Driver and Passenger Safety
This section gives you important
information about occupant protec-
tion. It shows how to use seat belts
properly. It explains the Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it
gives useful information about how
to protect infants and children in
your car.
Your Occupant Protection System.. 4
The Seat Belt System
and How It Works...................... 5
Why Wear Seat Belts.................... 5
Important Safety Reminders........ 5
Seat Belt System Components..... 6
Lap/Shoulder Belt......................... 6
Lap Belt........................................... 7
Wearing Seat Belts Properly........ 7
Wearing a Lap/Shoulder Belt...... 7
Wearing the Lap Belt.................... 9
Advice for Pregnant Women...... 10
Seat Belt Maintenance................ 11
Supplemental Restraint System..... 12
SRS Components......................... 12
What Happens In a Crash........... 12
Important Facts About
Airbags...................................... 13
How the Driver's Airbag Works........................................ 14
How the Passenger's Airbag Works........................................ 15
How the SRS Indicator Light Works........................................ 16
System Service............................. 16
System Service Precautions....... 17
Additional Safety Information........ 18 Seat-back Position........................ 18
Head Restraint Position.............. 18 Door Locks................................... 19
Storing Cargo Safely................... 19
Driving with Pets......................... 19
Child Safety...................................... 20 Where Should Children Sit?....... 20Important Safety Reminders...... 21General Guidelines for Restraining Children Under 18 kg (40 Ibs) ............... 22
Restraining
an Infant Who WeighsLess Than 9 kg (20 Ibs).......... 22
Restraining
a Child Who Weighs Between9 and 18 kg (20 and 40 Ibs)..... 23
Restraining a Child Who Weighs Over 18 kg (40 Ibs).................. 24
Securing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Belt................... 25
Using Child Restraints with Tethers............................. 26
Storing a Child Seat..................... 27
Alcohol and Drugs........................... 28 Carbon Monoxide Hazard.............. 29
Safety Labels.................................... 30
Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t
Your Occupant Protection System
Your Honda is equipped with seatbelts and other features that work
together to protect you and your
passenger during a crash.
Seat belts are the most important
part of your occupant protection system. When worn properly, seat
belts can reduce the chance of serious injury or death in a crash.
For added protection during a severe
frontal collision, your Odyssey has a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with airbags for the driver and
a front seat passenger. Two indicator lights are also part of
your safety system. One reminds you
to make sure you and your passen-
gers wear seat belts. The otheralerts you to a possible problem with
your supplemental restraint system (see page 16 ).
The seats, head restraints, and door locks also play a role in occupantsafety. For example, reclining the
seat-back can decrease the effec-
tiveness of your seat belt. Head restraints can help protect your neck
and head, especially during rear-end
impacts. Door locks help keep your doors from being accidentallyopened during a crash. To get the maximum protection from
your occupant protection system,check the following before you drive
away:
Everyone in the car is wearing aseat belt properly (see page 7).
Infants and small children are
properly secured in child safety seats (see page 20 ). All doors and the tailgate are
closed and locked (see page 19).
Seat-backs are upright and headrestraints are properly adjusted (see pages 18 and 55 ).
There are no loose items that could be thrown around and hurtsomeone during a crash or sudden
stop (see page 19 ).
By following these guidelines, you can reduce injuries to yourself and
your passengers in many crash situations. Remember, however, that
no safety system can prevent all
injuries or deaths that can occur in severe crashes.
Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents
The Seat Belt System and How It Works
Why Wear Seat Belts
Wearing seat belts, and wearing them properly, is fundamental to
your safety and the safety of your
passengers.
During a crash or emergency stop,seat belts can help keep you from
being thrown against the inside of
the car, against other occupants, or out of the car.
Of course, seat belts cannot com-
pletely protect you in every crash. But, in most cases, seat belts reduce
your chance of serious injury. They can even save your life. That is whymany states and all Canadian pro-
vinces require you to wear seat belts. Important Safety Reminders
Seat belts are designed for adults
and larger children. All infants and small children must be properly
restrained in child safety seats (see
page 20 ).
Never let passengers ride in the
cargo area or on top of a folded-downseat. Carry passengers in the rear
only when they are sitting in a locked,
upright seat, and are properly restrained by seat belts. Passengers should not stand up or
change seats while the vehicle is moving. If they are not wearing seat
belts during a crash or emergency stop, they can be thrown against the
inside of the vehicle, against other occupants, or out of the vehicle.
A pregnant woman needs to wear a seat belt to protect herself and her
unborn child (see page 10 ).
Two people should never use the same seat belt. If they do, they could
be very seriously injured in a crash.
Do not place the shoulder portion of a lap/shoulder belt under your arm
or behind your back. This could
increase the chance of serious
injuries in a crash.
Do not put shoulder belt pads or
other accessories on seat belts. They
can reduce the effectiveness of the
belts and increase the chance of
injury.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Not wearing a seat belt
increases the chance of being
killed or seriously hurt in a
crash.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents
The Seat Belt System and How It Works
Seat Belt System Components
Your Honda has seat belts in all seating positions. All the seat belts in
the six-passenger model are lap/ shoulder belts. In the seven-
passenger model, the center position of the bench-type second seat has a
lap belt.
Your seat belt system also includes a light on the instrument panel toremind you to fasten your seat belt,and to make sure your passengers
fasten theirs. This light comes on
when you turn on the ignition if you
have not fastened your seat belt. A beeper also sounds for severalseconds (see page 34 ).
The following pages cover more about the seat belt components and
how they work.
Lap/Shoulder Belt
This style of seat belt has a single belt that goes over your shoulder,across your chest, and across your
hips.
Each lap/shoulder belt has anemergency locking retractor. In
normal driving, the retractor lets you
move freely in your seat while it
keeps some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop,
the retractor automatically locks the
belt to help restrain your body. The lap/shoulder belt retractor in
each passenger seating position hasan additional locking mechanism
that is intended to secure a child seat (see page 25 ). If the shoulder part of
the belt is pulled all the way out, this mechanism will engage. The belt will
retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move freely. If the belt
feels too tight, unlatch it, let it retract
fully, then pull it out as far as needed.
Driver and Passenger Safety
SHOULDER
PORTION
UPPER SEAT
BELT ANCHOR
To retractor
LAP
PORTION
LATCH
PLATE
BUCKLEProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents
The Seat Belt System and How It Works
2. Position the belt as low as possible across your hips and pelvic bones,
not across your stomach. Pull the
loose end of the belt to adjust for a
snug but comfortable fit. To unlatch the belt, push the red
PRESS button on the buckle. Advice for Pregnant Women
Protecting the mother is the best
way to protect her unborn child.
Therefore, a pregnant woman should wear a properly-positioned seat belt
whenever she drives or rides in a car.
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Additional Safety Information
Door Locks
It is not safe to leave your car doors
unlocked. A passenger, especially a
child, could open a door and acci- dentally fall out. Also, there is a
greater chance of being thrown out of the car during a crash when the
doors are not locked.
Storing Cargo Safely
Before you drive, make sure you
first securely store or tie down any items that could be thrown around
the car and hurt someone, or interfere with your ability to operate
the controls.
Be sure to keep compartment doors
closed when the car is moving. If a
passenger hits the door of an open
glove box, for example, he could injure his knees.
For information on loading cargo,
see page 116.
Driving with Pets
Loose pets can be a hazard while you
are driving. An unrestrained pet can
interfere with your ability to drive
the car. In a crash or sudden stop,
loose pets or cages can be thrown around inside the car and hurt you or
your passengers. It is also for their safety that pets should be properly
restrained in your car.
The recommended way to restrain a medium-sized or larger dog is with aspecial traveling harness. This har-
ness can be secured to the rear seat
with a seat belt. Travel harnesses are available at pet stores.
A small dog, cat, or other small animal will be safest in a pet carrier
with rigid sides. Choose a style that allows you to secure it to the car'sseat by routing a seat belt through
the carrier's handle. For further information, contact your
veterinarian or local animal protec-
tion society.
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Child Safety
Children depend on adults to protect
them. To help make sure we do, every state and Canadian province
has laws requiring infants and young children to be properly restrained
whenever they ride in a car. Where Should Children Sit?
According to accident statistics,
children of all sizes and ages are
safer when they are properly
restrained in the rear seat rather
than the front seat.
We recommend that you place your child's infant or toddler seat in thesecond seat and secure it with the
vehicle's lap/shoulder belt or lap belt (seven-passenger model). If you use
the lap/shoulder belt, be sure to
follow the instructions on page 25 .
We strongly recommend that you do not put an infant seat in the front
passenger's seat. If the airbag
inflates, it can hit the infant seat with
great force. The infant seat can bedislodged or struck with enough
force to cause very serious injury to
the infant.
Driver and Passenger Safety
An infant or child who is not
properly restrained can be killed
or seriously injured in a crash.
Be sure any child too small for
seat belts is properly secured in a child restraint.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents
Child Safety
If a toddler seat is used in the front
passenger's seat, the vehicle seat should be moved as far back as
possible. If the passenger's bag
inflates, it could seriously hurt a
toddler who is not in the proper position or properly restrained.
We also recommend that any child who is too large to use an infant ortoddler seat ride in the second or
third seat and wear a lap/shoulder
belt properly for protection. If thechild is not large enough to wear the
lap/shoulder belt properly, you should use a booster seat.
Important Safety Reminders
Never hold a baby or child on your
lap when riding in a car. If you are
wearing your seat belt, the violent
forces created during a crash will tear the child from your arms. The child could be seriously hurt or killed.
If you are holding a child and not
wearing a seat belt in a crash, you could crush the child against the car's
interior.
Never put your seat belt over
yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt could press deep into thechild, causing serious internal
injuries.
Two children should never use the
same seat belt. If they do, they could
be very seriously injured in a crash.
If you are driving with small children
in the car, you should use thechildproof door locks to prevent
them from opening the rear doors (see page 54).
For their safety, do not leave
children alone in your car without
adult supervision.
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