2000 HONDA ODYSSEY Owners Manual

Protecting Childre n
To deactivate the locking
mechanism in order to remove a
child seat, unlatch the buckle,
unroute the seat belt, and let the belt
fully retract.Installing a Child Seat in the Center
Position of the Third Seat
To install a forward-facing child seat in the center position of the thirdseat, use the lap part of the lap/shoulder belt. Follow instruction
number 1 on page 36 for routing and
latching the seat belt.
Then pull hard on the loose end of the belt to remove any slack (it may
help to put weight on the child seat
while pulling on the belt). Finally, follow instruction number 5 on page 37 to verify that the child
seat is secure.
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Protecting 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 armsduring a crash. For example, if
your vehicle 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, thechild 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 tall enough 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.
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Allowing a larger child to sit
improperly in the front seat can
result in injury or death if the
airbags inflate.
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.

Protecting Childre n
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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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 Nationa
l 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 unrestrained
or 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 Childre n
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, including sitting 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 beltsor sit properly.
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Protecting Childre n
Using Chil d Seat s wit h Tether s
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 additionalsecurity, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available.
Second Seat Installation:
TETHE R ATTACHMEN T POIN T
Each second row bucket seat has a
tether attachment point on the
underside of the seat cushion. Lift the head restraint, then route
the tether strap over the seat-back
between the legs of the head restraint.
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Protecting Childre n
Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether attachment point and tighten
the strap according to the child seat
maker's instruction. Make sure the
strap is not twisted.
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:
16 lbf .
ft (22 N .
m , 2.2 kgf .
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 Informatio n Abou t You r Sea t Belt s
Seat Bel t Syste m Component s
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/Shoulde r Bel t
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 latchplate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched.
To unlock the belt, push the redPRESS 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 collisionor sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
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