You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster
and a lap/shoulder belt until they canusethebeltproperlywithouta
booster (see page ).
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly (see page ). 29
145
14
Important Saf ety Precautions
Restrain All Children Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Don’t Drink and Drive
Driver and Passenger Saf ety6
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Your airbag system includes:Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System) 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.’’
one f or the driver and one f or a
f ront passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the
seat-backs. Both are marked
‘‘SIDE AIRBAG’’ (see page ).
Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page ).
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal impact
or side impact in models equipped
with side airbags. A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, and driver and
frontpassengerseatbeltusewhen
the ignition is in the ON (II)
position.
If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, sensors will
detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration. If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inf late the
driver’s and f ront passenger’s f ront
airbags, at the time and with the
f orce needed.
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you to a possible
problem with your airbags (see
page ).
an indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger’s
side airbag has been turned of f
(see page ).
25
20 26
27
On models equipped with side airbags, On models equipped with side airbags,
Airbag System Components How Your Front Airbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety22
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µ
(see pages ).(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. 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.
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.
If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant. Whenever possible,
larger children should sit in the back
seat, in a booster seat if needed, and
be properly restrained with a seat
belt (see page f or important
inf ormation about protecting larger
children). If the vehicle seat is too
f ar f orward, or the child’s head is
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough f orce to kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
34 35
43 46
43
Inf ant s and small children must berest rained in an approved child seatt hat is properly secured t o t hevehicle
Larger children must be restrainedwit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride on
a boost er unt il t he seat belt f it s t hemproperly
Never put a rear-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equipped
wit h a passenger’s f ront airbag. Children who have outgrown child
seat s are also at risk of being injured or killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag.
Placing a f orward-f acing child seat in
t he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwith passenger’s f ront airbag can behazardous.
All Children Should Sit in the
Back Seat The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Can Pose Serious Risks
Inf antsSmall Children
L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children General Guidelines
30
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Child Seat Type
Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back.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. In this vehicle, a rear-f acing child
seatcanbeplacedinanyseating
position in the back seat, but not in
the front.
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. If the passenger’s
f ront airbag inf lates, it can hit the
back of the child seat with enough
f orce to kill or seriously injure 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 directly behind the
f ront passenger seat, move the f ront
seat as far forward as needed, and
leave it unoccupied. Or you may wish
to get a smaller child seat that allows
you to saf ely carry a f ront passenger.
Protecting Inf ants
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in
a f orward-f acing position. Child Seat Placement
Never put a rear-f acing child seat inthe front seat.
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety34
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death if the
passenger’s front airbag inflates.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not thefront.
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Some states also require children to
use a booster until they reach a
given age or weight (e.g., 6 years or
60lbs).Besuretocheckcurrent
laws in the state or states where you
intend to drive.
Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster meets f ederal
saf ety standards and that you 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.
The back seat is the safest place for
a child of any age or size.
If the passenger’s f ront airbag
inf lates 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 side airbag,
the child could receive possibly
serious injuries.
A child may continue using a booster
seat until the tops of their ears are
even with the top of the vehicle’s or
booster’s seat-back. A child of this
height should be tall enough to use
the lap/shoulder belt without a
booster.
If a child who uses a booster must be
in f ront, move the vehicle seat as f ar
back as possible and be sure the
child is wearing the seat belt
properly.
CONT INUED
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
45
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These labels are in the locations
shown. They warn you of potential
hazards that could cause serious
injury. Read these labels caref ully. If
a label comes of f or becomes hard to
read, contact your Honda dealer f or
a replacement.U.S. modelsCanadian models
U.S. models only
Saf ety L abels
Driver and Passenger Saf ety48
RADIATOR CAP SUN VISOR
DASHBOARD
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This indicator has two f unctions:Itcomesonwhenyouturnthe
ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to check the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake not f ully released can
damage the brakes and tires.
If it remains lit af ter you have f ully
released the parking brake while
the engine is running, or if it
comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the brake
system. For complete inf ormation,
see page . This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II)
with the headlight switch off and the
parking brake set. It should go of f if
youturnontheheadlightsorrelease
the parking brake. If it comes on at
any other time, it means there is a
problem with the DRL. There may
also be a problem with the high
beam headlights.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned to
START (III). If this indicator comes
on at any other time, there is a
problem in the ABS. If this happens,
take your vehicle to your dealer to
have it checked. With this indicator
on, your vehicle still has normal
braking ability but no anti-lock. For
complete inf ormation, see page .
1. 2.
197 139
Only on models equipped with ABS (see
page ) Canadian models only
139
CONT INUED
Parking Brake
and Brake
System
Indicator Anti-lock Brake System
(A BS) Indicator
‘‘Daytime Running
Lights’’ Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Instrument Panel Indicators
57
U.S. Canada
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µ
µ
µ Avoid dropping or throwing the
transmitter.
Press this button once
to unlock the driver’s door. Push it
twice to unlock the other doors. If
you do not open any doors within 30
seconds, they will automatically
relock.
Pressthisbuttonfor
about one second to attract attention;
thehornwillsoundandtheexterior
lights will f lash f or about 30 seconds.
To cancel panic mode, press any
other button on the remote
transmitter or turn the ignition
switch to ON (II). Do not immerse the transmitter in
any liquid.
If you lose a transmitter, the
replacement needs to be
reprogrammed by a Honda dealer.
Press this button once to
lock all doors. Some exterior lights
will f lash. When you push LOCK
twice within 5 seconds, you will hear
a beep to verify that the doors are
locked. You cannot lock it if any door
is not f ully closed or the key is in the
ignition switch. Protect the transmitter from
extreme temperature.
Standard on LX and EX models in the
U.S.,andLXandSimodelsinCanada
Remote Transmitter
Remote Transmitter Care
Inst rument s and Cont rols
UNL OCK
PA NIC
LOCK
74
LED LOCK BUTTON
UNLOCK
BUTTON PANIC
BUTTON
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