2000 HONDA INSIGHT seats

Drive
r an d Passenge r Safet y

Thi s sectio n give s yo u importan t
informatio n abou t ho w to protec t
yoursel f an d you r passenger . I t
show s yo u ho w to us e sea t belt s
properly . I t explain s you r Supple -
menta l Restrain t System . An d it tell s
yo u ho w to properl y restrai n childre n
i n you r car . Importan
t Safet y Precautions......... . 6
You r Car' s Safet y Features............. . 7

Sea t Belts....................................... . 8

Airbags........................................... . 9
Seat s & Seat-Backs..................... . 1 0
Hea d Restraints.......................... . 1 0
Doo r Locks.................................. . 1 0
Pre-Driv e Safet y Checklist........ . 1 1

Protectin g Adults............................ . 1 2

1 . Clos e an d Loc k th e Doors..... . 1 2
2 . Adjus t th e Fron t Seats........... . 1 2
3 . Adjus t th e Seat-Backs............ . 1 3
4 . Faste n an d Positio n th e Sea t

Belts..................................... . 1 5

5 . Maintai n a Prope r Sittin g

Position................................ . 1 6

Advic e fo r Pregnan t Women..... . 1 7

Additiona l Safet y Precautions... . 1 8

Protectin g Children........................ . 1 9

Al l Childre n Mus t B e

Restrained............................... . 1 9

You r Ca r i s No t Recommende d

fo r Chil d Passengers.............. . 2 0

Th e Passenger' s Airba g Pose s

Seriou s Risk s t o Children...... . 2 0

Additiona l Safet y Precaution..... . 2 2
Genera
l Guideline s fo r Usin g
Chil d Seats............................... . 2 2
Protecting Small Children......... . 2 6
Protecting Larger Children....... . 2 9
Usin g Chil d Seat s wit h
Tethers..................................... . 3 3
Additiona l Informatio n Abou t You r

Sea t Belts................................. . 3 4

Sea t Bel t Syste m Components.. . 3 4
Lap/Shoulde r Belt...................... . 3 4
Sea t Bel t Maintenance............... . 3 5
Additiona l Informatio n Abou t
You r SRS................................... 36

SR S Components........................ . 3 6

Ho w You r Airbag s Work........... . 3 6
Ho w th e Automati c Sea t Bel t

Tensioner s Work.................... . 3 8

Ho w th e SR S Indicato r Ligh t

Works....................................... . 3 8

SR S Service.................................. . 3 9

Additiona l Safet y Precautions... . 3 9

Carbo n Monoxid e Hazard............. .
40

Safet y Labels................................... .
4
1

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s

Seat s & Seat-Back s
You r car' s seat s ar e designe d to kee p
yo u in a comfortable , uprigh t
positio n s o yo u ca n tak e ful l
advantag e o f th e protectio n offere d
b y sea t belt s an d th e energ y
absorbin g material s i n th e seats .
Ho w yo u adjus t you r seat s an d seat -
back s ca n als o affec t you r safety . Fo r
example , sittin g to o clos e to th e
steerin g whee l o r dashboar d
increase s th e ris k o f yo u o r you r
passenge r bein g injure d b y strikin g
th e insid e o f th e car , o r b y a n
inflatin g airbag .
Reclinin g a seat-bac k to o fa r reduce s
th e sea t belt' s effectivenes s an d
increase s th e chanc e tha t th e seat' s
occupan t wil l slid e unde r th e sea t
bel t i n a cras h an d b e seriousl y

injured .
What
you should do: Move th e seat s

a s fa r bac k a s possible , an d kee p
adjustabl e seat-back s in a n uprigh t
positio n wheneve r th e ca r i s moving .
Hea d Restraint s
Hea d restraint s ca n hel p protec t yo u
fro m whiplas h an d othe r injuries .Doo
r Lock s
Keepin g you r door s locke d reduce s
th e chanc e o f bein g throw n ou t o f
th e ca r durin g a crash . I t als o help s
preven t occupant s fro m accidentall y
openin g a doo r an d fallin g out , an d
outsider s fro m unexpectedl y openin g
you r doors .
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s
Pre-Driv e Safet y Checklis t
T o mak e sur e yo u an d you r
passenge r ge t th e maximu m
protectio n fro m you r car' s safet y
features , chec k th e followin g eac h
tim e befor e yo u driv e away : Yo
u an d an y adul t passenger , o r a
large r chil d wh o ha s outgrow n
chil d seats , ar e wearin g you r sea t
belt s an d wearin g the m properl y
(se e pag e 15 ). A
smal l chil d ridin g in a forward -
facin g chil d sea t i s properl y
restraine d (se e pag e 26 ). Occupant
s ar e sittin g uprigh t an d
a s fa r bac k a s possibl e fro m th e
steerin g whee l an d dashboar d
(se e pag e 1 2 ). Seat-back
s ar e uprigh t (se e pag e
13 ). Bot
h door s ar e close d an d locke d
(se e pag e 1 2 ) . Al
l carg o is properl y store d o r
secure d (se e pag e 128 ).
Th e res t o f thi s sectio n give s mor e
detaile d informatio n abou t ho w yo u
ca n maximiz e you r safety .
Remember , however , tha t n o safet y
syste m ca n preven t al l injurie s o r
death s tha t ca n occu r i n sever e
crashes , eve n whe n sea t belt s ar e
properl y wor n an d th e airbag s deploy .

Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

Protectin
g Adult s
T o reduc e th e chanc e o f injury , wea r
you r sea t bel t properly , si t uprigh t
wit h you r bac k agains t th e seat , an d
mov e th e sea t a s fa r bac k a s possibl e
fro m th e steerin g whee l whil e stil l
maintainin g ful l contro l o f th e car .
Als o mak e sur e you r passenge r
move s th e sea t a s fa r t o th e rea r a s

possible .
Mos
t shorte r driver s ca n ge t fa r
enoug h awa y fro m th e steerin g
whee l an d stil l reac h th e pedals .
However , i f yo u ar e concerne d abou t
sittin g to o close , w e recommen d tha t
yo u investigat e whethe r som e typ e
o f adaptiv e equipmen t ma y help .
Onc e you r sea t i s adjuste d correctly ,
roc k i t bac k an d fort h t o mak e sur e
th e sea t i s locke d in position .
Se e pag e 7 4 fo r ho w to adjus t th e

seats .
3.Adjus
t th e Seat-Back s
Adjus t th e driver' s seat-bac k t o a
comfortable , uprigh t position ,
leavin g ampl e spac e betwee n you r
ches t an d th e airba g cove r i n th e
cente r o f th e steerin g wheel . I f yo u
si t to o clos e t o th e steerin g wheel ,
yo u coul d b e injure d i f th e airba g
inflates .

CONTINUED

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Sittin
g to o clos e t o a n airba g
ca n resul t i n seriou s injur y o r
deat h if th e airbag s inflate .
Alway s si t a s fa r bac k fro m th e
airbag s a s possible .

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 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

2. The child seat should be of the
proper type and size to fit the child.
Small Children: A chil d wh o ca n si t
u p withou t suppor t shoul d b e
restraine d in a forward-facin g chil d
seat . Se e pag e 2 6 fo r additiona l
informatio n o n protectin g smal l

children .
3.
The child seat should fit the

passenger's seat.

Du e to variation s in th e desig n o f
chil d seats , vehicl e seats , an d sea t
belts , al l chil d seat s wil l no t fi t al l
seatin g position s in al l cars .
However , Hond a is confiden t tha t
on e o r mor e chil d sea t model s ca n fi t
an d b e properl y installe d in thi s car . Befor
e purchasin g a chil d seat , w e
recommen d tha t parent s tes t th e
chil d sea t t o mak e sur e it fit s
properl y in th e passenger' s seat . I f a
previousl y purchase d chil d sea t doe s
no t fit , yo u wil l nee d to bu y a
differen t on e tha t wil l fit .

CONTINUED

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Protectin
g Childre n

Protectin g Large r Childre n
Th e passenger' s airba g pose s
seriou s risk s t o children , includin g
thos e wh o hav e outgrow n chil d seats .
I f 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 , o r th e chil d is
unrestraine d o r ou t o f position , a n
inflatin g airba g ca n kil l o r seriousl y
injur e th e child .
Fo r thes e reasons , w e recommen d
tha t yo u d o no t carr y a chil d

passenger .

Wit h thi s i n mind , followin g ar e
som e guideline s t o hel p yo u decid e
whe n a give n chil d ma y rid e in you r
car .

The Child Should Wear a Seat Belt

Whe n a chil d reache s th e
recommende d weigh t o r heigh t limi t
fo r a forward-facin g chil d seat , th e
chil d shoul d wea r a lap/shoulde r belt .I
f a chil d is to o shor t fo r th e shoulde r
par t o f th e bel t t o properl y fit , w e
recommen d tha t th e chil d us e a
booste r sea t unti l the y ar e tal l
enoug h t o us e th e sea t bel t withou t a

booster .

Th e followin g page s giv e
instruction s o n ho w to chec k prope r
sea t bel t fit , wha t kin d o f booste r
sea t t o us e if on e is needed , an d
importan t precaution s fo r a chil d
wh o mus t rid e i n thi s car .
Checking
Seat Belt Fit

T o determin e i f a lap/shoulde r bel t
properl y fit s a child , hav e th e chil d
pu t o n th e sea t belt . Follo w th e
instruction s o n pag e 15 . The n chec k
ho w th e bel t fits .
I f th e shoulde r par t o f th e bel t rest s
ove r th e child' s collarbon e an d
agains t th e cente r o f th e chest , a s
shown , th e chil d is larg e enoug h to
wea r th e sea t belt .

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Allowin
g a large r chil d t o si t

improperl y i n th e fron t sea t ca n
resul t i n injur y o r deat h i f th e

airbag s inflate .
I f a large r chil d mus t si t i n front ,
mak e sur e th e chil d move s th e
sea t a s fa r bac k a s possibl e
an d wear s th e sea t bel t properly .
CONTINUED