2007 HONDA ELEMENT belt

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During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash. If
you are not wearing a
seat belt in crash, you could be
thrown forward 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. Children
who play in vehicl es
can accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles.
Even very
young children learn how to
unlock vehicle doors, turn on the
ignition, and open the tailgate or
hatch, which can lead to accidental
injury or death.
If a child wraps a loose
seat belt around their neck, they
can be seriously or f atally injured.
(See pages and f or how to
activate and deactivate the
lockable retractor.)
Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous.
For example, infants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die f rom heatstroke. A
child lef t alone with the key in the
ignition switch can accidentally set
the vehicle in motion, possibly
injuring themselves or others. 4948
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child.
Never let two children use thesame seat belt .
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap. Lock all doors, the tailgate and the
hat ch when your vehicle is not inuse.
K eep vehicle keys and remot et ransmit t ers (on some models) outof t he reach of children.
Make sure any unused seat belt
t hat a child can reach is buckled,the lockable retractor is activated,and the belt is f ully retracted andlocked.
Do not leave children alone in avehicle.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
41

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 flexible, 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 pro tection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
Look for FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
Rear-facing for infa nts, forward-
facing for small children.
When
buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed for use with
the lower anchors and tethers for
children (LATCH) system.
Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by atta ching the seat to
hardware built into the two second
row seats.
If
it is necessary to put a fo rward-
facing child seat in the front, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, and be sure the child seat is
firmly secured to the vehicle and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
Ev
en with advanced front airbags
that automatically turn the
passenger’s front airbag off (see
page ), a back seat is the saf est
place f or a small child.
1.
2.
46
34
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 type and size to f it the child.
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat
44
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 for 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
verify 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.
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.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
45

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
all seating positions except the
driver’s have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure. Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker. 1.
8.
9. Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
Installing a Child Seat
48
TETHER ANCHOR
TETHER STRAP HOOK

Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure enough to
stay upright during normal driving
maneuvers. If the child seat is not
secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to
retract f ully, then repeat these
steps.
Af ter conf irming that the belt is
locked, grab the shoulder part of
the belt near the buckle, and pull
up to remove any slack from the
lap part of the belt. Remember, if
the lap part of the belt is not tight,
the child seat will not be secure.
To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,or
push on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt.
To activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt f eed back into the
retractor.
Af ter the belt has retracted, tug on
it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out. If you can pull
thebeltout,itisnotlocked,and
you will need to repeat these steps.
To deactivate the lockable
retractor and remove a child seat,
unlatch the buckle, unroute the
seat belt, and let the belt f ully
retract.
4. 5.
2.
3.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
49

Since a teth er can pro vide additional
security to the lap/shoulder belt
installation, we recommend using a
te ther whenever one is required or
available. After
securing the child seat in the
desired position (see page ),
remove the head restraint (see
page ), then route the tether
strap over the top of the seat-back.
Slide the anchor cover open as
shown. Attach the tether strap hook to the
anchor, making sure the strap is
not twisted.
A child seat with a tether can be
installed in either back seat, using
one of the anchor points shown
above.
Tighten the strap according to the
seat maker’s instructions. Make
sure the removed head restraint is
secured in the cargo area.
Reinstall the head restraint in
place when you remove the child
seat.
1.
2.
3.
4.
48
85
Installing a Child Seat with a
Tether
Installing a Child Seat
50
TETHER STRAP HOOK
ANCHOR POINTS
TETHER ANCHOR
ANCHOR COVER TETHER ANCHOR

Does the shoulder belt cross
between the child’s neck and arm?
Is the lap part of the belt as low as
possible, touching the child’s
thighs?
Will the child be able to stay
seated like this f or the whole trip?
If you answer yes to all these
questions, the child is ready to wear
the lap/shoulder belt correctly. If
you answer no to any question, the
child needs to ride on a booster seat.
To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
put on the seat belt, then ask
yourself :
Does the child sit all the way back
against the seat?
Do the child’s knees bend
comf ortably over the edge of the
seat?
When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should sit in a back seat on a
booster seat and wear a lap/shoulder
belt.
The f ollowing pages give
instructions on how to check proper
seat belt f it, what kind of booster
seat to use if one is needed, and
important precautions f or a child
who must sit in f ront.
1.
2.3.
4.
5.
Checking Seat Belt Fit
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
51
Allowing a child age 12 or under
to sit in front can result in injury
or death if the passenger’s front
airbag inflates.
If a child must ride in front,
move the vehicle seat as far
back as possible, use a booster
seat if needed, have the child
sit up properly and wear the
seat belt properly.

A 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. If the passenger’s front 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 National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat.
Some states and Canadian provinces
also require children to use a booster
seat until they reach a given age or
weight (e.g., 6 years or 60 lbs). Be
sure to check current laws in the
states or provinces 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.
If a child who uses a booster seat
must ride in f ront, move the vehicle
seat as far back as possible and be
sure the child is wearing the seat
belt properly.
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 seat.
A child who has outgrown a forward-
f acing child seat should ride in a
back seat and use a booster seat
until the lap/shoulder belt f its them
properly without the booster. Using a Booster Seat When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Protecting L arger Children
52