2001 HONDA INSIGHT Main

This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passenger. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain children
in your car..........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.............
Your Car’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts . 8
...........................................
Airbags . 9
.....................
Seats & Seat-Backs . 10
..........................
Head Restraints . 10
..................................
Door Locks . 10
........
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist . 11
............................
Protecting Adults . 12
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 12
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 12
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 13
4. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts . 15
5. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position . 16
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 17
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 18
........................
Protecting Children . 19
All Children Must Be
...............................
Restrained . 19
Your Car is Not Recommended ..............
f or Child Passengers . 20
The Passenger’s Airbag Poses
......
Serious Risks to Children . 20
.....
Additional Safety Precaution . 22 General Guidelines f or Using
...............................
Child Seats . 22
.........
Protecting Small Children . 26
.......
Protecting Larger Children . 29
Using Child Seats with
.....................................
Tethers . 33
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts . 34
..
Seat Belt System Components . 34
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 34
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 35
Additional Inf ormation About ..................................
Your SRS . 36
........................
SRS Components . 36
...........
How Your Airbags Work . 36
How the Automatic Seat Belt
....................
Tensioners Work . 38
How the SRS Indicator Light .......................................
Works . 38
..................................
SRS Service . 39
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 39
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 40
...................................
Saf ety Labels . 41
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
5

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal 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 ).
Since all children are saf est 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.If a small child who
must be restrained in a f orward-
f acing child seat, or a larger child,
must ride in this car, be sure to
f ollow all instructions and saf ety
warnings in this manual. (See pages
and .)
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.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page .)
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 f riends
drink and drive, either.
Excessive speed is a major f actor 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
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page .)
15 26 29
7 158
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Your Car is Not Recommended
f or Child Passengers Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and DriveControl Your Speed
K eep Your Car in Saf e Condition
Due t o t he passenger’sairbag hazard, you should never
carry an inf ant in a rear-f acing childseat in t his car.
6

Your car is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passenger
during a crash.
These saf ety f eatures are designed
to reduce the severity of injuries in a
crash. However, you and your
passenger can’t take full advantage
of these saf ety f eatures unless you
remain sitting in a proper position
andIn f act, some saf ety
f eatures can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.
Some saf ety f eatures do not require
anyactiononyourpart.These
include a strong aluminum
framework that forms a safety cage
around the passenger compartment;
front and rear crush zones that are
designed to crumple and absorb
energy during a crash; a collapsible
steering column; and seat belt
tensioners that automatically tighten
the seat belts in the event of a crash.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Your Car’s Saf ety Features
always wear your seat belts
properly.
7
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Most shorter drivers can get f ar
enough away f rom 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 f orth to make sure
the seat is locked in position.
See page f or how to adjust the
seats.
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
f rom the steering wheel while still
maintaining f ull control of the car.
Also make sure your passenger
moves the seat as far to the rear as
possible.
Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a
comf ortable, 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
inf lates.
76
CONT INUED
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Adults
Adjust the Seat-Backs
3.
13
Sitting too close to an airbag
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the
airbags as possible.

See page f or additional
inf ormation about your seat belt
system and how to take care of your
belts.After occupants have adjusted their
seats and put on seat belts, it is very
important that they continue to sit
upright, well back in their seats, with
their feet on the floor, until the car is
parked and the engine is of f .
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both f eet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased.In addition, an occupant who is out of
position can be seriously or f atally
injured by striking interior parts of
thecar,orbybeingstruckbyan
inf lating airbag.
If a seat belt does not seem to work
as it should, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.
Anyone using a seat belt that is
not working properly can be
seriously injured or killed. Have your
Honda dealer check the belt as soon
as possible.
34
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Adults
Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
5.
No one should
sit in a seat wit h an inoperat ive seat belt.
16

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.
27
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

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed.
Honda provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
f ails to f unction properly during
normal use. Please see your
booklet f or
details.
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move f reely.
See page f or instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt f ully retract. To
ref asten the belt, pull it out only as
f ar as needed.
For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .209
15
Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
U.S. Models
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 35
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly whenneeded.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.

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.