2000 Acura TL airbag

Protecting Children
Placing a Child Seat
This page briefly summarizes Acura'srecommendations on where to place
rear-facing and forward-facing childseats in your car.
Airbags Pose SeriousRisks to Children
The passenger's front airbag inflates with enough force to killor 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 orseriously injure the child.
If a small child must ride in the
front, follow the instructions provided in this section. 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 a
small 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-facing
child seat with the seat belt (see
page 32).
Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children
Protecting InfantsChild Seat Type
Only a rear-facing child seat provides
proper support for a baby's head,
neck, and back. Infants up to about one 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.
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.
We recommend that an infant be restrained in a rear-facing child seat
until the infant reaches the seat
maker's weight or height limit and isable 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 that another 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.
Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children
Protecting Small Children
Child Seat Type A child who can sit up without support, and who fits within the childseat 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. Improperly placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front
seat can result in serious injury or death if the front airbags inflate.
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.
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.
Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children
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 the dashboard 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. Protecting Larger Children
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 tallenough to use the seat belt without a
booster.
The following pages give instructions on how to check properseat 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. Allowing a larger child to sit
improperly in the front seat can
result 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.
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Driver and Passenger Safety

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 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.
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Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your Front Airbags
SRS Components
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."
• Sensors that can detect a moderate to severe frontal
collision.
• A sophisticated electronic system that continually monitors andrecords 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 theinstrument panel that alerts you to a possible problem with the
system (see page 45).
• Emergency backup power in case your car's electrical system is
disconnected in a crash. How Your Front Airbags Work
If you ever have a moderate to severe frontal collision, the sensors
will detect the vehicle's rapid deceleration. If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inflate the
front airbags.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your Front Airbags
During a frontal crash, your seat
belts help restrain your lower bodyand 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 provide
sufficient 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 actually
powder 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 yourowner'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.
Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your Front Airbags
How the SRS Indicator Light
Works The purpose of the SRSindicator light is to alert
you to a potential problem with your
front airbags. This light will also
alert you to a potential problem with
your side airbags or passenger's side airbag automatic cutoff system (see
page 47).
When you turn the ignition ON (II), this indicator will light up briefly
then go out. This tells you that the system is working properly. However, if the light comes on at any
other time, you should have the
system checked by your dealer. For
example:
• If the SRS indicator light does not
come on after you turn the ignitionON (II)
• If the light stays on after the engine starts.
• If the light comes on or flashes onand off while you drive.
If you see any of these indications,
your front or side airbags may not deploy, or your passenger's side
airbag automatic cutoff system may
not work properly. See your Acura dealer as soon as possible. Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags or cutoff
system do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS light alerts you to a potential problem.
Driver and Passenger Safety
SRS