µ
µ
µ
Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many adults do not know
how to properly protect child
passengers.
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 ).
43
5956
59
Protecting Children General Guidelines
All Children Must Be Restrained
Inf ant s and small children must be
rest rained in an approved child seat
t hat is properly secured t o t he
vehicle
Larger children must be restrained
wit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride on
a boost er seat unt il t he seat belt f it s
t hem properly
38
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.
——
y
y
(yy
2009 Odyssey
µ
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.
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.)
Even though your vehicle has an
advanced front airbag system that
automatically turns the passenger’s
f ront airbag of f (see page ),
please f ollow these guidelines:
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in a
back seat. The National Highway
Traf f ic Saf ety 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.
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.
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. 35
56
CONT INUED
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 ChildrenChildren who have outgrown childseat s are also at risk of being injuredor killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag.
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.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
39
\f—\f—
y
y
(\fy\f\fy
2009 Odyssey
µ
Your vehicle has two rows of 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: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.
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
). 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. 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.
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.
56
18
15 168
If You Must Drive with Several
Children
If a Child Requires Close
AttentionAdditional Saf ety Precautions
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap.
Never put a seat belt over yourselfand a child.
Never let two children use thesame seat belt .
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
41
——
y
y
(yy
2009 Odyssey
µ
If a child
wraps a loose seat belt around
their neck, they can be seriously
or f atally injured. (See pages and for how to activate
and deactivate the lockable
retractor.)
This can prevent children
f rom accidentally f alling out (see
page ). This
will prevent unintended use of the
doors.
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. Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch, and open the tailgate,
which can lead to accidental injury
or death.
Children who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles.
5152
157
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Make sure any unused seat beltt hat a child can reach is buckled,thelockableretractorisactivated, and the belt is f ullyretracted and locked.
Use childproof door locks t oprevent children f rom opening t hedoors. Use t he power sliding door main
swit ch t o prevent children f romoperat ing t he sliding doors.
Do not leave children alone in avehicle. K eep vehicle keys and remot e
transmitters out of the reach ofchildren.
Lock all doors and the tailgate
when your vehicle is not in use.
42
\f—\f—
y
\fy
(\fy\f\fy
2009 Odyssey
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 for
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 rear seating
positions.Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.
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.
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.
In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
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 thevehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
1.
2.3.
Selecting a Child Seat
46
\f—\f—
y
y
(\fy\f\f
y
2009 Odyssey
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.
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.
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.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
47
\f—\f—
y
y
(\fy\f\fy
2009 Odyssey
Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, then attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
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.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connector as
shown above.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in a second row seat:
Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.
Move the seat belt buckle or
tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (lower anchors and tethers
f or children) in the two second row
seats and the center seating position
of the third row.
1.
2.3.
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
Installing a Child Seat
48
LOWER
ANCHORS BUTTON
Rigid type
\f—\f—
y
y
(\fy\f\fy
2009 Odyssey
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in the center seating position of
the third row:Unlatch the detachable seat belt
anchor latch and retract the seat
belt all the way into the ceiling.
Place the latch plate and anchor
latch in their holding slots (see
page ).
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.Followsteps1through4of the
second row installation on pages and . The center seating position of the
third row has an anchorage point on
the tailgate sill.
Slide the anchor cover to open it.
1.
2.3.
4849
16
Installing a Child Seat
50
ANCHORAGE POINT
BUTTON
LOWER ANCHORS
\f—\f—
y
\f\fy
(\fy\f\fy
2009 Odyssey