2002 HONDA S2000 Owners Manual

The passenger’s airbag poses
serious risks to small children. If the
vehicle 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 improperly
restrained, an inf lating airbag can kill
or seriously injure the child.
For these reasons, we recommend
that you do not carry a small child as
a passenger.Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown.
If you decide to carry a small child in
this car, f ollow the instructions and
guidelines below.
A child who can sit up without
support, and who f its within the child
seat maker’s weight and height
limits, should be restrained in a
f orward-f acing, upright child seat.
We also recommend that a small
child stay in the child seat as long as
possible, until the child reaches the
weight or height limit f or the seat.
Protecting Small Children
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Child Seat T ype
26 Improperly placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front
seat can result in serious injury
or death if the airbags inflate.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible and properly restrain
the child.

To activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt feed 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.
The passenger’s seat belt has a
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions and tips on how to
secure a f orward-f acing child seat
with this type of seat belt.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position. Moving the seat as
f ar back as possible reduces the
chance of a child being injured or
killed if the passenger’s airbag
inflates. (See page for
instructions on how to adjust the
seat.) With the child seat in position,
route the belt through the child
seat according to the seat maker’s
instructions, then insert the latch
plate into the buckle.
1.
2.3. 4.
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CONT INUED
Child Seat Inst allat ion
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
27

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.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.
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.
5.
6.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
28

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.
The passenger’s airbag poses
serious risks to children, including
those who have outgrown child seats.
If the vehicle 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 airbag can kill or seriously
injure the child.
For these reasons, we recommend
that you do not carry a child
passenger.
With this in mind, f ollowing are
some guidelines to help you decide
when a given child may ride in your
car.
When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should wear a lap/shoulder belt.
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.
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 ride in this car.
15
CONT INUED
Checking Seat Belt Fit
T he Child Should Wear a Seat BeltProtecting L arger Children
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 29
Allowing a larger child to sit
improperly in the front seat can
result in injury or death if the
airbags inflate.
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.

Whichever style you select, f ollow
the booster seat maker’s instructions.
However, if the belt touches or
crosses the child’s neck, the child
needs to use a booster seat.
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.
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. 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.
This could result in
serious neck injuries during a crash.
Using a Boost er Seat
Do not let a child put the shoulder part of a seat belt behind t he back orunder t he arm. Do not put any accessories on a seat
belt.
T wo children should never use t hesame seat belt .
Do not let a child wear a seat belt
across t he neck.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
30

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.Children vary widely. And while age
may be one indicator of when a child
can saf ely ride in this car, there are
other important f actors you should
consider.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 use a booster seat.
To saf ely ride in this car, a child
must be able to follow the rules,
including sitting properly and
wearing the seat belt properly
throughout a ride.29
15
CONT INUED
Physical Size
Maturity
When Can a L arger Child Ride in t his
Car
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 31

Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor. Supervise the child. Even a mature
child sometimes needs to be
reminded to f asten the seat belt or
sit properly.
Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride in this car, be sure to:
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
32

To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched.
This seat belt has a single belt that
goes over your shoulder, across your
chest and across your hips.
To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.Guide
the belt across your body to the door
pillar. Af ter exiting the car, be sure
the belt is out of the way and will not getclosedinthedoor.
Both seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely in
your seat while it keeps some
tensiononthebelt.
During a collision or sudden stop,
the retractor automatically locks the
belt to help restrain your body.
Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in both seating
positions.
The seat belts are also equipped with
automatic seat belt tensioners.
The system also includes a
light on the instrument
panel to remind you and your
passenger to f asten your belts. If the
driver’s seat belt is not f astened
before the ignition is turned ON (II),
the light will come on and a beeper
will also sound. The beeper will stop
af ter a f ew seconds, but the light will
stay on until the driver’s seat belt is
f astened. The passenger’s seat belt has an
additional locking mechanism that
must be activated to secure a child
seat. (See page for instructions on
how to secure a f orward-f acing child
seat with this type of belt.)
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move f reely.27
CONT INUED
Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
33