2002 HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK Owners Manual

Your Car at a Glance
3
WWIINNDDSSHHIIEELLDDWWIIPPEERRSS//WWAASSHHEERRSS
TTIILLTTAADDJJUUSSTTMMEENNTTHHOORRNN
HHAAZZAARRDDWWAARRNNIINNGGLLIIGGHHTTSS
CCRRUUIISSEECCOONNTTRROOLLSS
RREEAARRWWIINNDDOOWWDDEEFFOOGGGGEERRIINNSSTTRRUUMMEENNTTPPAANNEELLBBRRIIGGHHTTNNEESSSS
MMOOOONNRROOOOFFSSWWIITTCCHH
CCRRUUIISSEECCOONNTTRROOLL
HHEEAADDLLIIGGHHTTSS//TTUURRNNSSIIGGNNAALLSS
TTRRAACCTTIIOONNCCOONNTTRROOLLSSYYSSTTEEMM
((PP..6655))
((PP..9922))
((PP..222222))
((PP..118855))
((PP..6644,,6666))
((PP..6666,,6677,,6688))((PP..6688))
((PP..6688))
((PP..118855))
((PP..6699))((PP..6633))

4

Position the lap part of the belt as
low as possible across your hips,
then pull up on the shoulder part of
the belt so the lap part f its snugly.
This lets your strong pelvic bones
take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.
If necessary, pull up on the belt again
to remove any slack from the
shoulder part, then check that the
belt rests across the center of your
chest and over your shoulder. Thisspreads the f orces of a crash over
the strongest bones in your upper
body.
If the seat belt touches or crosses
your neck, or if it crosses your arm
instead of your shoulder, you need to
adjust the seat belt anchor height.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety16
Improperly positioning the seat
belts can cause serious injury
or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are
properly positioned beforedriving.

To adjust the height of a f ront seat
belt anchor, squeeze the two release
buttons and slide the anchor up or
down as needed (it has f our
positions).This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash. 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. See page f or additional
inf ormation about your seat belt
system and how to take care of your
belts.
42
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Never place t he shoulder port ion of a
lap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back. No one should
sit in a seat wit h an inoperat ive seat belt.
17

If the vehicle seat is
too far forward, or the child’s head is
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough f orce to kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
Whenever possible,
larger children should sit in the back
seat, properly restrained with a seat
belt. (See page f or important
inf ormation about protecting larger
children.) To remind you of the passenger’s
f ront airbag hazards, and that
children must be properly restrained
in the back seat, your car has
warninglabelsonthedashboardand
on the driver’s and f ront passenger’s
visors. Please read and f ollow the
instructions on these labels.
36
Small Children Placing a f orward-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag canbe hazardous.
Larger ChildrenChildren who have outgrown child
seat s are also at risk of being injuredor killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag. U.S. Models
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety23

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
dif f erent one that will f it.
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.
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 inf ormation on protecting
small children. However, Honda is conf ident that
one or more child seat models can f it
andbeproperlyinstalledinall
recommended seating positions in
your car.
33T he child seat should f it the vehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
Small Children: 3.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety27

This page brief ly summarizes
Honda’s recommendations on where
to place rear-facing and forward-
f acing child seats in your car.Never in the f ront seat, due
to the f ront airbag hazard.
Not recommended,
due to the f ront 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-
facing child seat with the seat belt.
(see page ).
The passenger’s f ront airbag
inf lates with enough f orce to kill
or seriously injure an inf ant in a
rear-facing child seat.
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 f ront 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. Recommended positions.
Properlysecurearear-facing
child seat (see page ).
Recommended
positions. Properly secure a f ront-
f acing child seat (see page ). 33
3033
Placing a Child Seat Front Passenger’s Seat
Inf ant s:
Small children:
Back Seat sInf ant s:
Small children:
Airbags Pose SeriousRisks to Children
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety28

Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
and a good position to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat: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.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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
All child seats are
designed to be secured to the car
with the lap part of a lap/shoulder
belt. Some child seats can be
secured to the vehicle’s LATCH
anchorage system instead. A child
whose seat is not properly secured
to the car can be endangered in a
crash. See pages , and for
instructions on how to properly
secure child seats in this car. 31 34 40
Inst alling a Child Seat
Storing a Child Seat
Secure the child in the child seat.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmly
secured.
Properly secure t he child seat t o the car.
1. 2.
3.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety29