2000 Acura RL airbag

Protectin
g Childre n

Placing a Child Seat
This page briefly summarizes Acura's recommendations on where to place
rear-facing and forward-facing child seats in your car.
Front Passenger's Seat

Infants: Never in the front seat, due
to the front airbag hazard.

Small children: Not recommended,
due to the front airbag hazard. If asmall child must ride in front,
move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position and secure a front-
facing child seat with the seat belt (see page 32).
Back Seats

Infants: Recommended positions.
Secure a rear-facing child seat
with the seat belt (see page 28).

Small children: Recommended
positions. Secure a front-facingchild seat with the seat belt (see
page 32).
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Airbag
s Pos e Seriou s
Risk s t o Childre n
The passenger's front airbag inflates with enough force to kill
or seriously injure an infant in a
rear-facing child seat.
A small child in a forward-facing child seat is also at risk. If the
vehicle seat is too far forward, or the child's head is thrown
forward during a collision, an inflating front airbag can kill or
seriously injure the child.
If a small child must ride in the
front, follow the instructions
provided in this section.

Protectin
g Childre n

Protectin g Infant s

Child Seat Type

Only a rear-facing child seat provides
proper support for a baby's head, neck, and back. Infants up to aboutone year of age must be restrained in
a rear-facing child seat.
Two types of seats may be used: a seat designed exclusively for infants,
or a convertible seat used in the rear-
facing, reclining mode. We recommend that an infant be
restrained in a rear-facing child seat
until the infant reaches the seatmaker's weight or height limit and is
able to sit up without support.
Rear-Facing Child Seat Placement

In this car, a rear-facing child seat
can be placed in any seating position
in the back seat, but not in the front
seat.

Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front seat. If the passenger's
front airbag inflates, it can hit the
back of the child seat with enough
force to kill or seriously injure an infant. If an infant must be closely
watched, we recommend thatanother adult sit in the back seat
with the baby.

Do not put a rear-facing child seat in

a forward-facing position. If placed

facing forward, an infant could be
very seriously injured during a frontal collision.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death if the passenger's front airbag inflates.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not the

front.

Protectin
g Childre n

Protectin g Smal l Childre n

Child Seat Type

A child who can sit up without support, and who fits within the child
seat maker's weight and height
limits, should be restrained in a
forward-facing, upright child seat.
Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a five-
point harness system as shown. We also recommend that a small
child stay in the child seat as long as
possible, until the child reaches the
weight or height limit for the seat.

Child Seat Placement

In this car, the best place to install a
forward-facing child seat is in one of
the seating positions in the back seat.

Placing a forward-facing child seat in

the front seat of a vehicle equipped
with a passenger's front airbag can

be hazardous. If the vehicle seat is
too far forward, or the child's head is
thrown forward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough force to cause
very serious or fatal injuries. If a small child must be closely watched,
we recommend that another adult sit in the back seat with the child. If it is necessary to put a forward-
facing child seat in the front, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as possible, be sure the child seat is
firmly secured to the car, and the child is properly strapped in the seat.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y Improperly placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury
or death if the front airbagsinflate.
If you must place a forward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as possible and properly restrain
the child.

Protectin
g Childre n

Additional Precautions for Small

Children
Never hold a small child on your

lap. If you are not wearing a seat
belt in a crash, you could be thrown forward into thedashboard and crush the child.
If you are wearing a seat belt, the child can be torn from your arms
during a crash. For example, if
your car crashes into a parked
vehicle at 30 mph (48 km/h), a 30-lb (14 kg) child will become a
900-lb (410 kg) force, and you will
not be able to hold on.
Never put a seat belt over yourself

and a child. During a crash, the

belt could press deep into the child
and cause very serious injuries.
Protectin
g Large r Childre n
When a child reaches the recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the child should sit in the back seat and
wear a lap/shoulder belt.
If a child is too short for the shoulder
part of the belt to properly fit, we recommend that the child use a
booster seat until they are tall enough to use the seat belt without a

booster.

The following pages give instructions on how to check proper
seat belt fit, what kind of booster
seat to use if one is needed, and
important precautions for children
who must sit in the front seat.

CONTINUED

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Allowing a larger child to sit
improperly in the front seat canresult in injury or death if the
passenger's front airbag inflates.
If a larger child must sit in front,
make sure the child moves the
seat as far back as possible
and wears the seat belt properly.

Protectin
g Childre n

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 front
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
unrestrained or out of position, an
inflating front airbag can kill or seriously injure the child.
The side airbag also poses risks. If any part of a larger child's body is in
the path of a deploying airbag, the
child could receive possibly serious
injuries.
Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

CONTINUED

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r Sea t Belt s

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 the 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.
Automati
c Sea t Bel t Tensioner s

For added protection, the front seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,

the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and a front passenger in place.
The tensioners are designed to activate primarily in frontal collisions.
The tensioners are independent of the airbag system, so they can beactivated during a collision that might not cause the airbags to
deploy. In this case, the airbags
would not be needed but the additional seat belt tension can be

helpful.

The tensioners will be activated in a collision severe enough to cause the
front airbags to inflate.
When the tensioners are activated, the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled in the normal
way.
The SRS indicator light willcome on if there is a
problem with your automatic seat
belt tensioners (see page 45).
Driver an d Passenge r Safet y
S R S

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r Fron t Airbag s
SR S Component s

Your Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) includes: Two front airbags. The driver's
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the front
passenger's airbag is stored in the dashboard. Both are marked "SRS
AIRBAG." Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page 41). Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal

collision.

A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records information about thesensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, driver and
passenger seat belt use, and all
related wiring when the ignition is ON (II). An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with thesystem (see page 45). Emergency backup power in case
your car's electrical system is disconnected in a crash. Ho
w You r Fron t Airbag s Wor k
If you ever have a moderate to severe frontal collision, the sensors
will detect the vehicle's rapid deceleration. If the rate ofdeceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inflate the
front airbags.
CONTINUED
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r Fron t Airbag s

During a frontal crash, your seat
belts help restrain your lower body and torso. Your airbag provides a
cushion to help restrain and protect
your head and chest.
Since both airbags use the samesensors, both airbags normally
inflate at the same time. However, it
is possible for only one airbag to
inflate.
This can occur when the severity of a collision is at the margin, or
threshold, that determines whether or not the airbags will deploy. In
such cases, the seat belt will providesufficient protection, and the
supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal. After inflating, the front airbags
immediately deflate, so they won't
interfere with the driver's visibility,or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation is approximately one-tenth
of a second, so fast that most
occupants are not aware that the
airbags deployed until they see them
lying in their laps. After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actuallypowder from the airbag's surface.
Although the powder is not harmful, people with respiratory problems
may experience some temporarydiscomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the car as soon as it is safe to do so.

U.S. Owners

For additional information on how

your airbags work, see the booklet
titled SRS: What You Need to Know

About Airbags that came with your

owner's manual.

Canadian Owners

For additional information on how

your airbags work, ask your dealer
for a copy of the booklet titled SRS:
What You Need to Know About Airbags.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y