2002 Acura MDX seatbelt

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.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.
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
.)
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 .)
Children are saf est when they are
properly restrained in a back seat,
notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo
smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly
restrained in a child saf ety seat. (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.
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 vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly. (See page .)
15 9
21 250
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat BeltBe Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Don’t Drink and Drive
6
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Your seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten your seat
belts.
Seat belts are the single most
effectivesafetydeviceforadultsand
larger children. (Inf ants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags. Foryoursafety,andthesafetyof
your passengers, your vehicle is
equipped with seat belts in all seating
positions. In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including f rontal,
side, and rear impacts and
rollovers. Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in saf ety f eatures.
When properly worn, seat belts: Help keep you f rom being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.
Keep you f rom being thrown out
of the vehicle.
Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of
injury f rom an inf lating airbag, and
allows you to get the best
advantage f rom the airbag.
Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every
crash.Butinmostcases,seatbelts
can reduce your risk of serious
injury. Always wear
your seat belt, and make sure you
wear it properly.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Seat Belts
Why Wear Seat Belt s
What you should do:
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
8
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
if you have airbags.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.
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According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in the
back seat, not the f ront seat. The
National Highway Traf f ic Saf ety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
In a back seat, children are less
likely to be injured by striking hard
interior parts during a collision or
hard braking. Also, children cannot
be injured by an inf lating airbag
when they ride in the back.
During a
crash, the belt could press deep
into the child and cause very
serious injuries. If you are not wearing a
seat belt in a crash, you could be
thrown f orward into the
dashboard and crush the child.
If youarewearingaseatbelt,the
child can be torn f rom your arms
during a crash. For example, if
your vehicle crashes into a parked
vehicleat30mph(48km/h),a
20-lb (9 kg) inf ant will become a
600-lb (275 kg) f orce, and you will
not be able to hold on. Children Should Sit in the Back
Seat
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and an inf ant or child.
A ddit ional Precaut ions t o Parent s
Neverholdaninfantorchildonyour lap.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety22
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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 .
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety39
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