2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID belt

With the child seat in the desired
back seating position, route the
belt through the child seat
according to the seat maker’s
instructions, then insert the latch
plate into the buckle.
The lap/shoulder belts in the back
seats have 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 rear-f acing child seat with
this type of seat belt.
When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront-seat passenger f rom
moving the seat as far back as
recommended (see page ). Or it
may prevent them f rom locking the
seat-back in the desired upright
position (see page ).
In either case, we recommend that
you place the child seat directly
behind the f ront passenger seat,
move the front seat as far forward as
needed, and leave it unoccupied. Or
you may wish to get a smaller child
seat that allows you to safely carry a
f ront passenger.
If you have a child seat designed to
be attached to the vehicle’s LATCH
anchorage system, follow the
instructions on page .
1.
13
15
43
Rear-Facing Child Seat Inst allat ion
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety32

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.
To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,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. 4.
5.
2.
3.
CONT INUED
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety33

Forproperprotection,aninfantmust
ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined
position. To determine the proper
reclining angle, check with the baby’s
doctor or f ollow the seat maker’s
recommendations.
To achieve the desired reclining
angle, it may help to put a rolled up
towel under the toe of the child seat,
as shown.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism and remove a child seat,
unlatch the buckle, unroute the seat
belt, and let the belt f ully retract.
Rear-Facing Child Seat Inst allat ion
Tips
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety34

With the child seat in the desired
seating position, route the belt
through the child seat according
to the seat maker’s instructions,
then insert the latch plate into the
buckle.
The lap/shoulder belts in the back
and f ront passenger seating positions
have a locking mechanism that must
be activated to secure a child seat.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to secure a
f orward-f acing child seat with this
type of seat belt.
If it is necessary to put a f orward-
f acing child seat in the f ront, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, be sure the child seat is
f irmly secured to the car, and the
child is properly strapped in the seat. If you have a child seat designed to
be attached to the vehicle’s LATCH
anchorage system, follow the
instructions on page .
1.
43
Child Seat Inst allat ion
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety36
Improperly placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front
seat can result in serious injury
or death if the front airbags
inflate.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible and properly restrain
the child.

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. 4.
5.
2.
3.
CONT INUED
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety37

To deactivate the locking
mechanism in order to remove a
child restraint system, unlatch the
buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let
the belt fully retract.When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should sit in the back seat on a
booster and wear a lap/shoulder belt.
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. 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,
uses a booster seat if needed,
and wears the seat belt properly.

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.
To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
sit in the rear seat, all the way back
against the seat and put on the seat
belt. Follow the instructions on page . Then check how the belt f its.
If the shoulder part of the belt rests
over the child’s collarbone and
against the center of the chest, and
the lap belt rests over the child’s
hipbones and touches the tops of the thighs as shown, the child is
probably big enough to wear the seat
belt.
However, if the shoulder belt
touchesorcrossesthechild’sneck,
or if the lap belt crosses the child’s
stomach, the child needs to use a
booster seat.
This could result in serious neck and
internal 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.
16
CONT INUED
Do not put any accessories on a seat
belt.
T wo children should never use t hesame seat belt .
Checking Seat Belt Fit
Do not let a child wear a seat beltacross t he neck or over t he st omach.
Do not let a child put the shoulderpart of a seat belt behind t he back orunder t he arm.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children
39

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.
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 the back seat.
If a child needs a booster seat, we
recommend choosing a high or low-
back style that allows the child to be
directly secured with the lap/
shoulder belt. A child should continue using a
booster seat until the child exceeds
the booster seat manufacturer’s
requirements.
Even then, the child may still need to
use a booster seat. Note that some
states now require children to use
boosters until they reach a certain
ageand/orweight.Besuretocheck
current laws in the state or states
where you intend to drive.
Using a Booster Seat
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety40