2001 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN airbag

Protecting Children

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, due to the front airbag hazard.

Small children: Not recommended,
due to the front 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 the seat belt. (see page 32).
Back Seats

Infants: Recommended positions.
Properly secure a rear-facing
child seat (see page 28).

Small children: Recommended
positions. Properly secure a front-
facing child seat (see page 32).
Driver and Passenger Safety
CONTINUED

Airbags Pose Serious
Risks to Children
The passenger's front airbag inflates with enough force to killor 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 front airbag can kill orseriously injure the child.
If a small child must ride in the
front, follow the instructions
provided in this section.

Protecting Children
Protecting Infants
Child Seat Type
Only a rear-facing child seat provides
proper support for a baby's head, neck, and back. Infants up to aboutone 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 isable 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
front 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 and Passenger Safety
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death if the passenger's front airbag inflates.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not the

front.

Protecting Children

Rear-Facing Child Seat Installation Tips
For proper protection, an infant must
ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined
position. To determine the proper
reclining angle, check with the baby's doctor or follow the seat maker's
recommendations.
To achieve the desired reclining angle, it may help to put a rolled up
towel under the toe of the child seat, as shown. Protecting Small Children
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.
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's front airbag can

be hazardous. If the vehicle seat is
too far forward, or the child's head is
thrown forward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike 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
Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children
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 aforward-facing child seat with this
type of seat belt.
If you have a child seat designed to
attach to the vehicle's lower
anchorages, follow the instructions
on page 39 . 1. With the child seat in the desired
seating position, route the belt
through the child seat according
to the seat maker's instructions,
then insert the latch plate into the buckle.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Improperly placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injuryor death if the front 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.

Protecting Children

Protecting Larger Children
When a child reaches the recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the child 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 the child is 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 boosterseat to use if one is needed, and
important precautions for a child
who must sit in the front seat.
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 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, asshown, the child is large enough to
wear the seat belt.

Driver and Passenger Safety
Allowing a larger child to sit
improperly in the front seat can
result in injury or death if the

passenger's front airbag inflates.
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 Children

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 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 front
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 front airbag can kill or
seriously injure the child.
The side airbag also poses risks. If any part of a larger child's body is in
the path of a deploying airbag, the
child could receive possibly serious
injuries. 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 15 and 34 ). 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.
Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your Airbags

SRS Components

Your Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) includes:
Two front airbags. The driver'sairbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the front
passenger's airbag is stored in the dashboard. Both are marked "SRS

AIRBAG."

Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page 41).

Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors andrecords information about thesensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, and driver and
passenger seat belt use when the ignition is ON (II).
An indicator light on the instrument panel that alerts you toa possible problem with the

system (see page 44).

Emergency backup power in case

your car's electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
How Your Front Airbags Work
If you ever have a moderate to
severe frontal collision, the sensors

will detect the vehicle's rapid deceleration. If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the

control unit will instantly inflate the

front airbags.

CONTINUED

Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your Airbags

During a frontal crash, your seat
belts help 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 samesensors, 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. In
such cases, the seat belt will provide
sufficient protection, and the
supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal. After inflating, the front 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 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.

Driver and Passenger Safety