2003 HONDA S2000 airbag

Leaving a child without adult
supervision is illegal in most states
and Canadian provinces and can
be very hazardous. For example, a
small child lef t in a car on a hot
day can die f rom heatstroke. A
child lef t alone with the key in the
ignition can accidentally set the
car in motion, possibly injuring
themselves or others. As discussed on page , because
your car does not have a back seat,
and because of the passenger’s
airbag hazard, we strongly
recommend that you do not carry a
small child as a passenger in this car.
However, if you must carry a small
child in this car, the child must be
properly restrained in a child seat.
The f ollowing pages give general
guidelines f or selecting and installing
a child seat. See page f or
additional information.
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition,
and open the trunk, which can
lead to accidental injury or death.
Children who play in cars can
accidentally get trapped inside the
trunk. Teach your children not to
play in or around cars. Know how
to operate the emergency trunk
opener and decide if your children
should be shown how to use this
f eature (See page ). 26
67 19
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Do not leave a child alone in your
car. K eep car keys and remot e
transmitters out of the reach ofchildren.
Lock both doors and the trunk when your car is not in use.
General Guidelines f or Using
Child Seats
Additional Saf ety Precautions
22

The passenger’s airbag inf lates
with enough f orce to kill or
seriously injure an inf ant in a
rear-facing child seat.Never in the passenger’s
seat, due to the passenger’s airbag
hazard.
Not recommended,
due to the passenger’s airbag
hazard. If a small child must ride
in this car, move the vehicle seat
to the rear-most position and
secure a f ront-f acing child seat
with the seat belt. (see page ).
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 airbag can kill or
seriously injure the child.
This page brief ly summarizes
Honda’s recommendations on where
to place a child seat in your car.
If a small child must ride in this
car, f ollow the instructions
provided in this section. This car is not equipped with a
tether attachment point.
27
Placing a Child Seat
Inf ant s:
Small children:
Passenger’s Seat
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Airbags Pose Serious
Risks to Children
24

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.If you decide to carry a small child in
this car, f ollow the instructions and
guidelines below.
A child at least one year old 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. Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown. If it is necessary to put a f orward-
f acing child seat in the passenger’s
seat, move the passenger’s seat as
f ar to the rear as possible, be sure
the child seat is f irmly secured to the
car, and the child is properly
strappedintheseat.
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 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.
The passenger’s seat belt has a
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat.
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.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to secure a
f orward-f acing child seat with this
type of seat belt.
1.
2.3.
4.
69
CONT INUED
Child Seat Inst allat ion
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety27

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 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.
To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
sit all the way back in the seat, and
put on the seat belt. Follow the
instructions on page . Then check
how the belt f its.15
CONT INUED
Checking Seat Belt Fit
T he Child Should Wear a Seat BeltProtecting L arger Children
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety29
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.

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.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.
Your Honda has automatic seat belt
tensioners f or added protection
during a moderate to severe frontal
collision.
If your airbags inf late, the tensioners
immediately tighten the seat belts to
help hold the occupants in place. The
belts will remain tight until you
unbuckle them in the normal way.
15
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Seat Belt Maintenance
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
34

An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with the
system (see page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your car’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:
Two f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG.’’
Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page ).
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors
inf ormation about the sensors, the
control unit, and the airbag
activators when the ignition is ON
(II). If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect rapid deceleration and
signal the control unit to instantly
inflate the airbags and activate the
automatic seat belt tensioners.
34 38
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
SRS Components
How Your A irbags Work
36

Af ter inf lating, the airbags
immediately def late, so they won’t
interf ere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
The total time for inflation and
def lation is approximately one-tenth
of a second, so f ast that most
occupants are not aware that the
airbags deployed until they see them
lying in their laps.
This can occur when the severity of
a collision is at the margin, or
threshold, that determines whether
or not the airbags will deploy. In
such cases, the seat belt will provide
suf f icient protection, and the
supplemental protection of f ered by
the airbag would be minimal. During a crash, your seat belt helps
restrain your lower body and torso,
while the tensioner tightens and
locks the seat belt to help keep you
in place. Your airbag provides a
cushion to help restrain and protect
your head and chest.
Since both airbags use the same
sensors, both airbags normally
inf late at the same time. However, it
is possible f or only one airbag to
inf late. After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder f rom the airbag’s surf ace.
Although the powder is not harmf ul,
people with respiratory problems
mayexperiencesometemporary
discomf ort. If this occurs, get out of
the car as soon as it is safe to do so.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, see the booklet
titled
that came with your
owner’s manual.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, ask your dealer
f or a copy of the booklet titled
SRS: What You Need to Know
About Airbags
SRS:
What You Need to Know About Airbags
.
U.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
37