2009 Acura RL Owner's Manual

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If you have children, or ever need to
drive with a child in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section. It begins
with important general guidelines,
then presents special inf ormation f or
infants, small children, and larger
children. Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of death of children age 12 and
under.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be properly
restrained when they ride in a
vehicle.
(see pages ). (see pages ).
Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many adults do not know
how to protect child
passengers.
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properly
Protecting Children General Guidelines
All Children Must Be Restrained
Inf ant s and small children must be
rest rained in an approved child seatt hat is properly secured t o t hevehicle 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
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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.
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Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision. To do this,
the passenger’s f ront airbag is quite
large, and it can inflate with enough
f orce to cause very serious injuries.If the vehicle seat is
too far forward, or the child’s head is
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough f orce to kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in a
back seat.
Children who ride in back are less
likely to be injured by striking
interior vehicle parts during a
collision or hard braking. Also,
children cannot be injured by an
inflating front airbag when they ride
in the back.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
aged 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat. Some
states have laws restricting where
children may ride.
Even though your vehicle has an
advanced front airbag system that
automatically turns the passenger’s
front airbag off (see page ),
please f ollow these guidelines:
If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant. Whenever possible,
larger children should sit in the back
seat, on a booster seat if needed, and
be properly restrained with a seat
belt (see page f or important
inf ormation about protecting larger
children).
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CONT INUED
Protecting Children General Guidelines
The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Can Pose Serious Risks
All Children Should Sit in a Back
SeatSmall Children
Placing a f orward-f acing child seat inthe f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag canbe hazardous.
Larger Children
Inf ant s Never put a rear-f acing child seat inthe f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag. Children who have outgrown child
seat s are also at risk of being injuredor killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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To remind you of the passenger’s
f ront airbag hazards, and that
children must be properly restrained
in a back seat, your vehicle has
warninglabelsonthedashboard
(U.S. models) and on the f ront visors.
Please read and follow the
instructions on these labels.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
U.S. ModelsCanadian Models
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DASHBOARD
SUN VISORS
SUN VISORS
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Many parents say they pref er to put
an inf ant or a 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.
Your vehicle has a back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry a group of
children, and a child must ride in
front:
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 ). 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 ).
During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
If they do, they
couldbeveryseriouslyinjuredina
crash. If you are not wearing a
seat belt in a 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.
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Protecting Children General Guidelines
If You Must Drive with Several
Children If a Child Requires Close
AttentionAdditional Saf ety Precautions
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child.
Never let two children use thesame seat belt .
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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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. Children
who play in vehicles 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).
This can prevent
children f rom accidentally f alling
out (see page ). 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.)
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch, and open the trunk, which
can lead to accidental injury or
death.
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Do not leave children alone in avehicle. L ock all doors and t he t runk when
your vehicle is not in use.
Use t he childproof door locks t o
prevent children f rom opening t herear doors. 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.
K eep vehicle keys/remot etransmitters out of the reach ofchildren.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
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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 front 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 their seat as far back as
recommended, or f rom locking their
seat-back in the desired position.
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.
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
f or 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. It could also interf ere with proper
operation of the passenger’s
advanced front airbag system.
CONT INUED
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Rear-f acing Child Seat Placement
Never put a
rear-f acing child seat in t he f ront seat .
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in
a f orward-f acing position.
Child Seat T ypeProtecting Inf ants
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Even 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.
We also recommend that a small
child use the child seat until the child
reaches the weight or height limit
for the seat.
We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the f ront.If the vehicle seat is too
farforward,orthechild’sheadis
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inf lating airbag can strike the child
with enough force to cause very
serious or fatal injuries.
A child who is at least 1 year old, and
who f its 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 any of these situations, we
strongly recommend that you install
the child seat directly behind the
f ront passenger’s seat, move the seat
as far forward as needed, and leave it
unoccupied. Or, you may wish to get
a smaller rear-f acing child seat.
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Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Child Seat PlacementPlacing a f orward-f acing child seat inthe f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwith a passenger’s airbag can behazardous.
Child Seat T ype
Protecting Small Children
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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.
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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 outer
seating positions in the back seat.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.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, and 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.
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 type and size to f it the child.
1.
2.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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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.
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