2001 HONDA INSIGHT airbag

The passenger’s airbag poses
serious risks to small children. If the
vehicle seat is too f ar f orward, or the
child’s head is thrown f orward
during a collision, or the child is
unrestrained or improperly
restrained, an inf lating airbag can kill
or seriously injure the child.
For these reasons, we recommend
that you do not carry a small child as
a passenger.Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown.
If you decide to carry a small child in
this car, f ollow the instructions and
guidelines below.
A child who can sit up without
support, and who f its within the child
seat maker’s weight and height
limits, should be restrained in a
f orward-f acing, upright child seat.
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 f or the seat.
Protecting Small Children
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Child Seat T ype
26 Improperly placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front
seat can result in serious injury
or death if the airbags inflate.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible and properly restrain
the child.

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).
Af ter 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.
The passenger’s seat belt has a
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions and tips on how to
secure a f orward-f acing child seat
with this type of seat belt.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position. Moving the seat as
f ar back as possible reduces the
chance of a child being injured or
killed if the passenger’s airbag
inflates. (See page for
instructions on how to adjust the
seat.) 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.
1.
2.3. 4.
76
CONT INUED
Child Seat Inst allat ion
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
27

To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
put on the seat belt. Follow the
instructions on page . Then check
how the belt f its.
The passenger’s airbag poses
serious risks to children, including
those who have outgrown child seats.
If the vehicle seat is too f ar f orward,
or the child’s head is thrown f orward
during a collision, or the child is
unrestrained or out of position, an
inf lating airbag can kill or seriously
injure the child.
For these reasons, we recommend
that you do not carry a child
passenger.
If a child is too short f or the shoulder
part of the belt to properly f it, we
recommend that the child use a
booster seat until the child is tall
enough to use the seat belt without a
booster.
With this in mind, f ollowing are
some guidelines to help you decide
when a given child may ride in your
car.
When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should wear a lap/shoulder belt. The f ollowing pages give
instructions on how to check proper
seat belt f it, what kind of booster
seat to use if one is needed, and
important precautions f or a child
who must ride in this car.
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.15
CONT INUED
Checking Seat Belt Fit
T he Child Should Wear a Seat BeltProtecting L arger Children
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 29
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.

Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:Two f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG.’’
Automatic seat belt tensioners
that tighten the front seat belts
during a moderate to severe
f rontal collision. If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect rapid deceleration and
signal the control unit to instantly
inflate the airbags and activate the
automatic seat belt tensioners.
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, 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 to
a possible problem with the
system (see page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your car’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
38
SRS Components
How Your A irbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
36

Af ter inf lating, the airbags
immediately def late, so they won’t
interf ere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
The total time for inflation and
def lation is approximately one-tenth
of a second, so f ast 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 f rom the airbag’s surf ace.
Although the powder is not harmf ul,
people with respiratory problems
may experience some temporary
discomf ort. If this occurs, get out of
the car as soon as it is safe to do so.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, see the booklet
titled
that came with your
owner’s manual.
During a crash, your seat belt helps
restrain your lower body and torso,
while the tensioner tightens and
locks the seat belt to help keep you
in place. Your airbag provides a
cushion to help restrain and protect
your head and chest.
Since both airbags use the same
sensors, both airbags normally
inf late at the same time. However, it
is possible f or only one airbag to
inf late.
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
suf f icient protection, and the
supplemental protection of f ered by
the airbag would be minimal.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, ask your dealer
f or a copy of the booklet titled
SRS: What You Need to Know
About Airbags
SRS:
What You Need to Know About Airbags
.
U.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 37

If the light comes on or f lashes on
and off while you drive.
When you turn the ignition ON (II),
this indicator will light brief ly then
go out. This tells you that the system
is working properly. Thepurposeof theSRS
light is to alert you to a
potential problem with your
Supplemental Restraint System.
If the light comes on at any other
time, or does not come on at all, 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).
If the light stays on after the
engine starts.
Your Honda has automatic seat belt
tensioners f or added protection
during a moderate to severe frontal
collision.
If your airbags inf late, the tensioners
immediately tighten the f ront seat
belts to help hold the occupants in
place. The belts will remain tight
until you unbuckle them in the
normal way. If you see any of these indications,
your airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not deploy when you need them.
See your Honda dealer as soon as
possible.
How the SRS Indicator L ight
Works
How the Automatic Seat Belt
T ensioners Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
38 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
theSRSlightalertsyoutoa
potential problem.

Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection in a moderate to severe
f rontal collision.
Do not tamper with SRS
components or wiring f or any
reason. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
See page f or f urther inf ormation
and precautions relating to your SRS.
Your Supplemental Restraint System
is virtually maintenance-f ree, and
there are no parts you can saf ely
service. However, you must have
your car serviced if :
The
airbags, seat belt tensioners, 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.
Take your car to an
authorized Honda dealer as soon
as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inf late when you need them. 128
Additional Saf ety Precautions
SRS Service
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Your airbags ever inf late.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s yout o a problem.
39

Modif ying your car, or installing
some non-Honda accessories, can
make your car unsaf e. Bef ore you
make any modif ications or add any
accessories,besuretoreadthe
f ollowing inf ormation.
Your dealer has Genuine Honda
accessories that allow you to
personalize your car. These
accessories have been designed and
approved f or your car, and are
covered by warranty.
Non-Honda accessories are usually
designed f or universal applications.
Although aftermarket accessories
may f it on your car, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your car’s
handling and stability. (See
‘‘Modif ications’’ on page f or
additional information.)When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your car’s
computer-controlled systems, such
as the SRS.
If possible, have your dealer inspect
the f inal installation.Have the installer contact your
Honda dealer f or assistance bef ore
installing any electronic accessory.
Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ).
Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper car operation or
perf ormance.
Bef ore installing any accessory:
However, if electronic accessories
are improperly installed, or exceed
your car’s electrical system capacity,
they can interfere with the operation
of your car, or even cause the
airbags to deploy.
232
129
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
128 Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
car’s handling, stability and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.