back. Failure to follow this

instruction could reduce the

effectiveness of the seatbelt and

increase the risk of injury or death in a

crash.

2. Locate the correct anchor for the

selected seating position.

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

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EcoSport (CBW) Canada/United States of America, Vehicles Built From: 17-06-2019, LN1J-19A321-ZFA enUSA, Edition date: 201904, First-Printing

Child Safety

(45 kg) if recommended by your child

Types of Booster Seats

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:

•

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.

•

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.

•

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.

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Child Safety

Children and booster seats vary in size and

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.

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

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

CHILD RESTRAINT

POSITIONING

WARNING: Do not place a

rearward facing child restraint in front of

an active airbag. Failure to follow this

instruction could result in personal injury

or death.

manufacturer's instructions.

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Child Safety

WARNING: Properly secure

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.

children 12 years old and under in a rear

seating position whenever possible. If

you are unable to properly secure all

children in a rear seating position,

properly secure the largest child on the

front seat. If you must use a forward

facing child restraint on the front seat,

move the seat as far back as possible.

Failure to follow these instructions could

result in personal injury or death.

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.

WARNING: Always carefully

follow the instructions and warnings

provided by the manufacturer of any

child restraint to determine if the

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.

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 put the

shoulder section of the seatbelt or allow

the child to put the shoulder section of

the seatbelt under their arm or behind

their back. Failure to follow this

instruction could reduce the

effectiveness of the seatbelt and

increase the risk of injury or death in a

crash.

WARNING: Do not leave children

or pets unattended in your vehicle.

Failure to follow this instruction could

result in personal injury or death.

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EcoSport (CBW) Canada/United States of America, Vehicles Built From: 17-06-2019, LN1J-19A321-ZFA enUSA, Edition date: 201904, First-Printing

Child Safety

Recommendations for Attaching Child Safety Restraints for Children

Use Any Attachment Method as Indicated Below by X

LATCH

(Lower

Anchors

and Top

Tether

LATCH

(Lower

Anchors

Only)

Seatbelt

and Top

Tether

Seatbelt

and LATCH

(Lower

Seatbelt

Only

Combined

Weight of

Child and

Child

Restraint

Type

Anchor

Anchors

and Top

Tether

Restraint

Anchor)

Rear facing

child

Up to 65 lb

(29.5 kg)

X

restraint

Rear facing

child

Over 65 lb

(29.5 kg)

restraint

Forward

facing

Up to 65 lb

(29.5 kg)

X

child

restraint

Forward

facing

Over 65 lb

(29.5 kg)

child

restraint

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

115).

CHILD SAFETY LOCKS

WARNING: You cannot open the

rear doors from inside if you have put the

child safety locks on.

Rear Left-Hand Door

Turn anti-clockwise to lock and clockwise

to unlock.

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Child Safety

Rear Right-Hand Door

Turn clockwise to lock and anti-clockwise

to unlock.

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Child Safety for Your Ford Ecosport SUV 2020

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