2011 Acura TSX Owner's Manual

For Safe Driving
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
24Safe Driving
Your Vehicle's Safety FeaturesYour vehicle is equipped with many features that work together to help protect
you and your passengers during a crash.
Some features do not require any action on your part. These include a strong steel
framework that forms a safety cage around the passenger compartment, front
and rear crush zones, a collapsible steering column, and tensioners that tighten
the front seat belts in a crash.
However, you and your passengers cannot take full advantage of these features
unless you remain seated in the correct position and always wear your seat belts.
In fact, some safety features can contribute to injuries if they are not used
properly.
The following checklist will help you take an active role in protecting yourself and
your passengers.

For Safe Driving
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
25Safe Driving
Safety CheckList
For the safety of you and your passengers, make a habit of checking these items
each time before you drive.
After everyone has entered the vehicle, be sure all doors are closed and locked. t
Locking the doors helps prevent an occupant from being ejected and an
outsider from unexpectedly opening a door.
Locking/Unlocking the Doors from Inside

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Adjust your seat to a position suitable for driving. Be sure the front seats are t
adjusted as far to the rear as possible while allowing the driver to control the
vehicle. Sitting too close to a front airbag can result in serious or fatal injury in a
crash.
Adjusting the Seats

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Adjust head restraints to the proper position. Head restraints are most effective t
when the center of the head restraint aligns with the center of your head. Taller
persons should adjust their head restraint to the highest position.
Adjusting the Head Restraints

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Always wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly. Confirm that t
any passengers are properly belted as well.
Fastening a Seat Belt

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Protect children by using seat belts or child seats according to a child’s age, t
height and weight.
Child Safety

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Safety CheckList
If the door and trunk open indicator is on, a door
and/or the trunk is not completely closed. Close all
doors and the trunk tightly until the indicator goes
off.
Door and Trunk Open indicator


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Seat Belts
26Safe Driving
About Your Seat BeltsSeat belts are the single most effective safety device because they keep you
connected to the vehicle so that you can take advantage of many built-in safety
features. They also help keep you from being thrown against the inside of the
vehicle, against other passengers, or out of the vehicle. When worn properly, seat
belts also keep your body properly positioned in a crash so that you can take full
advantage of the additional protection provided by the airbags.
In addition, seat belts help protect you in almost every type of crash, including:
- frontal impacts
- side impacts
- rear impacts
- rollovers
Lap/shoulder seat belts
All five seating positions are equipped with lap/shoulder seat belts with emergency
locking retractors. In normal driving the retractor lets you move freely while
keeping some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop the retractor
locks to restrain your body. The rear seat belts also have a lockable retractor for
use with child seats.
Installing a Child Seat using the Lockable Retractor Seat Belt

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About Your Seat Belts
Seat belts cannot completely protect you in every
crash. But in most cases, seat belts can reduce your
risk of serious injury.
Most states and all Canadian provinces and
territories require you to wear seat belts.
WARNING
Not wearing a seat belt properly increases
the chance of serious injury or death in
a crash, even though your vehicle has
airbags.
Be sure you and your passengers always
wear seat belts and wear them properly.

Seat Belts
About Your Seat Belts
27
Continued
Safe Driving
Your vehicle monitors front seat belt use. If
the ignition switch is turned to ON
II
before
the driver's seat belt is fastened, a beeper will
sound and the indicator will blink. If the
driver does not fasten the belt before the
beeper stops, the indicator will remain on.
The beeper will also periodically sound and
the indicator will blink while driving until the
driver's and front passenger’s seat belts are
fastened.
Seat Belt Reminder
Seat Belt Reminder
The indicator will also come on if a front passenger
does not fasten their seat belt within 6 seconds
after the ignition switch is turned to ON
II.
When no one is sitting in the front passenger's seat,
or a child or small adult is riding there, the indicator
will not come on.
This is because the weight sensors in the seat
cannot detect their presence.
Proper use of seat belts
Follow these guidelines for proper use:
All occupants should sit upright, well back in the seat, and remain in that t
position for the duration of the trip. Slouching and leaning reduces the
effectiveness of the belt and can increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
Never place the shoulder part of a lap/shoulder seat belt under your arm or t
behind your back. This could cause very serious injuries in a crash.
Two people should never use the same seat belt. If they do, they could be very t
seriously injured in a crash.
Do not put any accessories on the seat belts. Devices intended to improve t
comfort or reposition the shoulder part of a seat belt can reduce the protective
capability and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
About Your Seat Belts
If a rear seat passenger moves around and extends
the seat belt, the lockable retractor may activate. If
this happens, release the retractor by unfastening
the seat belt and allow the belt to retract
completely. Then refasten the belt.

Seat Belts
About Your Seat Belts
28Safe Driving
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The front seats are equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners to enhance
safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten the front seat belts during a moderate-to-
severe frontal collision, sometimes even if the collision is not severe enough to
inflate the front airbags.
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The seat belt tensioners can only operate once.
If a tensioner is activated, the SRS indicator will
come on. Have a dealer replace the tensioner and
thoroughly inspect the seat belt system as it may
not offer protection in a subsequent crash.
During a moderate-to-severe side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle also activates.

Seat Belts
Fastening a Seat Belt
29
Continued
Safe Driving
Latch
Plate
Buckle
2. Insert the latch plate into the buckle, then
tug on the belt to make sure the buckle is
secure.
Make sure that the belt is not twisted or
caught on anything.
Fastening a Seat Belt
1. Pull the seat belt out slowly.
Correct
Seated
Posture Pull out slowly.
Fastening a Seat Belt
No one should sit in a seat with an inoperative seat
belt or one that does not appear to be working
correctly. Using a seat belt that is not working
properly may not protect the occupant in a crash.
Have a dealer check the belt as soon as possible.
Never insert any foreign objects into the buckle or
retractor mechanism.
After adjusting a front seat to the proper position, and while sitting upright and
well back in the seat:
Adjusting the Seats

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Seat Belts
Fastening a Seat Belt
30Safe Driving
Lap belt
as low as
possible
3. Position the lap part of the belt as low
as possible across your hips, then pull up
on the shoulder part of the belt so the
lap part fits snugly. This lets your strong
pelvic bones take the force of a crash and
reduces the chance of internal injuries.
4. If necessary, pull up on the belt again to
remove any slack, then check that the belt
rests across the center of your chest and
over your shoulder. This spreads the forces
of a crash over the strongest bones in your
upper body.
Fastening a Seat Belt
To release the belt, push the red PRESS button
then guide the belt by hand until it has retracted
completely.
When exiting the vehicle, be sure the belt is out of
the way and will not get closed in the door.
Adjusting the Shoulder Anchor
The front seats have adjustable shoulder anchors to accommodate taller and
shorter occupants.
1. Move the anchor up and down while
holding the release button.
2. Position the anchor so that the belt rests
across the center of your chest and over
your shoulder.
Adjusting the Shoulder Anchor
The shoulder anchor height can be adjusted to four
levels. If the belt contacts your neck, lower the
height one level at a time.
After an adjustment, make sure that the shoulder
anchor position is secure.
WARNING
Improperly positioning the seat belts can
cause serious injury or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are properly
positioned before driving.
Push

Seat Belts
Fastening a Seat Belt
31Safe Driving
Advice for Pregnant Women
If you are pregnant, the best way to protect yourself and your unborn child when
driving or riding in a vehicle is to always wear a seat belt and keep the lap part of
the belt as low as possible across the hips.
Advice for Pregnant Women
Each time you have a checkup, ask your doctor if it
is okay for you to drive.
To reduce the risk of injuries to both you and your
unborn child that can be caused by an inflating
front airbag:
When driving, sit upright and adjust the seat as tfar back as possible while allowing full control of
the vehicle.
When sitting in the front passenger's seat, adjust tthe seat as far back as possible.
Wear the shoulder belt
across the chest avoiding
the abdomen.
Wear the lap part of the
belt as low as possible
across the hips.