2007 HONDA RIDGELINE Owners Manual

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.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.
To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,or
push on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt. To deactivate the lockable retractor
and remove a child seat, unlatch the
buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let
the belt fully retract.
4. 5.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
45

When using a tether anchor, always
hook the tether strap through the
upper guide to route it properly.
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.
Each outer seating position has a
tether anchor at the outside of the
seat bottom. The center seating
position has a tether anchor between
the lower anchors for the LATCH-
compatible child seat. Each anchor
point is shown above. Lift
the cover, then hook the
tether strap through the upper
guide as shown. Af ter properly securing the child
seat (see page ), lif t the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
through the head restraint legs.
A child seat with a tether can be
installed in any seating position in
the back seat. 1.
2.44
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with a
TetherUsing an Out er T et her A nchor
46
COVER
UPPER
GUIDE UPPER
GUIDE
CENTER
TETHER
ANCHOR
OUTER
TETHER
ANCHOR OUTER TETHER ANCHOR

Route the tether strap downward
properly, making sure the strap is
not twisted.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
outertetheranchorontheoutside
of the seat bottom.Make sure to attach the tether strap
hook to the anchor bef ore installing
the child seat, because the tether
anchor is positioned behind the child
seat.
Place the child seat on the rear
seat.
Push down the rear center head
restraint to the lowest position. Route the tether strap over the
seat-back, lift the cover, then hook
the tether strap through the upper
guide as shown.
Route the tether strap downward
properly along the seat-back,
making sure the strap is not
twisted.
Tighten the strap according to the
seat maker’s instructions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3.
4.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat
Using t he Cent er T et her A nchor
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
47
UPPERGUIDE
CENTER TETHER ANCHOR

Attach the tether strap hook to the
center tether anchor between the
loweranchorsfortheLATCH-
compatible child seat. Properlysecurethechildseat(see
page ), then tighten the tether
strap according to the seat maker’s
instructions.
Whenever using the tether strap,
make sure to route the strap through
the upper guide bef ore attaching the
tether strap hook to the tether
anchor. If the tether strap is not
routed properly and secured, the
child seat may not be secured. This
could lead to serious injury or death.
5. 6.
44
Installing a Child Seat
48
UPPER GUIDE
CENTER TETHER ANCHOR

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.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.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Protecting L arger Children
Checking Seat Belt Fit
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
49
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.

Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster seat meets
federal safety standards (see page
) 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.
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. 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.
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.
3.
4.
5.
39
Protecting L arger Children
Using a Booster Seat
50

If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to:
Carefully read the owner’s manual,
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instru ctions and all safety
info rmation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the floor.
Ch eck that the child’s seat belt is
properly and secu rely positioned.
Physically,
a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
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. Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in f ront,
there are other important f actors you
should consider.
Supervise the child. Even a mature
child sometimes needs to be
reminded to f asten the seat belt or
sit properly.
14 49
Physical Size
Maturity
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
51

This could result
in serious neck injuries during a
crash.
This could
cause very serious injuries during
a crash. It also increases the
chance that the child will slide
under the belt in a crash and be
injured.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash. Devices intended to
improve a child’s comf ort or
reposition the shoulder part of a
seat belt can make the belt less
ef f ective and increase the chance
of serious injury in a crash.
Protecting L arger Children
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Do not let a child wear a seat belt
across t he neck.
Do not let a child put the shoulderpart of a seat belt behind t he backor under t he arm.
T wo children should never use thesame seat belt . Do not put any accessories on a
seat belt.
52