2000 HONDA PASSPORT light

Drive
r an d Passenge r Safet y
This section gives you important information about how to protect
you and your passengers. It shows
how to use seat belts properly. It
explains the Supplemental
Restraint System. And it tells you how to properly restrain infantsand children in your vehicle.
Important Safety Precautions .. 4
Your Vehicle's Safety Features 5
Seat Belts ............... 6
Airbags ................ 7 Seats and Seat-Backs ...... 8
Head Restraints .......... 8
Door Locks ............. 9
Pre-Drive Safety Checklist . 9
Protecting Adults .......... 10 1. Close and Lock the Doors 10
2. Adjust the Front Seats . . 10 3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . . 11
4. Adjust the Head Restraints 12 5. Fasten and Position
the Seat Belts ......... 13
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel 15
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting Position ....... 16
Advice for Pregnant Women 16 Additional Safety Precautions 17
Protecting Children ........ 18 All Children MustBe Restrained .......... 18
Children Should Sit in the Back Seat .......... 19
The Passenger's Airbag Poses
Serious Risks to Children 19
If You Must Drive With Several Children ....... 20
If a Child Requires
Close Attention ........ 20
Additional Safety Precautions 21 General Guidelines for Using Child Seats ...... 21
Protecting Infants........ 25 Protecting Small Children . 29
Protecting Larger Children 33
Using Child Seats With Tethers ........... 36
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts ........... 38
Seat Belt SystemComponents ........... 38
Lap/Shoulder Belt ....... 38
Lap Belt ............... 39 Seat Belt Maintenance .... 39
Additional Information About Your SRS ............... 40
SRS Components ........ 40
How Your Airbags Work .. 41
How Your SRS IndicatorLight Works ........... 42
SRS Service ............ 43
Additional Safety Precautions 43
Carbon Monoxide Hazard ... 44
Safety Labels ............. 45
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

some safety features can
contribute to injuries if they are
not used properly.
Sea t Belt s
For your safety, and the safety of
your passengers, your vehicle is equipped with seat belts in allseating positions.
Your seat belt systemalso includes a light on
the instrument panel to remind
you and your passengers to fasten
your seat belts.
Why Wear Seat Belts
Seat belts are the single most
effective safety device for adults
and larger children. (Infants and smaller children must be
restrained in child seats.) Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
In addition, most states and Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
When properly worn, seat belts:
Keep you connected to the
vehicle so you can take
advantage of the vehicle's
built-in safety features.
Help protect you in almost
every type of crash, includingside and rear impacts and
rollovers. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is more
likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. Your airbag
can only be helpful in a
moderate to severe frontal

collision.
Help keep you from being
thrown against the inside of the
vehicle and against other

occupants.
Keep you from being thrown
out of the vehicle.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y Not wearing a seat belt
properly increases the chance
of serious injury or death in a

crash, even if you have
airbags.

Be sure you and your

passengers always wear seat belts and wear them properly.

Help keep you in a good
position should the airbags ever
deploy. A good position
reduces the risk of injury froman inflating airbag, and allows
you to get the best advantage
from the airbag.
Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every crash. But in most cases, seat belts
can reduce your risk of seriousinjury.

What you should do: Always
wear your seat belt, and make
sure you wear it properly. Airbag
s
Your vehicle has a Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) with
frontal airbags to help protect the driver and a front seat passenger. This system also
includes an indicator
light on the instrument panel to alert you to a possible problem
with the system.
The most important things you
need to know about your airbags
are: Airbags do not replace seat
belts. The seat belts are the
occupants' primary protectionin all types of collisions. The
airbags supplement the seat
belts by providing extra
protection for the head and
chest of each front seat
occupant in a moderate to severe frontal collision. Airbags offer no protection in
side impacts, rear impacts,
rollovers, or minor collisions.
Airbags are designed to deploy
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

AI
R

BA G

To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on
the belt to make sure the buckle is

latched.

To unlock the belt, push the red PRESS button on the buckle.
Guide the belt across your body to
the door pillar. After exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of
the way and will not get closed in
the door.
All lap/shoulder 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 collision or suddenstop, the retractor automatically
locks the belt to help restrain your

body.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r Sea t Belt s
Sea t Bel t Syste m
Component s

Your seat belt system includes
lap/shoulder belts in the front seats and the outer back seats, and
a lap belt in the center back seat.
Lap/Shoulde
r Bel t

This seat-belt has a single belt that
goes over your shoulder, across

your chest, and across your hips.

The system also includes
a light 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.

Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal

collision.
A sophisticated electronic system that continually
monitors the sensors, control unit, the airbag activators and
all related wiring when the
ignition is ON (II).
An indicator light on the instrument panel to alert you to
a possible problem with the

system (see page 42).
Emergency backup power in
case your vehicle's electrical system is disconnected in a

crash.
Ho
w You r Airbag s Wor k
If you ever have a moderate to severe frontal collision, the
sensors will detect rapid
deceleration and signal the control
unit to instantly inflate the
airbags.
During a crash, your seat belt
helps 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 same
sensors, 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. Insuch cases, the seat belt will
provide sufficient protection and the supplemental protection
provided by the airbag would be minimal.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

After inflating, the 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
temporary discomfort. If this
occurs, get out of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
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. Ho
w You r SR S Indicato r

Ligh t Work s

The purpose of the SRS light is to alert you to a
potential problem with your Supplemental Restraint System.
When you turn the ignition ON
(II), this indicator will blink seven
times, 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
ignition ON (II).

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
AI
R

BA G

If the light stays on after the
engine starts.
If the light comes on or flashes
on and off while you drive.
If you see any of these
indications, your airbags may not
deploy when you need them. See your Honda dealer as soon as
possible.
SR
S Servic e

Your Supplemental Restraint
System is virtually maintenance-
free, and there are no parts you
can safely service. However, you
must have your vehicle serviced if:
Your airbags ever inflate. The
airbags and control unit must
be replaced. Do not try to
remove or replace the airbags yourself. This must be done by
a Honda dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop.
The SRS indicator light alerts
you to a problem. Take your vehicle to an authorized Honda
dealer as soon as possible. If
you ignore this indication, the
airbags might not inflate when
you need them.
Additiona
l Safet y

Precaution s

Do not attempt to deactivate
your airbags. Together, airbags and seat belts provide the best
protection in a moderate to severe frontal collision.
Do not tamper with SRS components or wiring for any
reason. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
See page 170 for further information and precautions
relating to your SRS.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags do not inflate when needed.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS light alerts you to a potential problem.

Interio
r

G — ADJUSTIN G REA R AN D
SID E VIE W MIRROR S

F — GAUGE S
L — TUR N SIGNAL S

E — STARTIN G TH E

ENGIN E
M
— HEATE R CONTROL S

K — WINDSHIEL D WIPER S

H — SHIFTIN G

I — PARKIN G

BRAK E

Of f t o a Goo d Star t

J
— HEADLIGHT S
N
— MA P LIGH T AN D MOONROO F

D — IGNITIO N

SWITC H