2001 HONDA INSIGHT ECU

Seat-backs are upright (see page).
To make sure you and your
passenger get the maximum
protection f rom your car’s saf ety
f eatures, check the f ollowing each
time before you drive away:
A small child riding in a f orward-
f acing child seat is properly
restrained (see page ). Both doors are closed and locked
(see page ).
All cargo is properly stored or
secured (see page ).
The rest of this section gives more
detailed inf ormation about how you
can maximize your saf ety.
Remember, however, that no saf ety
system can prevent all injuries or
deaths that can occur in severe
crashes, even when seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags deploy.
Occupants are sitting upright and
as far back as possible from the
steering wheel and dashboard
(see page ).
You and any adult passenger, or a
larger child who has outgrown
child seats, are wearing your seat
belts and wearing them properly
(see page ).
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26
13 12
12 130
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist
Your Car’s Saf ety Features
11

Any driver who sits too close to the
steering wheel is at risk of being
seriously injured or killed by striking
the steering wheel, or f rom being
struck by an inf lating airbag during a
crash.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect adult occupants.
Af ter everyone has entered the car,
be sure the doors are closed and
locked.
These instructions also apply to a
child whom you have decided is
large enough and mature enough to
ride as a passenger. (See page f or
important additional guidelines on
how to properly protect larger
children.) Your car has a door monitor light on
the instrument panel to indicate
when a specif ic door is not tightly
closed.
For saf ety, locking the doors reduces
the chance that a passenger,
especially a child, will open a door
while the car is moving and
accidentally f all out. It also reduces
the chance of someone being thrown
out of the car during a crash.
For security, locked doors can
prevent an outsider f rom
unexpectedly opening a door when
you come to a stop.
See page f or how to lock the
doors.
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71
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Adults
Introduction A djust the Front Seats
Close and L ock the Doors
1. 2.
12

CONT INUED
Position the lap part of the belt as
low as possible across your hips,
then pull up on the shoulder part of
the belt so the lap part f its snugly.
This lets your strong pelvic bones
take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.
Insert the latch plate into the buckle,
then tug on the belt to make sure the
belt is securely latched. Also check
that the belt is not twisted, because a
twisted belt can cause serious
injuries in a crash.
If necessary, pull up on the belt again
to remove any slack from the
shoulder part, then check that the
belt rests across the center of your
chest and over your shoulder. Thisspreads the f orces of a crash over
the strongest bones in your upper
body.
This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Adults
Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts
4.
Never place t he shoulder port ion of a
lap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back.
15
Improperly positioning the seat
belts can cause serious injury
or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are
properly positioned beforedriving.

The passenger’s airbag inf lates
with enough f orce to kill or
seriously injure an inf ant in a
rear-facing child seat.
If a small child must ride in this
car, f ollow the instructions
provided in this section.
A small child in a f orward-f acing
child seat is also at risk. If the
vehicle seat is too f ar f orward,
or the child’s head is thrown
f orward during a collision, an
inf lating airbag can kill or
seriously injure the child.
This page brief ly summarizes
Honda’s recommendations on where
to place a child seat in your car.
Never in the passenger’s
seat, due to the passenger’s airbag
hazard.
Not recommended,
due to the passenger’s airbag
hazard. If a small child must ride
in this car, move the vehicle seat
to the rear-most position and
secure a f ront-f acing child seat
with the seat belt. (see page ). 27
Placing a Child Seat Passenger’s Seat
Inf ant s:
Small children:
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf etyAirbags Pose Serious
Risks to Children
24

Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:All child seats
must be secured to the car with
the lap part of a lap/shoulder belt.
A child whose seat is not properly
secured to the car can be
endangered in a crash. See page
for instructions on how to
secure a f orward-f acing child seat
in this car.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure. To provide security during normal
driving maneuvers as well as during
a collision, we recommend that
parents secure a child seat as f irmly
as possible.
Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
canbethrownoutof theseatina
crash and be seriously injured.
When you are not using a child seat,
either remove it and store it in a saf e
place, or make sure it is properly
secured. An unsecured child seat can
be thrown around the car during a
crash or sudden stop and injure
someone.
However, a child seat does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ It may be dif f icult
to install a child seat so that it does
not move at all. Some side-to-side or
back-and-f orth movement can be
expected and should not reduce the
child seat’s ef f ectiveness.
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Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Secure the child seat to the car
wit h a seat belt .
Inst alling a Child Seat
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured. Secure the child in the child seat.
Storing a Child Seat
1.
2. 3.
25

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

Af ter conf irming that the belt is
locked, grab the shoulder part of
the belt near the buckle and pull
up to remove any slack from the
lap part of the belt. Remember, if
the lap part of the belt is not tight,
the child seat will not be secure. It
mayhelptoputweightonthe
child seat, or push on the back of
the seat, while pulling up on the
belt.Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure enough to
stay upright during normal driving
maneuvers. If the child seat is not
secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to
retract f ully, then repeat these
steps.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism in order to remove a
child seat, unlatch the buckle,
unroute the seat belt, and let the belt
fully retract. If you are not wearing a seat
belt in a crash, you could be
thrown f orward into the
dashboard and crush the child.
During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause very serious injuries.
If youarewearingaseatbelt,the
child can be torn f rom your arms
during a crash. For example, if
your car crashes into a parked
vehicleat30mph(48km/h),a
30-lb (14 kg) child will become a
900-lb (410 kg) f orce, and you will
notbeabletoholdon.
5.
6.
A ddit ional Precaut ions f or Small
Children Never hold a small child on yourlap.
Never put a seat belt over yourselfand a child.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
28

Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride in this car, be sure to:
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor. Supervise the child. Even a mature
child sometimes needs to be
reminded to f asten the seat belt or
sit properly.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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