2004 HONDA ELEMENT child seat

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Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
If water or another liquid
soaks into a seat-back, it can
prevent the side airbag cutof f
system f rom working properly. Improperly
replacing or covering f ront seat-
back covers can prevent your side
airbags f rom inf lating during a
side impact. (see pages ).
(see pages ). 34 43
44 47
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or any
reason.
Do not expose t he f ront seat -backsto liquid. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ing aHonda dealer. Inf ant s and small children must be
rest 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
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety28
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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.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.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 province requires that
inf ants and children be properly
restrained when they ride in a
vehicle.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
All Children Must Be Restrained
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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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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. If the vehicle seat is
too far forward, 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.
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). 44
All Children Should Sit in the
Back Seat
The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Poses Serious Risks
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Inf ant s
Never put a rear-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag. Placing a f orward-f acing child seat in
t he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag canbe hazardous.
Small Children
Larger ChildrenChildren who have outgrown childseat s are also at risk of being injured
or killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag.
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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.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.
U.S. Models Canadian Models
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children General Guidelines
31
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Place the largest child in the f ront
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear the lap/shoulder
belt properly (see page ).
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see page ).
Have the child sit upright and well
backintheseat(seepage ).
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page). 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.
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap. If you are not wearing a
seat belt in a 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.
Never put a seat belt over yourself
or a child. During a crash, the belt
could press deep into the child and
cause serious or f atal injuries.
Never let two children use the
same seat belt. If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
Placing a child in the f ront seat
exposes the child to hazards f rom
the passenger’s f ront airbag, and
paying close attention to a child
distracts the driver f rom the
important tasks of driving, placing
both of you at risk.
If a child requires close 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 two seating
positions in the back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry more
children, and a child must ride in
front:
441130
14
If You Must Drive with Several
Children
If a Child Requires Close
AttentionAdditional Saf ety Precautions
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children General Guidelines
32
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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.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.
Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in a f orward-f acing position.
Child Seat T ype
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Protecting Inf ants
34
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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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.
If the passenger’s
f ront airbag inf lates, it can hit the
back of the child seat with enough
forcetokillorseriouslyinjurean
inf ant.
In this vehicle, a rear-f acing child
seatcanbeplacedinanyseating
position in the back seat, but not in
the front seat.Child Seat Placement
Never put a rear-f acing child seat inthe front seat.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
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Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown.
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.If it is necessary to put a f orward-
f acing child seat in the f ront, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, be sure the child seat is
f irmly secured to the vehicle, and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the f ront. 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 strike the child
with enough force to cause very
serious or f atal injuries.
A child who is at least one year old,
and who fits within the child seat
maker’s weight and height limits,
should be restrained in a f orward-
f acing, upright child seat.
Child Seat Placement
Placing a f orward-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwith a passenger’s airbag can behazardous.
Child Seat T ype
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Protecting Small Children
36
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result
in serious injury or death if the
front airbag inflates.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.
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