2005 HONDA ELEMENT seats

Only one airbag will deploy during a
side impact. If the impact is on the
passenger’s side, the passenger’s
side airbag will deploy even if there
is no passenger.To get the best protection f rom the
side airbags, front seat occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
To reduce the risk of injury f rom an
inf lating side airbag, your vehicle has
an automatic cutoff system for the
passenger’s side airbag.
Although Honda does not encourage
children to ride in f ront, this system
is designed to shut of f the side
airbag if a child leans into the side
airbag’s path.
Thesideairbagmayalsoshutoff if a
short adult leans sideways, or a
larger adult slouches and leans
sideways into the airbag’s
deployment path.
Objects placed on the f ront
passenger seat can also cause the
side airbag to be shut of f .If the Side Airbag Of f Indicator
comes on (see page ), have the
passenger sit upright. Once the
passenger is out of the airbag’s
deployment path, the system will
turn the airbag back on, and the
indicator will go out.
There will be some delay between
the moment the passenger moves
into or out of the airbag deployment
pathandwhentheindicatorcomes
on or goes of f .
A f ront seat passenger should not
use a cushion or other object as a
backrest. It may prevent the cutof f
system f rom working properly.
If you ever have a moderate to
severe side impact, sensors will
detect rapid deceleration and signal
the control unit to instantly inf late
either the driver’s or the passenger’s
side airbag. 28
Standard on EX models
How Your Side A irbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Side A irbag Cut of f Syst em
26

µ
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.
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 ).
Your vehicle has two 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:
44
15 31
12
If You Must Drive with Several
Children
If a Child Requires Close
Attention
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
33

CONT INUED
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.
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. A rear-f acing child seat can be placed
in any seating position in the back
seat, but not in the f ront.
If the passenger’s f ront airbag
inflates, 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.
Protecting Inf ants
Child Seat T ype
Child Seat Placement
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in a f orward-f acing position. Never put a
rear-f acing child seat in t he f ront seat .
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
35

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.
Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown.
In either situation, we strongly
recommend that you install the child
seat directly behind the f ront
passenger seat, move the seat as far
f orward as needed, and leave it
unoccupied. Or you may wish to get
a smaller rear-f acing child seat.
We also recommend that a smallchild use the child seat as long as
possible, until the child reaches the
weight or height limit f or the seat.
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. We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the f ront.
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Protecting Small Children
Child Seat T ype Placing a f orward-f acing child seat in
t he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwith a passenger’s airbag can behazardous.
Child Seat Placement
36
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 the
front.

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.
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.
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.
When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either 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 seats.
1.
2.
39
CONT INUED
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat
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.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
37
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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
3.
1.
2.3.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat
Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured.
T he child seat should f it the
vehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
Secure the child in the child seat.
38

CONT INUED
Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:
Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, then attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Remove both anchor covers by
pulling f orward.
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) at the 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.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connector as
shown above.
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 ety
39
Rigid type
MARKS
ANCHOR COVER

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.
Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a f lexible-type connector as shown
above.
5.
4. 6.7.
75
Installing a Child Seat
40
Flexible type TETHER ANCHOR
ANCHOR COVER