- Ford Motor Company 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis Owner's Guide

The following are reasons most often given for not wearing safety belts:
(All statistics based on U.S. data)
Reasons given... Consider...
9Crashes are rare
events9
36 700 crashes occur every day. The more we
drive, the more we are exposed to 9rare9 events,
even for good drivers. 1 in 4 of us will be seriously
injured in a crash during our lifetime.
9I’m not going far9 3of4fatal crashes occur within 25 miles of home.
9Belts are
uncomfortable9
Ford designs its 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.
9I was in a hurry9 Prime time for an accident. Belt Minder reminds
us to take a few seconds to buckle up.
9Seat belts don’t
work9
Safety belts, when used properly, reduce risk of
death to front seat occupants by 45% in cars, and
by 60% in light trucks.
9Traffic is light9 Nearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in single-vehicle
crashes, many when no other vehicles are around.
9Belts wrinkle my
clothes9
Possibly, but a serious crash can do much more than
wrinkle your clothes, particularly if you are
unbelted.
9The people I’m
with don’t wear
belts9
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.
9I have an air
bag9
Air bags offer greater protection when used with
safety belts. Frontal airbags are not designed to
inflate in rear and side crashes or rollovers.
9I’d rather be
thrown clear9
Not a good idea, people who are ejected are 40
times more likely to DIE. Safety belts help
prevent ejection, WE CAN’T 9PICK OUR CRASH9.
Do not sit on top of a buckled safety belt to avoid the Belt
Minder chime. Sitting on the safety belt will increase risk of
injury in an accident. To disable (one-time) or deactivate the Belt
Minder feature please follow the directions stated below.
Seating and safety restraints
98