2003 HONDA ODYSSEY belt

To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
sit in a 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.
If they do, they could
be very seriously injured in a crash. 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. 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.
17
CONT INUED
Checking Seat Belt Fit Do not let a child wear a seat belt
across t he neck or over t he st omach.
T wo children should never use t hesame seat belt .
Do not put any accessories on a seat
belt.
Do not let a child put the shoulder
part of a seat belt behind t he back orunder t he arm.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety43

The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
We strongly recommend that a child
whousedaboosterrideinaback
seat,notthefront.Evenif the
passenger’s f ront airbag is of f , a
back seat is the safest place for the
child.
Whichever style you select, f ollow
the booster seat maker’s instructions. If a child who uses a booster must
ride in f ront, move the vehicle seat
as far to the rear as possible, and be
sure the child is wearing the seat
belt properly.
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.
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.
If the passenger’s f ront airbag is on,
and it inflates in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the airbag
can cause serious injuries to a child
who is unrestrained, improperly
restrained, sitting too close to the
airbag, or out of position.
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. Even with advanced front airbags,
the back seat is the safest place for a
child of any age or size.
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
Using a Boost er Seat
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety44

If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
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 not sit in the f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in the
f ront, there are other important
f actors you should consider.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly. Remind the child not to lean
toward the door.
17 42Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety45

Put the child seat in a second row
vehicle seat and attach the child
seat to the lower anchors
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions.
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) at the second
row seats. The lower anchors are
located between the seat-back and
seat bottom and are to be used only
with a child seat designed f or use
with LATCH. Make sure there are no f oreign
objects around the anchors.
Foreign objects could get in the
way of a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors. Move the seat belt buckle or seat
belt tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat: The exact location of each lower
anchorage is marked with a small
button above the lower anchorage
point.
1.
2.
3.
Using L A T CH
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety48
RIGID TYPE
LOWER
ANCHORS MARKS

To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle. To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched.
Guide the belt across your body so
that it retracts completely. After
exiting the vehicle, be sure the belt
is out of the way and will not get
closed in the door.
All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely in
your seat while it keeps some
tension on the belt. During a collision
or sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
Your vehicle has two types of lap/
shoulder belts. The center position
of the third seat has a combination of
a lap belt and a shoulder belt. For
maximum saf ety, they are designed
to be used together.
All other seating positions have a
one-piece lap/shoulder belt. This
seat belt goes over your shoulder,
across your chest and across your
hips.
Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in all seven seating
positions. The f ront seat belts are
also equipped with automatic seat
belt tensioners.
The seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten your belts.
If the driver’s seat belt is not
fastened 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. Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety50

The combination lap belt and
shoulder belt in the center position
of the third seat goes over your
shoulder, across your chest and over
your hips. The shoulder belt has an
emergency locking retractor that
works in combination with the lap
belt.
The seat belts in all positions except
the driver’s and the center position
of the third seat have an additional
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat. (See
pages and f or instructions on
how to secure child seats with this
type of seat 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.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt f ully retract. To
ref asten the belt, pull it out only as
f ar as needed.
See page f or instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.
To f asten the seat belt, unlatch the
metal plate of the shoulder belt from
the anchor on the ceiling and extend
the belt by pulling the metal plate.Attach the metal hook on the edge of
the shoulder belt to the metal loop
on the latch plate of the lap belt
marked CENTER, then tug on the
shoulder belt to make sure it is
securely attached.
Insert the latch plate of the lap belt
into the buckle marked CENTER,
then tug on the lap belt to make sure
the buckle is latched.
To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESS button on the buckle and
detach the shoulder belt f rom the lap
belt.
See page f or how to lengthen the
lap belt, and how to properly position
the lap and shoulder belts.
39
17 18
35
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety51

The tensioners are designed to
activate primarily in f rontal collisions.
The tensioners are independent of
the airbag system, so they can be
activated during a collision that
might not cause the airbags to
deploy. In this case, the airbags
would not be needed but the
additional seat belt tension can be
helpf ul.
The tensioners will be activated in a
collision severe enough to cause the
f ront airbags to inf late.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled in the normal
way.The SRS indicator light will
come on if there is a
problem with your automatic seat
belt tensioners (see page ).
For added protection, the f ront seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and
a f ront passenger in place. 59
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety52

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page . Automatic seat belt tensioners that
deployed during a crash must be
replaced.
If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed.
Honda provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
f ails to f unction properly during
normal use. Please see your
booklet f or
details. 347
Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
U.S. Models
53
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.