2001 HONDA ODYSSEY Owners Manual

Many parents say they pref er to put
an inf ant or small child in the f ront
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires
attention.
Your vehicle has two rows of back
seats where children can be properly
restrained.
Placing a child in the f ront seat
exposes the child to hazards f rom
the airbag, and paying close
attention to a child distracts the
driver f rom the important task of
driving, placing both of you at risk.
If a child requires physical attention
or f requent visual contact, we
strongly recommend that another
adult ride with the child in a back
seat. The back seat is far safer for a
child than the front.
Place the largest child in the f ront
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear a seat belt
properly (see page ).
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see page ).
Have the child sit upright and well
backintheseat(seepage ).
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page
).
If you ever have to carry a group of
children (when carpooling f or
example), and a child must ride in
front:
1219
15 41 If a Child Requires Close
Attention
If You Must Drive with Several
Children
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
26

Using this f eature will
prevent children f rom opening the
doors and accidentally f alling out
(see page ). Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. For
example, inf ants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die f rom heatstroke. And
children lef t alone with the key in
the ignition can accidentally set
the vehicle in motion, possibly
injuring themselves or others.
89
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Use childproof door locks t o
prevent children f rom opening t hedoors. Do not leave children alone in your
vehicle.
27

The f ollowing pages give general
guidelines f or selecting and installing
child seats f or inf ants and small
children.
To provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:The child seat should
meet Federal Motor Vehicle
Saf ety Standard 213 (FMVSS 213)
or Canadian Motor Vehicle Saf ety
Standard 213 (CMVSS 213). Look
for the manufacturer’s statement
of compliance on the box and seat. Childrenuptoaboutone
year old should be restrained in a
rear-f acing, reclining child seat. Only
a rear-f acing seat provides the
proper support to protect an inf ant’s
head, neck, and back. See page for additional information on
protecting inf ants. A child who is too
large f or a rear-f acing child seat, and
who can sit up without support,
should be restrained in a f orward-
f acing child seat. See page f or
additional information on protecting
small children.
32 37
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
General Guidelines f or Using
Child Seats
Select ing a Child Seat
T he child seat should meet saf et yst andards.
T he child seat should be of theproper t ype and size t o f it t he child. Inf ant s: Small Children:
1.
2.
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CONT INUED
Due to variations in the design of
child seats, vehicle seats, and seat
belts, all child seats will not f it all
vehicle seating positions.
However, Honda is conf ident that
one or more child seat models can f it
andbeproperlyinstalledinall
recommended seating positions in
your vehicle.Bef ore purchasing a child seat, we
recommend that parents test the
child seat in the specif ic vehicle
seating position (or positions) where
they intend to use the seat. If a
previously purchased child seat does
not f it, you may need to buy a
different one that will fit.
Your vehicle has lower anchorages
installed f or use with Child Restraint
Anchorage System-compatible child
seats. For more inf ormation, see
page .
47
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
T he child seat should f it the
vehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
3.
29

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.
If a small child must ride in the
f ront, f ollow the instructions
provided in this section.
The passenger’s airbag inf lates
with enough f orce to kill or
seriously injure an inf ant in a
rear-facing child seat.
This page brief ly summarizes
Honda’s recommendations on where
to place rear-facing and forward-
f acing child seats in your vehicle.
Never in the f ront seat, due
to the passenger’s airbag hazard.
Not recommended,
due to the passenger’s airbag
hazard. If a small child must ride
in f ront, move the vehicle seat to
the rear-most position and secure
a f ront-f acing child seat with the
seat belt (see page ).
Recommended
positions. Properly secure a f ront-
f acing child seat with the seat belt
(see page ). Recommended positions.
Properlysecurearear-facingchild
seat (see page ). 38
33
38
Placing a Child Seat Front Passenger’s Seat
Inf ant s:
Small children:
Back Seat sSmall children:
Inf ant s:
Airbags Pose Serious
Risks to Children
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
30

Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
and a good position to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat: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.
However, a child seat does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ In some vehicles
or seating positions, 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. 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 vehicle during
a crash or sudden stop and injure
someone.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured
in the desired seating position.
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.
All child seats are
designed to be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt. Some child seats
can be secured to the vehicle’s
lower anchorages instead. A child
whose seat is not properly secured
to the vehicle can be endangered
in a crash. See pages , and for instructions on how to
properly secure child seats in this
vehicle.
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. 38
33
47
Inst alling a Child Seat Secure t he child in t he child seat .
Storing a Child Seat
Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured.
1.
2. 3.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
31

Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back. Inf ants up to about
one year of age must be restrained in
a rear-f acing child seat.We recommend that an inf ant be
restrained in a rear-f acing child seat
until the inf ant reaches the seat
maker’s weight or height limit and is
able to sit up without support. If placed
f acing f orward, an inf ant could be
very seriously injured during a
f rontal collision.If the passenger’s
airbag inflates, it can hit the back of
the child seat with enough force to
kill or seriously injure an inf ant. If an
inf ant must be closely watched, we
recommend that another adult sit in
a back seat with the baby.
Two types of seats may be used: a
seat designed exclusively f or inf ants,
or a convertible seat used in the rear-
f acing, reclining mode. In this vehicle, a rear-f acing child
seatcanbeplacedinanyseating
position in a back seat, but not in the
front seat.
Protecting Inf ants
Child Seat T ype
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat ina f orward-f acing position.
Never put a rear-f acing child seat in
the front seat.
Rear-Facing Child Seat Placement
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
32 Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death if the
airbags inflate.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not thefront.

CONT INUED
With the child seat in the desired
back seating position, route the
belt through the child seat
according to the seat maker’s
instructions, then insert the latch
plate into the buckle.
The lap/shoulder belts in the outer
back seats have a locking
mechanism that must be activated to
secure a child seat.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to secure a rear-
facing child seat with this type of
seat belt.
See page f or how to secure a rear-
f acing child seat in the center
position on the third seat with the lap
part of the lap/shoulder belt.
For tips on installing a rear-f acing
child seat with either type of seat
belt, see page .
When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront-seat passenger f rom
moving the seat as far back as
recommended (see page ). Or it
may prevent them f rom locking the
seat-back in the desired upright
position (see page ).
If you have a child seat designed to
attach to the vehicle’s lower
anchorages, f ollow the instructions
on page .
In either case, we recommend that
you place the child seat in another
back seating position, or leave the
af f ected seat unoccupied. If the
problem cannot be solved, you may
wish to get a smaller rear-f acing
child seat.
1.
35
36
12
47
13
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Inst alling a Rear-Facing Child Seat
wit h a L ap/Shoulder Belt
33