2004 HONDA ACCORD Owners Manual

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Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions many adults do not know
how to properly protect child
passengers.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.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian providence requires that
inf ants and children be properly
restrained when they ride in a
vehicle.
If you have children, or if you ever
need to drive with a child in your
vehicle, be sure to read this section.
It begins with important general
guidelines, then presents special
inf ormation f or inf ants, small
children, and larger children.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
All Children Must Be Restrained
Protecting Children General Guidelines
34
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in acrash.
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 and
use a booster if necessary.
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(see pages ).
Children who ride in back are less
likely to be injured by striking
interior vehicle parts during a
collision or hard braking. Also,
children cannot be injured by an
inf lating airbag when they ride in the
back. (see pages ).
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in the
back seat. The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration and
Transport Canada recommend that
all children age 12 and under be
properly restrained in the back seat. Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision. To do this
the passenger’s f ront airbag is quite
large and it can inf late with enough
f orce to cause very serious injuries.
To help prevent airbag-caused
injuries to children, this vehicle has
an advanced airbag system.
With this system, the front
passenger’s airbag is turned of f if
sensors detect a total weight of less
thanabout65lbs(30kg)ontheseat
(see pages f or additional
inf ormation about how the f ront
passenger’s advanced airbag works).Even if the passenger’s f ront airbag
is turned of f , we strongly
recommend that children age 12 and
under ride properly restrained in a
back seat where they will be saf er.
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CONT INUED
Inf ant s and small children must berest rained in an approved child seatt hat is properly secured t o t hevehicleLarger children must be restrained wit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride ona boost er unt il t he seat belt f it s t hem
properly
All Children Should Sit in the
Back Seat The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Can Pose Serious Risks
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children General Guidelines
35
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To remind you of the passenger’s
f ront airbag hazards, and that
children must be properly restrained
in the back seat, your vehicle has
warninglabelsonthedashboardand
on the driver’s and f ront passenger’s
visors. Please read and f ollow the
instructions on these labels.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
U.S. Models
Protecting Children General Guidelines
36
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To remind you of the f ront airbag
hazards, your vehicle has warning
labels on the driver’s and f ront
passenger’s visors. Please read and
f ollow the instructions on these
labels.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Canadian Models
Protecting Children General Guidelines
37
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Many parents say they pref er to put
an inf ant or small child in the f ront
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires
attention.
Placing a child in the f ront seat
exposes the child to hazards in a
f rontal collision, and paying close
attention to a child distracts the
driver from the important tasks of
driving, placing both of you at risk.
If a child requires physical attention
or f requent visual contact, we
strongly recommend that another
adult ride with the child in the back
seat. The back seat is far safer for a
child than the front.
Your vehicle has a back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry a group of
children, and a child must ride in
front:
Place the largest child in the f ront
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear the lap/shoulder
belt properly (see page ).
Have the child sit upright and well
backintheseat(seepage ).
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page ). Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap. If you are not wearing a
seat belt in crash, you could be
thrown f orward and crush the
child against the dashboard or a
seat-back. If you are wearing a
seat belt the child can be torn
from your arms and be seriously
hurt or killed.
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible. Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child. During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
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14 51If a Child Requires Close
Attention
If You Must Drive with Several
Children Additional Saf ety Precautions
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children General Guidelines
38
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Lock all doors and the trunk when
your vehicle is not in use. Children
who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles.
Keep vehicle keys and remote
transmitters out of the reach of
children. 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.
Never let two children use the
same seat belt. If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
Use childproof door locks to
prevent children f rom opening the
doors. This can prevent children
f rom accidentally f alling out.
Do not leave children alone in a
vehicle. Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. For
example, inf ants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die f rom heatstroke. A
child lef t alone with the key in the
ignition can accidentally set the
vehicle in motion, possibly injuring
themselves or others.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children General Guidelines
39
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Two types of seats may be used: a
seat designed exclusively f or inf ants,
or a convertible seat used in the rear-
f acing, reclining mode.If placed
f acing f orward, an inf ant could be
very seriously injured during a
f rontal collision.
An inf ant must be properly
restrained in a rear-f acing, reclining
child seat until the child reaches the
seat maker’s weight or height limit
f or the seat, and the child is at least
one year old.
Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back. A rear-f acing child seat should
always be installed in a back seat, not
in the front. Even with advanced
airbags, which can automatically
turn the passenger’s f ront airbag of f
(see page ), a back seat is the
saf est place f or an inf ant.
When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront passenger f rom
moving the seat as far back as
recommended, or f rom locking the
seat-back in the desired position.
In either of these situations, we
strongly recommend that you install
the child seat in a dif f erent back
seating position or get a smaller rear-
f acing child seat.
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Child Seat Type
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat ina f orward-f acing position. Child Seat Placement
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Protecting Inf ants
Driver and Passenger Saf ety40
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death during acollision.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not thefront.
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When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront passenger f rom
moving the seat as far back as
recommended, or f rom locking the
seat-back in the desired position. In any of these situations, we
strongly recommend that you install
the child seat in a dif f erent back
seating position or get a smaller rear-
f acing child seat.
Or, it could push against the f ront-
passenger’s seat-back, interf ering
with the proper operation of the
passenger’s advanced front airbag
(see page ).
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Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety41
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