Your airbag system includes:●Two SRS (supplemental restraint
system) front airbags. The driver's
airbag is stored in the center of the
steering wheel; the front
passenger's airbag is stored in the
dashboard. Both are marked‘‘SRS
AIRBAG ’’(see page 26).●Two side airbags, one for the
driver and one for a front
passenger. The airbags are stored
in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked ‘‘SIDE
AIRBAG ’’(see page 30).●Two side curtain airbags, one for
each side of the vehicle. The
airbags are stored in the ceiling,
above the side windows. The front
and rear pillars are marked ‘‘SIDE
CURTAIN AIRBAG ’’(see page 31).
●Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page 22).●Sensors that can detect a moderate
to severe front impact, side impact,
or rollover.●Sensors that can detect whether a
child is in the passenger's side
airbag path and signal the control
unit to turn the airbag off (see
page 30).●Sensors that can detect whether
the driver's seat belt and the front
passenger's seat belt are latched or
unlatched (see page 20).●A driver's seat position sensor that
monitors the distance of the seat
from the front airbag. If the seat is
too far forward, the airbag will
inflate with less force (see page
28).
●Weight sensors that monitor the
weight on the front passenger's
seat. If the weight is about 65 lbs
(29 kg) or less (the weight of an
infant or small child), the
passenger's front airbag will be
turned off (see page 28).●A rollover sensor that can detect if
your vehicle is about to roll over
and signal the control unit to
deploy both side curtain airbags
(see page 31).●A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records information about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, the seat belt
tensioners, and driver and front
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition switch is in the ON (II)
position.
CONTINUED
Additional Information About Your Airbags
25
Driver and Passenger Safety
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●An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you to a possible
problem with your airbag system
components (see page 32).●An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you that the
passenger's side airbag has been
turned off (see page 32).●An indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger's
front airbag has been turned off
(see page 33).●Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle's electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.How Your Front Airbags Work
If you ever have a moderate to severe
frontal collision, sensors will detect
the vehicle's rapid deceleration.
If the rate of deceleration is high
enough, the control unit will inflate
the driver's and front passenger's
airbags, at the time and with the
force needed. During a frontal crash, your seat belt
restrains your lower body and torso,
and the front airbag helps protect
your head and chest.
Although both airbags normally
inflate within a split second of each
other, it is possible for only one
airbag to deploy.
This can happen if the severity of a
collision is at the margin, or
threshold, that determines whether
or not the airbags will deploy. In
such cases, the seat belt will provide
sufficient protection, and the
supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal.
Only the driver's airbag will deploy if
there is no passenger in the front
seat, or if the advanced airbag
system has turned the passenger's
airbag off (see page 33).
Additional Information About Your Airbags2610/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu
All Children Should Sit in a Back
Seat
According to crash statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
safer when they are restrained in a
back seat.
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.
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 Passenger's Front Airbag Can
Pose Serious Risks
Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe frontal collision. To do this,
the passenger's front airbag is quite
large, and it can inflate with enough
force to cause very serious injuries.
Even though your vehicle has an
advanced front airbag system that
automatically turns the passenger's
front airbag off under certain
circumstances (see page 33), please
follow these guidelines:
Infants
Never put a rear-facing child seat inthe front seat of a vehicle equipped
with a passenger's front airbag.
If the
airbag inflates, it can hit the back of
the child seat with enough force to
kill or very seriously injure an infant.
Small Children
Placing a forward-facing child seat inthe front seat of a vehicle equipped
with a passenger's front airbag can be
hazardous.
If the vehicle seat is too
far forward, or the child's head is
thrown forward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough force to kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
Larger Children
Children who have outgrown childseats are also at risk of being injuredor killed by an inflating passenger's
front airbag.
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 53 for important
information about protecting larger
children).
CONTINUED
Protecting Children -General Guidelines
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Protecting InfantsChild Seat TypeAn infant must be properly restrained
in a rear-facing, reclining child seat
until the child reaches the seat
maker's weight or height limit for the
seat, and the child is at least one year
old.Only a rear-facing child seat provides
proper support for a baby's head,
neck, and back.
Two types of seats may be used: a
seat designed exclusively for infants,
or a convertible seat used in the rear-
facing, reclining mode.
Do not put a rear-facing child seat in
a forward-facing position.
If placed
facing forward, an infant could be
very seriously injured during a
frontal collision.
Rear-facing Child Seat PlacementA rear-facing child seat can be placed
in any seating position in the back
seat, but not in the front.
Never put a
rear-facing child seat in the front seat.
If the passenger's front airbag
inflates, it can hit the back of the
child seat with enough force to kill or
seriously injure an infant.
When properly installed, a rear-
facing child seat may prevent the
driver or a front passenger from
moving their seat as far back as
recommended, or from locking their
seat-back in the desired position.
It could also interfere with proper
operation of the passenger's
advanced front airbag system.
CONTINUED
Protecting Infants and Small Children
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If a child who uses a booster seat
must ride in front, 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.When Can a Larger Child Sit in
Front
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
aged 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
If the passenger's front airbag
inflates in a moderate to severe
frontal 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.
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.Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in front,
there are other important factors you
should consider.
Physical SizePhysically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit (see pages 15 and 53). If
the seat belt does not fit properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in front.MaturityTo safely ride in front, a child must
be able to follow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
CONTINUED
Protecting Larger Children
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DASHBOARD
U.S. models onlySUN VISORS
U.S. modelsCanadian models
SUN VISORU.S. models only
These labels are in the locations
shown. They warn you of potential
hazards that could cause serious
injury or death. Read these labels
carefully.
If a label comes off or becomes hard
to read (except for the U.S.
dashboard label which may be
removed by the owner), contact your
dealer for a replacement.
Safety Labels5810/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu
Security System IndicatorThis indicator comes on when the
security system is set. For more
information, see page 294.
Lights On Indicator
This indicator reminds you that the
exterior lights are on. It comes on
when the light switch is in either the
or
position. If you turn the
ignition switch to the ACCESSORY
(I) or the LOCK (0) position without
turning off the light switch, this
indicator will remain on. A reminder
chime will also sound when you open
the driver's door and remove the key
from the ignition switch.Fog Light Indicator
This indicator comes on when you
turn on the fog lights. For more
information, see page 119.
Super Handling-All
Wheel Drive (SH-AWD)
Indicator
On SH-AWD modelsThis indicator normally comes on for
a few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If this indicator comes on at
any other time, there is a problem in
the SH-AWD system. You will also
see a ‘‘CHECK SH-AWD SYSTEM ’’
message on the multi-information
display (see page 80). Take your
vehicle to a dealer to have it checked.
For more information, see page 385.
SECURITY SYSTEM INDICATOR
Instrument Panel Indicators7010/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu
Maintenance Minder
TM
The multi-information display in the
instrument panel shows you the
engine oil life and maintenance
service items when the ignition
switch is in the ON (II) position. This
information helps to keep you aware
of the periodic maintenance your
vehicle needs for continued trouble-
free driving. Refer to page 411 for
more information.
INST. MPG (U.S. models)/INST.
L/100 km (Canadian models)
This shows your instant fuel
economy.
When you turn off the engine, INST.
MPG or INST. L/100 km is also
reset.RANGE
This shows the estimated distance
you can travel on the fuel remaining
in the fuel tank. This distance is
estimated from the fuel economy you
received over the last several miles
(U.S.) or kilometers (Canada), so it
will vary with changes in speed,
traffic, etc.
When the battery is disconnected, or
you refuel, RANGE is also reset.
ELAPSED TIME
This shows the accumulated
traveling time since you last reset it.
When you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, ELAPSED
TIME is reset.
You can customize the ELAPSED
TIME reset condition on the multi-
information display (see page 95).AVG. SPEED
This shows the average speed you
are traveling in miles per hour (mph)
for U.S. models or kilometers per
hour (km/h) for Canadian models.
When you reset Trip A, AVG. SPEED
is also reset.
AVG. FUEL A/B
This shows your vehicle's average
fuel economy in mpg (U.S. models)
or liter/100 km (Canadian models)
since you last reset Trip A or Trip B.
You can customize the Trip A and
AVG. FUEL A reset condition on the
multi-information display (see page
93).
The average fuel economy will be
reset when you reset the trip meter,
or if the vehicle's battery goes dead
or is disconnected.
CONTINUED
Multi-Information Display
77
Instruments and Controls
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