2007 HONDA S2000 belt

µ
µ
µ
Children
depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many adults do not know
how to protect child
passengers. Each
year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes becau se
th ey are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In fact, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of the death of children ages 12 and
under. (see
pages ).
If you ever need to drive with a child
in your vehicle, be sure to read this
section. It begins with important
general guidelines, then presents
sp ecial information for small
children who must ride in a forward-
facing child seat, and for larger
children. To
reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
children be properly restrained when
they ride in a vehicle.
(see pages
).
33 36 37 40properly
All Children Must Be Restrained
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Larger children must be restrained
wit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride ona boost er seat unt il t he seat belt f it st hem properly
Anychildwhoistoosmalltoweara seat belt must be restrained in anapproved child seat t hat is properlysecured t o t he vehicle
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
29
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt and
use a booster seat if necessary.

µ
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash. Leaving
children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. Even
very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch, and open the trunk, which
can lead to accide ntal injury or
death.
For
example, a small child left in a
vehicle on a hot day can die from
heatstro ke. A child left alone with
the key in the ignition switch can
accidentally set the vehicle in
motion, possibly injuring
themselves or others.
Children who play in vehicl es can
accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles. Know how to
operate the emergency trunk
opener and decide if your children
should be shown how to use this
feature(seepage ).
During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries. If you are not wearing a seat
belt in a crash, you could be
thrown forward and crush the
child against the dashboard. If you
are wearing a seat belt, the child
canbetornfromyourarmsandbe
seriously hurt or killed.
64
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Never let two children use the
same seat belt . Do not leave children alone in a
vehicle. K eep vehicle keys and remot e
transmitters out of the reach ofchildren.
Lock both doors and the trunk when your vehicle is not in use.
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child.
Never hold a small child on your
lap.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
32

To provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:Look f or FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
Bef ore purchasing a child seat, or
using a previously purchased one, we
recommend that you test the seat to
make sure it f its properly in the
passenger’s seat. Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
there are three main steps in
installing a child seat:
All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt. 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, 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
canbeseriouslyinjuredinacrash.
The f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a f orward-f acing child seat.
Selecting a Child Seat
Installing 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.
T he child seat should f it thepassenger’s seat . 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.
1.
2.3. 1.
2. 3.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
34

With the child seat in position,
route the belt through the child
seat according to the seat maker’s
instructions, then insert the latch
plate into the buckle.
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.
In this vehicle, a f orward-f acing child
seat must be secured to the vehicle
with the lap part of the lap/shoulder
belt. In addition, the lockable
retractor must be activated to secure
a child seat.
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
the belt out, it is not locked and
you will need to repeat these steps.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position. Moving the seat as
f ar back as possible reduces the
chance of a child being injured or
killed if the passenger’s airbag
inf lates.
1.
2.
3.4.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
35

To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,or
push on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt.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 deactivate the lockable retractor
andremoveachildseat,unlatchthe
buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let
the belt fully retract.
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.
5.
6.
Installing a Child Seat
36

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 on a booster seat and
wear a lap/shoulder belt.
Since this vehicle does not have a
back seat, we recommend that you
do not carry a larger child, age 12 or
under, as a passenger.
However, the following pages
provide guidelines to help you decide
when a given child may ride in this
vehicle, and how to properly protect
the child.
1.
2. Checking Seat Belt Fit
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
37
Allowing a larger child age 12 or
under to ride in the vehicle can
result in injury or death if the
passenger’s airbag inflates.
If a larger child must ride in the
vehicle, adjust the vehicle seat
as far back as possible, use a
booster seat if needed, and
have the child sit up properly
and wear the seat belt properly.

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 f orward- f acing child seat should use a
booster seat until the lap/shoulder
belt fits 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 intendto 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
ridesinthisvehicle,movethe
vehicle seat as f ar to the rear 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.
3.
4.
5.
Using a Booster Seat
Protecting L arger Children
38

If you decide that a child can safely
ride in this vehicl e, 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.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to fasten the seat belts
or sit properly.
Physically,
a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it (see page ). If the seat
belt does not f it properly, with or
without the child sitting on a booster,
the child should not sit in this vehicle.
To saf ely ride in this vehicle, a child
must be able to f ollow the rules,
including sitting properly, and
wearing the seat belt properly
throughout ride.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
If the passenger’s 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.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in this
vehicle. There are other important
f actors you should consider. 37
When Can a L arger Child Ride in
This VehiclePhysical Size
Maturity
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
39