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
.)
Children are saf est when they are
properly restrained in the back seat,
notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo
smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly
restrained in a child saf ety seat. (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 .)
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 passengers always wear your
seat belts, and wear them properly.
(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.7
15
21 240
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed
Restrain All Children K eep Your Car in Saf e Condition
Don’t Drink and Drive
6
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 car 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.
During a
crash, the belt could press deep
into the child and cause very
serious injuries. 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 the back seat.
In the 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.
Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision. To do this,
the passenger’s f ront airbag is quite
large, and it inf lates with tremendous
speed.
If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children
A ddit ional Precaut ions t o Parent s
Neverholdaninfantorchildonyour lap.
Never put a seat belt over yourselfand an inf ant or child. Inf ant s
Never put a rear-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag.Children Should Sit in the Back
Seat The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Poses Serious Risks to Children
22
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.In this car, a rear-f acing child seat
can be placed in any seating position
in the back seat, but not in the front
seat.
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. 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 the passenger’s
f ront airbag inf lates, it can hit the
back of the child seat with enough
f orce to kill or seriously injure an
inf ant. If an inf ant must be closely
watched, we recommend that
another adult sit in the back seat
with the baby.
If placed
f acing f orward, an inf ant could be
very seriously injured during a
f rontal collision.
Protecting Inf ants
Child Seat T ype
Rear-Facing Child Seat Placement
Never put a rear-f acing child seat inthe front seat.
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat ina f orward-f acing position.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety30
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death if the
passenger’s front airbag inflates.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not thefront.
Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:Two f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG.’’
If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration. If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inf late the
f ront airbags.
Emergency backup power in case
your car’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with the
system (see page ).
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, and driver and
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition is ON (II).
Automatic seat belt tensioners
that tighten the front seat belts
during a moderate to severe
f rontal collision.
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision. 47
CONT INUED
SRS Components
How Your Front A irbags Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
45
These labels are in the locations
shown. They warn you of potential
hazards that could cause serious
injury. Read these labels caref ully.
If a label comes of f or becomes hard
to read, contact your Honda dealer
f or a replacement.
U.S. models onlyU.S. models
Canadian models
Saf ety L abels
Driver and Passenger Saf ety52
HOOD RADIATOR CAP
DASH BOARD
SUN VISOR
The knob on the instrument panel
controls the brightness of the instru-
ment panel lights. Turn the knob to
adjust the brightness.
The headlights revert to normal
operation when you turn them on
with the switch.
With the headlight switch off, the
high beam headlights come on with
reduced brightness when you turn
the ignition switch to ON (II) and
release the parking brake. They
remain on until you turn the ignition
of f , even if you set the parking brake.
The lights will turn on again when
you unlock or open the driver’s door.
If you unlock the door, but do not
open it within 15 seconds, the lights will go off. With the driver’s door
open, you will hear a lights-on
reminder chime.
This feature activates if you leave
the headlight switch in the ‘‘ ’’
or ‘‘ ’’ position, remove the key,
open, then close the driver’s door.
If you remove the key f rom the
ignition switch with the headlight
switch on, but do not open the door
and get out, the lights will turn of f
af ter ten minutes.
The Automatic Lighting Of f f eature
turns of f the headlights, parking
lights, taillights, side marker lights,
license plate lights and instrument
panel lights within 15 seconds of
removing the key from the ignition
switch and closing the driver’s door.
On U.S. SE and EX models, Canada EX-
L model, and all EX V-6 models
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Automatic Lighting Of f Feature Instrument Panel Brightness
(Canadian Models)
Daytime Running L ights
65
If you f orget and leave the key in the
ignition switch, Lockout Prevention
will not allow you to lock the driver’s
door. With the driver’s door open
andthekeyintheignition,both
master door lock switches are
disabled. However, if the driver’s
door is not open, the master door
lock switches are not disabled.
Pushing the switch down on the
open passenger’s door will lock all
doors. If you try to lock an open
driver’s door by pushing in the lock
tab, the tabs on all doors pop out.
Pushinginthelocktabonthe
passenger’s door only locks that door. You can lock and unlock your carwith the remote transmitter. When
you push the LOCK button, all doors
lock. The parking lights, side marker
lights, and taillights f lash once.When you push the LOCK button a
second time within 5 seconds after
you have locked the doors, you will
hear a beep to verify that the doors
are locked and the security system
has set.
When you push the UNLOCK button
once, only the driver’s door unlocks.
The remaining doors unlock when
you push the button a second time.
The parking lights, side marker
lights, and taillights f lash twice.
CONT INUED
On all EX, SE, and EX V-6 models and
Canada SE V-6 model
L ockout Prevent ion
Remote Transmitter
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols75
LLEEDD
UUNNLLOOCCKKBBUUTTTTOONN
LLOOCCKKBBUUTTTTOONN
PPAANNIICCBBUUTTTTOONN
TTRRUUNNKKRREELLEEAASSEEBBUUTTTTOONN
The ceiling light has a three-position
switch. In the OFF position, the light
does not come on. In the center
position, the ceiling light comes on
when you open any door.The ceiling light (with the switch in
the center position) also comes on
when you unlock the door with the
remote transmitter (see page ).
The light f ades out af ter both doors
are closed.
After all doors are closed tightly, the
light dims slightly, then f ades out in
about 10 seconds. In the ON position,
the ceiling light stays on
continuously.
The light goes out when all doors are
closed. Turn on the spotlight by pushing the
button next to each light. Push the
button again to turn it off. You can
use the spotlights at all times.
75On all models except U.S. DX and Value
Package
U.S. DX, Value Package, LX, LX V-6 and all SE models EX, EX V-6
Interior Lights
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Ceiling L ight
Spotlights
101
DDOOOORRAACCTTIIVVAATTEEDD
OOFFFF
OONN