2004 HONDA ODYSSEY Owners Manual

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Your vehicle has two rows of back
seats where children can be properly
restrained. If you ever have to carry
a group of children, and a child must
ride in f ront: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 close physical
attention or f requent visual contact,
we strongly recommend that another
adult ride with the child in a back
seat. The back seat is far safer for a
child than the 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 ).
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
).
14 17 11
50
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
If You Must Drive with Several
Children
If a Child Requires Close
Attention
38

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Lock all doors and the tailgate
when your vehicle is not in use.
Children who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside the
vehicle. 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 tailgate, which can
lead to accidental injury or death.
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.
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.
Use the power sliding door main
switch to prevent children f rom
operating the sliding doors. This
will prevent unintended use of the
doors.
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.
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.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Saf ety Precautions
39

Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back.
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
for 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. We strongly recommend installing a
rear-facing child seat in a back seat.
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.
If an inf ant must ride in the f ront,
make sure the ‘‘Passenger Airbag
Of f ’’ indicator comes on and stays on
while driving. If it goes of f , the child
could be killed or seriously injured if
the front airbag inflates. 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.
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Inf ants
Child Seat T ype
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat ina f orward-f acing position. Child Seat Placement
40
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death during a
collision.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not the
front.

µA 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.
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 uses the child seat as long as
possible, until the child reaches the
weight or height limit f or the seat.
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.
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 pages ).
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CONT INUED
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Small Children
Child Seat T ype
41
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.

We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat,notthefront.Evenwith
advanced airbags, which can
automatically turn the passenger’s
front airbag off (see page ), a
back seat is the safest place for a
small child.
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.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.
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 two second-
row seat.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.
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.
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44
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Child Seat PlacementSelecting a Child Seat
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat
42

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. 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.
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.
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 a rear-
f acing child seat.
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.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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 thevehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used. Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured. Secure the child in the child seat.
Installing a Child Seat
43

Move the seat belt buckle or
tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and
anchors.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.
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) in the two
second row 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.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat: Small marks are positioned to
indicate the locations of each anchor
point.
1.
2. 3.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat Using
LATCH
44
RIGID TYPE
LOWER
ANCHORS LOWERANCHORMARKS

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. Route the tether strap through the
legs of the head restraint, then
attach the hook to the anchorage
point on the underside of the seat
cushion as shown.Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verif y that it is secure. Make sure the strap is not twisted,
then tighten the strap according to
the child seat maker’s instructions.
4. 5.6.
7.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Installing a Child Seat
45
FLEXIBLE TYPE