2011 Acura TSX Owner's Manual

Child Safety
48Safe Driving
An inflating front or side airbag can injure t
or kill a child sitting in the front seat.
A child in the front seat is more likely to t
interfere with the driver's ability to safely
control the vehicle.
Statistics show that children of all sizes t
and ages are safer when they are properly
restrained in a rear seat.
Protecting Child Passengers
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport Canada recommend
that all children age 12 and under be properly
restrained in a rear seat. Some states or provinces/
territories have laws restricting where children may
ride.
WARNING
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, using a booster seat if
necessary.
Protecting Child PassengersEach year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they are
either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, 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, Canadian province
and territory requires that infants and children be properly restrained when they
ride in a vehicle.
Children should sit properly restrained in a rear seat. This is because:

Child Safety
Protecting Child Passengers
49Safe Driving
Protecting Child Passengers
To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle
and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way.
To remind you of the passenger's front airbag
hazards and child safety, your vehicle has warning
labels on the dashboard (U.S. models) and on the
front visors. Please read and follow the instructions
on these labels.
Safety Labels


P. 61
Any child who is too small to wear a seat belt correctly must be restrained in an t
approved child seat that is properly secured to the vehicle using either the lap
belt portion of the lap/shoulder belt or the lower anchors of the LATCH system.
Never hold a child on your lap because it is impossible to protect them in the t
event of a collision.
Never put a seat belt over yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt would t
likely press deep into the child and cause serious or fatal injuries.
Never let two children use the same seat belt. Both children could be very t
seriously injured in a crash.
Do not allow children to operate the doors, windows or seat adjustments. t
Do not leave children in the vehicle unattended, especially in hot weather t
when the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough to kill them. They could also
activate vehicle controls causing it to move unexpectedly.
WARNING
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or
wrap one around their neck can
result in serious injury or death.

Instruct children not to play with any seat
belt and make sure any unused
seat belt a child can reach is buckled, fully
retracted, and locked.

Child Safety
Safety of Infants and Small Children
50Safe Driving
Safety of Infants and Small Children
Positioning a rear-facing child seat
Child seats must be placed and secured in a
rear seating position.
Protecting Infants
Rear-facing child seats should never be installed in a
forward facing position.

Always refer to the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions before installation.
WARNING
Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front
seat can result in serious injury or death
during a crash.
Always place a rear-facing child seat in the
rear seat, not the front.
Protecting Infants
An infant must be properly restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat until the
infant reaches the seat maker's weight or height limit for the seat, and the infant is
at least one year old.When properly installed, a rear-facing child seat may prevent the driver or a front
passenger from moving their seat all the way back, or from locking their seat-back
in the desired position.

It can also interfere with proper operation of the passenger's advanced front
airbag system.
Airbags

P. 3 3

If this occurs, we recommend that you install the child seat directly behind the
front passenger's seat, move the seat as far forward as needed, and leave it
unoccupied. Or, you may wish to get a smaller rear-facing child seat.

Child Safety
Safety of Infants and Small Children
51
Continued
Safe Driving
Protecting Smaller Children
Educate yourself about the laws and regulations
regarding child seat use where you are driving, and
follow the child seat manufacturer's instructions.
Many experts recommend use of a rear-facing seat
up to age two, if the child’s height and weight are
appropriate for a rear-facing seat.
Protecting Smaller Children
If a child is at least one year old and within the weight range indicated by the
child seat manufacturer, the child should be properly restrained in a firmly secured
forward-facing child seat.
Forward-facing child seat placement
We strongly recommend placing a forward-
facing child seat in a rear seating position.
Placing a forward-facing child seat in the front seat can be hazardous, even with
advanced front airbags that automatically turn the passenger's front airbag off. A
rear seat is the safest place for a child.
WARNING
Placing a foward-facing child seat in the
front seat can result in serious injury or
death if the front airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-facing child
seat in front, move the vehicle seat as far
back as possible, and properly restrain the
child.

Child Safety
Safety of Infants and Small Children
52Safe Driving
Selecting a Child Seat
Most child seats are LATCH-compatible (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren).
Some have a rigid-type connector, while others have a flexible-type connector.
Both are equally easy to use. Whichever one you choose, follow the manufacturer's
use and care instructions.
LATCH-compatible child seats can be secured to the vehicle by using two lower
anchors and a top tether anchor in one of the outer seating positions.
Important consideration when selecting a child seat
Make sure the child seat meets the following three requirements:
The child seat is the correct type and size for the child. t
The child seat is the correct type for the seating position. t
The child seat is compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or t
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
Selecting a Child Seat
Installation of a L ATCH-compatible child seat is
simple.
L ATCH-compatible child seats have been developed
to simplify the installation process and reduce the
likelihood of injuries caused by incorrect installation.

Child Safety
Safety of Infants and Small Children
53
Continued
Safe Driving
Installing a LATCH-Compatible Child Seat
A LATCH-compatible child seat can be installed in either of the two outer rear
seats. A child seat is attached to the lower anchors with either the rigid or flexible
type of connectors.
1. Locate the lower anchors under the marks.
2. Place the child seat on the vehicle seat
then attach the child seat to the lower
anchors according to the instructions that
came with the child seat.

When installing the child seat, make
sure that the lower anchors are not
obstructed by the seat belt or any other
object.
Marks
Lower Anchors
Rigid Type

Child Safety
Safety of Infants and Small Children
54Safe Driving
3. Open the tether anchor cover behind the
head restraint.
4. Release the head restraint, then route the
tether strap between the head restraint
legs, and secure the tether strap hook
onto the anchor.
5. Tighten the tether strap as instructed by
the child seat maker.
6. Make sure the child seat is firmly secured
by rocking it forward and back and side to
side; little movement should be felt.
7. Make sure any unused seat belt that a
child can reach is buckled, the lockable
retractor is activated, and the belt is fully
retracted and locked.
Enhancing Child Safety

P. 5 3
Installing a LATCH-compatible Child Seat
For your child's safety, when using a child seat
installed using the L ATCH system, make sure that
the seat is properly secured to the vehicle. A child
seat that is not properly secured will not adequately
protect a child in a crash and may cause injury to
the child or other vehicle occupants.
Flexible Type
Te t h e r
Strap
Hook
Anchor

Child Safety
Safety of Infants and Small Children
55
Continued
Safe Driving
Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt
1. Place the child seat on the vehicle seat.
2. Route the seat belt through the child seat
according to the seat maker's instructions,
and insert the latch plate into the buckle.
Insert the latch plate fully until it clicks.
3. Slowly pull the shoulder part of the belt
all the way out until it stops. This activates
the lockable retractor.
4. Let the seat belt completely wind up into
the retractor, then try to pull it out to
make sure the retractor is locked. If you are able to pull the shoulder belt
out, the lockable retractor is not
activated. Pull the seat belt all the way
out, and repeat steps 2 – 4.
5. Grab the shoulder part of the seat belt
near the buckle, and pull up to remove any
slack from the lap part of the belt. When doing this, place your weight on
the child seat and push it into the
vehicle seat.