2004 HONDA ELEMENT Owners Manual

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
35
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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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When buying a child seat, you need
to choose between a conventional
child seat, or one designed f or use
with the Lower Anchors and Tethers
f or Children (LATCH) system.We also recommend selecting a
LATCH-compatible seat with a rigid,
rather than a f lexible, anchor (see
page ).
In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
Look f or FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
Rear-facing for infants, forward-
f acing f or small children. Bef ore purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specif ic
vehicle seating position, or positions,
where the seat will be used.
Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by attaching the seat to
hardware built into the rear seat.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style. 39
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Selecting a Child Seat
T he child seat should meet U.S. or
Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213.
T he child seat should be of theproper t ype and size t o f it t he child. T he child seat should f it the
vehicle seat ing posit ion (or
posit ions) where it will be used.
1. 2. 3.
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A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as f irmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ Some side-to-side
movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat’s
ef f ectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured.Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
can be seriously injured in a crash.
Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:
All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure. The f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A f orward-f acing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same f or rear-
f acing child seats.Secure the child in the child seat.
Properly secure t he child seat t o the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured.
1.
2. 3.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety38
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CONT INUED
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) at the rear
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 objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and
anchors.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:
Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, and attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connection as
shown above.
Remove both anchor covers by
pulling f orward.
The location of each lower anchor is
marked with a small button above
the point. 1. 2.
3.
Installing a Child Seat Using
LATCH
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety39
Rigid type
MARKS
ANCHOR COVER
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Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a f lexible-type connection as shown
above.Whatever type you have, f ollow
the child seat maker’s instructions
f or adjusting or tightening the f it. Remove the head restraint (see
page ). Make sure the removed
head restraints are secured in the
cargo area, and reinstalled when
the child seat is removed.
Slide the anchor cover open.
Route the tether strap over the top
of the seat-back, making sure the
strap is not twisted.
5.
4. 6.7.
75
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety40
Flexible type TETHER ANCHOR
ANCHOR COVER
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CONT INUED
With the child seat in the desired
seating position, route the belt
through the child seat according
to the seat maker’s instructions,
then insert the latch plate into the
buckle.
When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.
In addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
the back seating positions, and in the
f ront passenger seat, have a locking
mechanism that must be activated to
secure a child seat.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verif y that it is secure. 1.
8. 9.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
41
TETHER ANCHOR
TETHER STRAP HOOK
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