2000 HONDA S2000 Type

Important Safety Precautions
You'll find many safety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Always WearY our Seat Belt
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only
in a
moderate to severe frontal collision.
So even though your car is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passenger always wear your
seat belts, and wear them properly.
(See page
15 ) .
Your Car is Not Recommended
for Child Passengers
Since all children are safest in the
back seat of a car, and your car does
not have a back seat, we recommend
that you
do not carry a child
passenger.
Due to the passenger's
6 Driver and Passenger Safety
airbag hazard, you should never
carry an infant in a rear-facing child
seat in this car. If a small child who
must be restrained in a forward­
facing child seat, or a larger child,
must ride
in this car, be sure to
follow
all instructions and safety
warnings
in this manual. (See pages
26 and 29.)
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest
risk Be
sure to follow
all instructions and
warnings
in this manual. (See page
7 .)
Don't Drink and Drive
Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with every
additional
drink So don't drink
and drive, and don't let your friends
drink and drive, either.
Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the
greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur
at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Car in Safe Condition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous.
To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently,
and perform
all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page 146
.)

Your Car's Safety Features
Seat Belts
For your safety, and the safety of
your passenger, your car is equipped
with seat belts in both seating
positions.
ITl Your seat belt system also
L:::D:..J includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passenger to fasten your seat
belts.
Why Wear Seat Belts
Seat belts have proven to be the
single most effective safety device.
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance
of serious
injury or death
in a crash, even
though your car has airbags.
8 Driver and Passenger Safety
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
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
passenger
always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.
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, including side and
rear impacts and rollovers. (Your
air bag 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.
• Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of
injury from an inflating air bag, 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 serious
injury.
What you should do: Always wear
your seat belt, and make sure you
wear it properly.

Airbags
Your car has a Supplemental
Restraint System
(SRS) with frontal
airbags to help protect the driver and
a 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 protection in all types of
collisions. Airbags supplement
seat belts
by providing extra
protection for occupants' heads
and chests.
• Airbags offer no protection in side
impacts, rear impacts, rollovers,
or
minor collisions. Air bags are
designed to deploy only during a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
Your Car's Safety Features
• Airbags can pose serious hazards.
To do their job, airbags must
inflate with tremendous force and
speed.
So while airbags save lives,
they can cause serious injuries to
adults and larger children who are
not wearing seat belts, are not
wearing
them properly, are sitting
too close to the airbag,
or are not
sitting in a proper position. Infants
and small children are at an even
greater risk of injury or death.
What
you should do: Always wear
your seat belt properly, and sit
upright and as far back as possible
from the steering wheel
or
dashboard.
Driver and Passenger Safety 9

To reduce the chance of injury, wear
your seat belt properly, sit upright
with your back against the seat, and
move the seat as far back as possible
from
the steering wheel while still
maintaining full control of the car.
Also make sure your passenger
moves the seat as far to
the rear as
possible.
Sitting too close to an airbag
can
result in serious injury or
death it the airbags
inflate.
Always
sit as tar back from the
airbags as
possible.
Most shorter drivers can get far
enough away from the steering
wheel and still reach the pedals.
However, if you are concerned about
sitting too close, we recommend that
you investigate whether some type
of adaptive equipment may help.
Once your seat is adjusted correctly,
rock it back and forth to make sure
the seat is locked in position.
See page 68 for how to adjust the
seats.
3.Adjust the Seat-Backs
Adjust the driver's seat-back to a
comfortable, upright position,
leaving ample space between your
chest and the airbag cover in the
center of the steering wheel.
If you
sit too close to the steering wheel,
you could be injured
if the airbag
inflates.
Protecting Adults
A passenger should also adjust the
seat-back to an upright position, but
as far from
the dashboard as
possible. A passenger who sits too
close to the dashboard could be
injured if the airbag inflates.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Safety 13

U.S. Models
To remind you of the passenger's
airbag hazards, your car
has warning
labels on the dashboard and on the
driver's and passenger's visors.
Please read and follow the
instructions on these labels.
A WARNING
®
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occur • Children 12 and under can be krlled by the rur bag • NEVER pula rear-facrng chrld seat rn lhe front • Sri as far back as possrble !rom !he arr bag • ALWAYS use SEAT BELTS and CHILD RESTRAINTS
A WARNING
Children Can Be KILLED or INJURED
by Passenger Air Bag
MaKe sure all cnildren use sea! bells or cnild seals.
Canadian Models
To remind you of the airbag hazards,
your car has warning labels on the
driver's and passenger's visors.
Please read and follow
the
instructions on these labels.
CAUTION TO AVOID SERIOUS INJURY: • FOR MAXIMUM SAFETY PROTECTION IN ALL TYPES OF CRASHES, YOU MUST
ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELT. • DO NOT INSTALL REARWARD-FACING CHILD SEATS IN ANY FRONT
PASSENGER SEAT POSITION.
•
DO NOT SIT OR LEAN UNNECESSARILY
CLOSE TO THE AIR BAG. • DO NOT PLACE ANY OBJECTS OVER THE AIR BAG OR BETWEEN THE AIR BAG
AND YOURSELF.
• SEE THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND EXPLANATIONS.
Protecting Children
PRECAUTIONS:
POUR EVITER DES BLESSURES GRAVES:
• POUR PROFITER D'UNE PROTECTIOON
~~3j~t~Es ~cffR~· ~NEE?N~LQ-~~~~ ~~~~~T~E. • NINSTALLEZ JAMAIS UN SIEGE POUR ENFANTS FAISANT FACE A L'ARRIERE SUR LE SIEGE DU PASSAGER AVANT.
• NE VOUS APPUYEZ PAS ET NE VOUS ASSOYEZ
PAS PRES DU COUSSIN GONFLABLE. • NE DEPOSEZ AUCUN OBJET SUR LE COUSSIN GONFLABLE OU ENTRE LE COUSSIN GONFLABLE ET VOUS. e LISEZ LE GUIDE UTILISATEUR POUR DE PLUS AMPLES RENSEIGNEMENTS.
Driver and Passenger Safety 21

2. The child seat should be of the 3. The child seat should fit the
proper type and size to fit the child. passenger's seat.
Small Children: A child who can sit
up without support should be
restrained in a forward-facing child
seat.
See page 26 for additional
information on protecting small
children. Due
to variations
in the design of
child seats, vehicle seats, and seat
belts,
all child seats will not fit all
seating positions in all cars.
However, Honda is confident
that
one or more child seat models can fit
and be properly installed in all
recommended seating positions
in
your car.
Protecting Children
Before purchasing a child seat, we
recommend
that parents test the
child seat to make sure it fits
properly
in the passenger's seat. If a
previously purchased child seat does
not fit, you
will need to buy a
different one that will fit.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Safety 23

Protecting Children
Protecting Small Children
The passenger's airbag poses
serious risks to small children.
If the
vehicle seat is too far forward, or the
child's head is thrown forward
during a collision, or
the child is
unrestrained or improperly
restrained, an inflating airbag can kill
or seriously injure the child.
For these reasons, we recommend
that you
do not carry a small child as
a passenger.
26 Driver and Passenger Safety
If you decide to carry a small child in
this car, follow the instructions and
guidelines below.
Child Seat Type
A child who can sit up without
support, and who fits within the child
seat 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.
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.

Child Seat Installation
The passenger's seat belt has a
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat.
The following pages provide
instructions and tips on how to
secure a forward-facing child seat
with this type of seat belt.
1. Move the vehicle seat to the rear­
most position. Moving the seat as
far back as possible reduces the
chance of a child being injured or
killed
if the passenger's airbag
inflates. (See page
68 for
instructions on how to adjust the
seat.)
2. With the child seat in position,
route the belt through the child
seat according to the seat maker's
instructions, then insert the latch
plate into the buckle.
Protecting Children
3. To activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part
of the
belt
all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt feed back into the
retractor (you might hear a
clicking noise as the belt retracts).
4. After the belt has retracted, tug on
it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out.
If you can pull
the belt out, it is not locked and
you
will need to repeat these steps.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Safety 27