1999 HONDA ODYSSEY Owners Manual

Protecting Children

Checking Seat Belt Fit

To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly fits a child, have the child

put on the seat belt. Follow the
instructions on page 15 . Then check

how the belt fits. If the shoulder part of the belt rests
over the child's collarbone and
against the center of the chest, as
shown, the child is large enough to
wear the seat belt.
However, if the belt touches or
crosses the child's neck, the child
needs to use a booster seat.
Do not let a child wear a seat belt

across the neck. This could result in
serious neck injuries during a crash.

Do not let a child put the shoulder

part of a seat belt behind the back or
under the arm. This could cause
very serious injuries during a crash. It also increases the chance that the
child will slide under the belt in a
crash and be injured.

Do not put any accessories on a seat

belt. Devices intended to improve
occupant comfort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt, severely
compromise the protective capability
of the seat belt and increase the
chance of serious injury in a crash.

Two children should never use the

same seat belt. If they do, they could
be very seriously injured in a crash.

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Protecting Children

Using a Booster Seat

If a child needs a booster seat, we
recommend choosing a style that
allows the child to use the lap/
shoulder belt directly, without a

shield, as shown.

Whichever style you select, follow the booster seat maker's instructions. A child may continue using a booster
seat until the tops of the ears are
even with the top of the seat-back. A
child of this height should be tall
enough to use the lap/shoulder belt
without a booster.
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front

The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
The back seat is the safest place for a child of any age or size.
In addition, the passenger's airbag
poses serious risks to children. If the seat is too far forward, or the child's
head is thrown forward during a collision, or the child is unrestrainedor out of position, an inflating airbag
can kill or seriously injure the child.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in the front, there are other important
factors you should consider.

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Protecting Children

Physical Size
Physically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit over the hips, chest, and shoulder (see pages 15 and 39). If
the seat belt does not fit properly,
the child should not sit in the front.

Maturity

To safely ride in front, a child must be able to follow the rules, includingsitting properly and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride. If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to: Carefully read the owner's manual
and make sure you understand all seat belt instructions and all safety
information. Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position. Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the floor.
Check that the child's seat belt is
properly positioned and secured. Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to fasten the seat belts or sit properly.
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Protecting ChildrenUsing Child Seats with Tethers

Your vehicle has attachment points
for a tether-style child seat to beinstalled on the second or third row

as shown.

Since a tether can provide additional
security, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available. (Tethers are required in Canada. U.S. owners may check with
the child seat maker to determine
whether a tether is available for a
particular child seat.) Second Seat Installation:
There are two attachment points available for the second seat.
To use a tether-style child seat in the second seat, the third seat must be
stored in the floor recess (see page110). Select the attachment point
you want to use. Remove the plug
with a small flat-tipped screwdriver or fingernail file.
Important Safety Information

Keep the third seat in the floor while
using a tether-style child seat in the second seat. If you attempt to return
the third seat to the upright position,
you may damage the vehicle or tether, even though the damage maynot be obvious. If this happens, the
child seat may not be properly
restrained in a crash.

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Protecting Children

Third Seat Installation:

There are three attachment points on the tailgate sill. Select the attach-
ment point you want to use, and
remove the plug with a small flat- tipped screwdriver or fingernail file.
Install the anchor plate and
mounting hardware. The hardware is
available for purchase from your
Honda dealer (part number 82410-
SE3-C01). For Canadian models, the
hardware is supplied with the vehicle.
When installing tether hardware, make sure the toothed washer is on
the bottom of the bolt. Tighten the
bolt to: 16lbf.ft (22N.m,2.2kgf.m)
If a torque wrench was not used, see
your Honda dealer as soon as possible to verify proper installation.
To attach the tether to the child seat, follow the child seat maker's

instructions.

If you are not sure how to install the
tether, or you need mounting
hardware, contact your Honda dealer.

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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

Seat Belt System Components
Your seat belt system includes lap/ shoulder belts in all seven seating
positions.
The system also includes alight on the instrument
panel to remind you and your
passengers to fasten your belts. If
the driver's seat belt is not fastened
before the ignition is turned ON (II), the light will come on and a beeper
will also sound. The beeper will stop after a few seconds, but the light will
stay on until the driver's seat belt is

fastened.
Lap/Shoulder Belt
Your vehicle has two types of lap/ shoulder belts. The center position
of the third seat has a combination of
a lap belt and a shoulder belt. For maximum safety, they are designed
to be used together.
All other seating positions have a one-piece lap/shoulder belt. This
seat belt goes over your shoulder,
across your chest and across your

hips.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched.
To unlock the belt, push the red PRESS button on the buckle.
Guide the belt across your body so
that it retracts completely. After exiting the vehicle, be sure the belt
is out of the way and will not get closed in the door.
All seat belts have an emergency 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.

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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

The seat belts in all positions except the driver's and the center position
of the third seat have an additional
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat. (See
pages 31 and 36 for instructions on
how to secure child seats with this type of seat belt.)
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow a
passenger to move freely.
To deactivate the locking mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt fully retract. To
refasten the belt, pull it out only as
far as needed.
See page 15 for instructions on how to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly. The combination lap belt and
shoulder belt in the center position
of the third seat goes over your
shoulder, across your chest and over
your hips. The shoulder belt has an emergency locking retractor that
works in combination with the lap belt.
To fasten the seat belt, unlatch the metal plate of the shoulder belt from
the anchor on the ceiling and extend
the belt by pulling the metal plate. Attach the metal hook on the edge of
the shoulder belt to the metal loopon the latch plate of the lap belt
marked CENTER, then tug on the
shoulder belt to make sure it is
securely attached.
Insert the latch plate of the lap belt
into the buckle marked CENTER,
then tug on the lap belt to make sure
the buckle is latched.
To unlock the belt, push the red PRESS button on the buckle and
detach the shoulder belt from the lap
belt.
See page 17 for how to lengthen the
lap belt, and how to properly position
the lap and shoulder belts.
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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt Maintenance
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out fully and look for
frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract easily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.

U.S. Models

Honda provides a lifetime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
fails to function properly during normal use. Please see your Honda
Warranty Information booklet for

details.
After a crash, you should have your
dealer inspect the seat belts. A belt
that has been worn during a crash
may not provide the same level of protection. The dealer should also
inspect the anchors for damage and
replace them if needed. For information on how to clean your
seat belts, see page 280.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.

Check your seat belts regularly

and have any problem

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