2002 Acura MDX Owner's Manual

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.
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.
To activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt f eed 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.
3.
4.
5. 6.
CONT INUED
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety37
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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 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.
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 sit in the f ront seat.
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.
Protecting L arger Children
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety38
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.
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This could result in
serious neck injuries during a crash.
This could cause
very serious injuries during a crash.
It also increases the chance that the
child will slide under the belt in a
crash and be injured.
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.
However, if the belt touches or
crosses the child’s neck, the child
needs to use a booster seat.
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. Devices intended to improve
occupant comf ort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt, severely
compromise the protective capability
of the seat belt and increase the
chance of serious injury in a crash.
If they do, they could
be very seriously injured in a crash.
15
CONT INUED
Do not let a child wear a seat belt
across t he neck.
Do not let a child put the shoulderpart of a seat belt behind t he back orunder t he arm.
Checking Seat Belt Fit
Do not put any accessories on a seatbelt.
T wo children should never use t hesame seat belt .
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety39
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Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in the
f ront, there are other important
f actors you should consider.
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.
If a child needs a booster seat, we
recommend choosing a style that
allows the child to use the lap/
shoulder belt directly, without a
shield, as shown.
Whichever style you select, f ollow
the booster seat maker’s instructions. 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 f ront
airbag poses serious risks to children.
If the 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 f ront 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.
Using a Boost er Seat
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
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If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it over the hips, chest, and
shoulder (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
the child should not sit in the f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
15 39Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety41
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Your vehicle has attachment points
for a tether-style child seat to be
installed on the second or third row
as shown.
Since a tether can provide additional
security, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available.There are two anchorage points on
the tailgate sill. Select the anchorage
point you want to use, and remove
the cover with a small f lat-tipped
screwdriver or f ingernail f ile.
Each second row seat has a tether
anchorage point behind the seat
back.
Second Seat Installation:
Third Seat Installation:Using Child Seats with T ethers
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety42
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Lift the head restraint, then route
the tether strap over the seat-back
between the legs of the head
restraint.Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether attachment point and tighten
the strap according to the child seat
maker’s instructions. Make sure the
strap is not twisted.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety43
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Put the child seat in a second row
vehicle seat and attach the child
seat to the lower anchors
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions.
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) at the second
row seats. The lower anchors are
located between the seat-back and
seat bottom and are only to be used
with a child seat designed f or use
with LATCH. The exact location of each lower
anchorage is marked with a small
circle above the lower anchorage
point.
Move the seat belt buckle or seat
belt tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:
Make sure there are no f oreign
objects around the anchors.
Foreign objects could get in the
way of a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.
1.
2.
3.
Using L A T CH
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety44
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