2003 HONDA ODYSSEY ect

CONT INUED
Insert the latch plate into the buckle,
then tug on the belt to make sure the
belt is securely latched. Also check
that the belt is not twisted, because a
twisted belt can cause serious
injuries in a crash.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 shoulder
belt again to remove any slack from
the shoulder belt, then check that
the belt rests across the center of
your chest and over your shoulder.
This spreads the f orces of a crash
over the strongest bones in your
upper body.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Adults
Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts
5.
Using a L ap/Shoulder Belt
(Except t he cent er posit ion of t hethird row)
17
Improperly positioning the seat
belts can cause serious injury
or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are
properly positioned before
driving.

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.
The f ront seats and middle row seats
have adjustable seat belt anchors. To
adjust the height of a seat belt
anchor, press the release button and
slide the anchor up or down as
needed (it has f our positions).This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash.
Unlatch the metal plate of the
shoulder belt f rom the anchor
on the ceiling and extend the
belt by pulling the metal plate.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Adults
Never place t he shoulder port ion of alap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back. Using t he L ap/Shoulder Belt in t he
Cent er Posit ion of t he T hird Row
18
RELEASE
BUTTON METAL PLATE

CONT INUED
Attach the metal hook on the edge of
the shoulder belt to the metal loop
on the latch plate of the lap belt
markedCENTER.Makesurethe
shoulder belt is securely attached
and it is not twisted. A twisted belt
can cause serious injuries in a crash.Insert the latch plate of the lap belt
into the buckle marked CENTER. If
the belt is too short, hold the latch
plate at a right angle and pull on the
plate to extend the belt. Then insert
the latch plate into the buckle, and
tug on the lap and shoulder belts to
make sure the belt is securely
latched.Position the lap belt as low as
possible across your hips, then
pull on the loose end of the lap
belt f or a snug but comf ortable
f it. This lets your strong pelvic
bones take the f orce of a crash
andreducesthechanceof
internal injuries.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety19
METAL
HOOK
LATCH PLATE

If necessary, pull up on the shoulder
belt again to remove any slack from
the shoulder belt, then check that
the belt rests across the center of
your chest and over your shoulder.
This spreads the f orces of a crash
over the strongest bones in your
upper body.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. Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,
so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your f ace.
Pointing the steering wheel toward
your chest provides optimal
protection f rom the airbag.
See page f or how to adjust the
steering wheel.
50
88
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Never place t he shoulder port ion of alap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back. If a Seat Belt Doesn’t Work Properly
No one should
sit in a seat wit h an inoperat ive seat belt.
A djust the Steering Wheel
6.
20

After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to
sit upright, well back in their seats,
with their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
off.
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both f eet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased.In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the f ront seat can be
seriously or f atally injured by
striking interior parts of the vehicle,
or by being struck by an inf lating
f ront airbag. Being struck by an
inf lating side airbag can result in
possibly serious injuries.
Remember, to get the best
protection f rom your vehicle’s
airbags and other safety features,
you must sit properly and wear your
seat belt properly.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
7.
21
Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on the
floor.

Pregnant women should also sit
upright and as f ar back as possible
f rom the steering wheel or
dashboard. This will reduce the risk
of injuries to both the mother and
her unborn child that can be caused
by a crash or an inf lating airbag.
Each time you have a check-up, ask
your doctor if it’s okay f or you to
drive.
Because protecting the mother is the
best way to protect her unborn child,
a pregnant woman should always
wear a seat belt whenever she drives
or rides in a vehicle.
Remember to keep the lap portion of
the belt as low as possible across
your hips. All passengers
must sit in locked, upright seats
andbeproperlyrestrainedbyseat
belts.
A passenger who is not
wearing a seat belt during a crash
or emergency stop can be thrown
against the inside of the vehicle,
against other occupants, or out of
the vehicle.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
Advice f or Pregnant Women
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Never let passengers ride in t he
cargo area or on t op of a f olded-down back seat .
Passengers should not st and up orchange seats while the vehicle ismoving.
T wo people should never use t hesame seat belt .
22

If your
hands or arms are close to the
airbag covers in the center of the
steering wheel and on top of the
dashboard, they could be injured if
the airbags inf late.
Devices intended to improve
occupant comf ort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt can
severely compromise the
protective capability of the seat
belt and increase the chance of
serious injury in a crash.
Carrying hard or sharp
objects on your lap, or driving with
a pipe or other sharp object in
your mouth, can result in injuries
if your f ront airbag inf lates. If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
vehicle and hurt someone.
Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG,’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the car and hurt
someone. This could make the driver’s
seat position sensor or the f ront
passenger’s seat weight sensors
inef f ective.
This could
cause problems with the driver’s
seat position sensor or the f ront
passenger’s seat weight sensors.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
K eep your hands and arms away
f rom t he airbag covers.
Do not put any accessories on seat
belts.
Do not place hard or sharp object sbet ween yourself and a f rontairbag. Do not at t ach hard object s on or
near a f ront door.
Do not at t ach or place object s on the f ront airbag covers. Do not modif y t he f ront seat s.
Do not place any it ems undert he f ront seat s.
23

Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many parents and other
adults may not know how to
protect young passengers.(See page
.)
So if you have children, or if you ever
need to drive with a grandchild or
other children in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section. To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be restrained
whenever they ride in a vehicle. Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of death of children ages 12 and
under.
(See page .)
30
42
properly
All Children Must Be Restrained
Anychildwhoistoosmalltowearaseat belt should be properlyrest rained in a child seat .
A larger child should always berest rained wit h a seat belt , and use aboost er, if needed.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety24
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt.