2000 HONDA INSIGHT Owners Manual

Protectin
g Adult s

A passenge r shoul d als o adjus t th e
seat-bac k t o a n uprigh t position , bu t
a s fa r fro m th e dashboar d a s
possible . A passenge r wh o sit s to o
clos e to th e dashboar d coul d b e
injure d if th e airba g inflates .
Reclinin g a seat-bac k s o tha t th e
shoulde r par t o f th e bel t n o longe r
rest s agains t th e occupant' s ches t
reduce s th e protectiv e capabilit y o f
th e belt . I t als o increase s th e chanc e
o f slidin g unde r th e bel t i n a cras h
an d bein g seriousl y injured . Th e
farthe r a seat-bac k is reclined , th e
greate r th e ris k o f injury . Se
e pag e 7 4 fo r ho w to adjus t seat -

backs .

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Reclinin
g th e seat-bac k to o fa r
ca n resul t i n seriou s injur y o r

deat h i n a crash .

Adjus t th e seat-bac k t o a n

uprigh t positio n an d si t wel l

bac k i n th e seat .

Protectin
g Adult s

4.Faste n an d Positio n th e Sea t
Belt s
Inser t th e latc h plat e int o th e buckle ,
the n tu g o n th e bel t t o mak e sur e th e
bel t i s securel y latched . Als o chec k
tha t th e bel t i s no t twisted , becaus e a
twiste d bel t ca n caus e seriou s
injurie s i n a crash .
Position th e la p par t o f th e bel t a s
lo w a s possibl e acros s you r hips ,
the n pul l u p o n th e shoulde r par t o f
th e bel t s o th e la p par t fit s snugly .
Thi s let s you r stron g pelvi c bone s
tak e th e forc e o f a cras h an d reduce s
th e chanc e o f interna l injuries .
I f necessary , pul l u p o n th e bel t agai n
t o remov e an y slac k fro m th e
shoulde r part , the n chec k tha t th e
bel t rest s acros s th e cente r o f you r
ches t an d ove r you r shoulder . Thi s spread
s th e force s o f a cras h ove r
th e stronges t bone s i n you r uppe r
body .
Never place the shoulder portion of a
lap/shoulder belt under your arm or
behind your back. This coul d caus e
ver y seriou s injurie s i n a crash .
CONTINUED
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Improperl
y positionin g th e sea t
belt s ca n caus e seriou s injur y
o r deat h i n a crash .
Mak e sur e al l sea t belt s ar e
properl y positione d befor e

driving .

Protectin
g Adult s

I f a sea t bel t doe s no t see m to wor k
a s it should , i t ma y no t protec t th e

occupan t i n a crash . N o one should

sit in a seat with an inoperative seat

belt. Anyon e usin g a sea t bel t tha t i s
no t workin g properl y ca n b e
seriousl y injure d o r killed . Hav e you r
Hond a deale r chec k th e bel t a s soo n

a s possible .

Se e pag e 3 4 fo r additiona l
informatio n abou t you r sea t bel t
syste m an d ho w to tak e car e o f you r

belts .
5.Maintai
n a Prope r Sittin g
Positio n
Afte r occupant s hav e adjuste d thei r
seat s an d pu t on sea t belts , it is ver y
importan t tha t the y continu e t o si t
upright , wel l bac k i n thei r seats , wit h
thei r fee t o n th e floor , unti l th e ca r i s
parke d an d th e engin e is off .
Sittin g improperl y ca n increas e th e
chanc e o f injur y durin g a crash . Fo r
example , i f a n occupan t slouches ,
lie s down , turn s sideways , sits
forward , lean s forwar d o r sideways ,
o r put s on e o r bot h fee t up , th e
chanc e o f injur y durin g a cras h is
greatl y increased . I
n addition , a n occupan t wh o is ou t o f
positio n ca n b e seriousl y o r fatall y
injure d b y strikin g interio r part s o f
th e car , o r b y bein g struc k b y a n
inflatin g airbag .
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Protectin
g Adult s

Remember , to ge t th e bes t
protectio n fro m you r car' s airbag s
an d othe r safet y features , yo u mus t
si t properl y an d wea r you r sea t bel t
properly . Advic
e fo r Pregnan t Wome n
Becaus e protectin g th e mothe r i s th e
bes t wa y t o protec t he r unbor n child ,
a pregnant woman shoul d alway s
wea r a sea t bel t wheneve r sh e drive s
o r ride s in a vehicle .
Remembe r t o kee p th e la p portio n o f
th e bel t a s lo w a s possibl e acros s
you r hips . Pregnan
t wome n shoul d als o si t
uprigh t an d a s fa r bac k a s possibl e
fro m th e steerin g whee l o r
dashboard . Thi s wil l reduc e th e ris k
o f injurie s t o bot h th e mothe r an d
he r unbor n chil d tha t ca n b e cause d
b y a cras h o r a n inflatin g airbag .
Eac h tim e yo u hav e a check-up , as k
you r docto r i f it' s oka y fo r yo u t o
drive .

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Sittin
g improperl y o r ou t o f
positio n ca n resul t i n seriou s
injur y o r deat h in a crash .
Alway s si t upright , wel l bac k in
th e seat , wit h you r fee t o n th e
floor .

Protectin
g Adult s

Additiona l Safet y Precaution s
Two
people should never use the

same seat belt. If the y do , the y
coul d b e ver y seriousl y injure d in a

crash .
Do
not put any accessories on seat

belts. Device s intende d to improv e
occupan t comfor t o r repositio n th e
shoulde r par t o f a sea t bel t ca n
severel y compromis e th e
protectiv e capabilit y o f th e sea t
bel t an d increas e th e chanc e o f
seriou s injur y in a crash .
Do
not place hard or sharp objects

between yourself and an airbag.

Carryin g har d o r shar p object s o n
you r lap , o r drivin g wit h a pip e o r
othe r shar p objec t i n you r mouth ,
ca n resul t i n injurie s i f you r
airbag s inflate .
Do
not attach or place objects on

the front airbag covers. Any objec t

attache d t o o r place d o n th e cover s
marke d "SR S AIRBAG " i n th e
cente r o f th e steerin g whee l an d
o n to p o f th e dashboar d coul d
interfer e wit h th e prope r operatio n
o f th e airbags . Or , i f th e airbag s
inflate , th e object s coul d b e
propelle d insid e th e ca r an d hur t

someone .
Keep
your hands and arms away

from the airbag covers. If you r
hand s o r arm s ar e clos e t o th e
airba g cover s i n th e cente r o f th e
steerin g whee l an d o n to p o f th e
dashboard , the y coul d b e injure d if
th e airbag s inflate .
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Protectin
g Childre n

Childre n depen d o n adult s t o protec t
them . However , despit e thei r bes t
intentions , man y parent s an d othe r
adult s ma y no t kno w ho w to properly
protec t youn g passengers .
S o if yo u hav e children , o r i f yo u eve r
nee d to driv e wit h a grandchil d o r
othe r childre n in you r car , b e sur e t o
rea d thi s section . Al
l Childre n Mus t B e Restraine d
Eac h year , man y childre n ar e injure d
o r kille d in vehicl e crashe s becaus e
the y ar e eithe r unrestraine d o r no t
properl y restrained . I n fact , vehicl e
accident s ar e th e numbe r on e caus e
o f deat h o f childre n age s 1 2 an d
under .
T o reduc e th e numbe r o f chil d
death s an d injuries , ever y stat e an d
Canadia n provinc e require s tha t
infant s an d childre n b e restraine d
wheneve r the y rid e i n a vehicle .

Any child who is too small to wear a

seat belt should be properly

restrained in a child seat. (See pag e

26 .)
A larger child should always be
restrained with a seat belt. (See pag e
29 .)
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Childre
n wh o ar e unrestraine d
o r improperl y restraine d ca n b e
seriousl y injure d o r kille d in a
crash .
An y chil d to o smal l fo r a sea t
bel t shoul d b e properl y
restraine d in a chil d seat . A
large r chil d shoul d b e properl y
restraine d wit h a sea t belt .

Protectin
g Childre n

You r Ca r i s No t Recommende d
fo r Chil d Passenger s
W e strongl y recommen d tha t yo u d o
no t carr y an y chil d in thi s car .
On e reaso n is tha t you r ca r doe s no t
hav e a bac k seat , an d acciden t
statistic s sho w tha t a chil d o f an y
siz e o r ag e is safe r whe n the y ar e
properl y restraine d in th e bac k sea t
o f a vehicle .
I n addition , you r ca r ha s a passenger' s
airba g whic h pose s seriou s risk s t o

childre n — particularl y infant s an d

smal l children . Th
e Passenger' s Airba g Pose s
Seriou s Risk s t o Childre n
Airbag s hav e bee n designe d to hel p
protec t adult s i n a moderat e t o
sever e fronta l collision . T o d o this ,
th e passenger' s airba g is quit e large ,
an d it inflate s wit h tremendou s

speed .

A s a result , w e urg e yo u t o follo w
thes e guidelines .

Infants
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front seat of a car equipped with

a passenger's airbag. If th e airba g

inflates , i t ca n hi t th e bac k o f th e
chil d sea t wit h enoug h forc e t o kil l o r
ver y seriousl y injur e a n infant .
Small
Children

Placing a forward-facing child seat in

the front seat of a car equipped with

a passenger's airbag can be

hazardous. If th e vehicl e sea t i s to o
fa r forward , o r th e child' s head is
throw n forwar d durin g a collision , a n
inflatin g airba g ca n strik e th e chil d
wit h enoug h forc e t o kil l o r ver y
seriousl y injur e a smal l child . I f a
smal l chil d mus t rid e in thi s car ,
follo w th e instruction s o n pag e 2 3 .

Larger Children

Children who have outgrown child
seats are also at risk of being injured
or killed by an inflating passenger's

airbag. If a large r chil d mus t rid e in
thi s car , se e pag e 2 9 fo r importan t
guideline s o n ho w to decid e whethe r
a chil d is larg e enoug h an d matur e
enoug h to rid e a s a passenger , an d
ho w to properl y protec t th e child .
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Protectin
g Childre n

U.S. Models

T o remin d yo u o f th e passenger' s
airba g hazards , you r ca r ha s warnin g
label s hangin g fro m th e glov e bo x
an d o n th e driver' s an d passenger' s
visors . Pleas e rea d an d follo w th e
instruction s o n thes e labels .
Canadian
Models

T o remin d yo u o f th e airba g hazards ,
you r ca r ha s warnin g label s o n th e
driver' s an d passenger' s visors .
Pleas e rea d an d follo w th e
instruction s o n thes e labels .

Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

CAUTIO
N

T O AVOI D SERIOU S INJURY :

FO R MAXIMU M SAFET Y PROTECTIO N IN
AL L TYPE S O F CRASHES , YO U MUS T
ALWAY S WEA R YOU R SAFET Y BELT .
D O NO T INSTAL L REARWARD-FACIN G
CHIL D SEAT S IN AN Y FRON T
PASSENGE R SEA T POSITION .
D O NO T SI T O R LEA N UNNECESSARIL Y
CLOS E T O TH E AI R BAG .
D O NO T PLAC E AN Y OBJECT S OVE R TH E
AI R BA G O R BETWEE N TH E AI R BA G
AN D YOURSELF .
SE E TH E OWNER' S MANUA L FO R FURTHE R
INFORMATIO N AN D EXPLANATIONS .PRECAUTION
:

POU R EVITE R DE S BLESSURE S GRAVES :

POU R PROFITE R D'UN E PROTECTIO N
MAXIMAL E LOR S D'UN E COLLISIO N BOUCLE Z
TOUJOUR S VOTR E CEINTUR E D E SECURITE .
N'lNSTALLE Z JAMAI S U N SIEG E POU R
ENFANT S FAISAN T FAC E A L'ARRIER E SU R
L E SIEG E D U PASSAGE R AVANT .
N E VOU S APPUYE Z PA S E T N E VOU S ASSEYE Z
PA S PRE S D U COUSSI N GONFLABLE .
N E DEPOSE Z AUCU N OBJE T SU R L E COUSSI N
GONFLABL E O U ENTR E L E COUSSI N
GONFLABL E E T VOUS .
LISE Z L E GUID E UTILISATEU R POU R D E
PLU S AMPLE S RENSEIGNEMENTS .