Page 30 of 293
Protectin
g Childre n
Placing a Child Seat
This page briefly summarizes
Honda's recommendations on where
to place rear-facing and forward-
facing child seats in your car.
Front Passenger's Seat
Infants: Never in the front seat, clue
to the passenger's airbag hazard.
Small children: Not recommended,
due to the passenger's 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 theseat belt (see page 34).
Back Seats
Infants: Recommended positions.
Secure a rear-facing child seat
with the seat belt (see page 30 ).
Small children: Recommended
positions. Secure a front-facingchild seat with the seat belt (see
page 34 ).
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Airbag
s Pos e Seriou s
Risk s t o Childre n
The passenger's airbag inflates
with enough force to kill or 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 airbag can kill or seriously injure the child.
If a small child must ride in the
front, follow the instructions
provided in this section. CONTINUED
Page 32 of 293
Protectin
g Childre n
Protectin g Infant s
Child 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. 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 is
able 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
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 an d Passenge r Safet y
CONTINUED
Placing a rear-facing child seat
i
n the front seat can result in
serious injury or death if the
airbags inflate.
Always place a rear-facing child seat in the back seat, not the
front.
Page 36 of 293
Protectin
g Childre n
Protectin g Smal l Childre n
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 inthe front seat of a vehicle equipped
with a passenger airbag can be
hazardous. If the car seat is too far
forward, or the child's head is
thrown forward during a collision, an inflating passenger's airbag canstrike 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.
CONTINUED
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Page 37 of 293
Protecting Childre n
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.
Child Seat Installation
The lap/shoulder belts in the back and front passenger seating positions
have a locking mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat.
The following pages provide instructions on how to secure a
forward-facing child seat with this
type of seat belt.
1. With the child seat in the desiredback seating position, route thebelt through the child seat
according to the seat maker's instructions, then insert the latch
plate into the buckle.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Improperly placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury
or death if the 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.
Page 40 of 293
Protectin
g Childre n
Checking Seat Belt Fit
To determine if a lap/shoulder belt properly fits a child, have the childput on the seat belt. Follow the
instructions on page 16 . 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.
CONTINUED
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
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.
Page 42 of 293
Protectin
g Childre n
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 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. 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 16 and 37). 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, includingsitting 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 belts
or sit properly.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Page 48 of 293
Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r SR S
SR S Component s
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 thesensors, control unit, the airbag
activators, and all related wiring
when the ignition is ON (II). An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with thesystem (see page 47). Emergency backup power in case
your car'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 headand chest.
Driver an d Passenge r Safet y
CONTINUED
Page 49 of 293
Additional Informatio n Abou t You r SR S
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 offered by
the airbag would be minimal.
After inflating, the airbagsimmediately deflate, so they won'tinterfere 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 your
owner'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.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y