2011 HONDA ELEMENT airbag

The most important things you need
to know about your airbags are:●Airbags do not replace seat belts.They are designed to supplement
the seat belts.●Airbags offer no protection in rearimpacts, or minor frontal or sidecollisions.●Airbags can pose serious hazards.To do their job, airbags must
inflate with tremendous force. So
while airbags help save lives, they
can cause minor injuries or more
serious or even fatal injuries if
occupants are not properly
restrained or sitting properly.
What you should do:
Always wear
your seat belt properly, and sit
upright and as far back from the
steering wheel as possible while
allowing full control of the vehicle. A
front passenger should move their
seat as far back from the dashboard
as possible. The rest of this section gives more
detailed information about how you
can maximize your safety.
Remember however, that no safety
system can prevent all injures or
deaths that can occur in a severe
crash, even when seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags
deploy.
Your Vehicle's Safety Features1010/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

Introduction
The following pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver, adult passengers,
and teenage children who are large
enough and mature enough to drive
or ride in the front.
See pages 35－51 for important
guidelines on how to properly protect
infants, small children, and larger
children who ride in your vehicle. 1. Close and Lock the Doors
After everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors, the hatch,
and the tailgate are closed and
locked.
Your vehicle has a door and
tailgate open indicator on
the instrument panel to indicate
when a specific door, the tailgate or
the hatch is not tightly closed.
Locking the doors, the hatch, and the
tailgate reduces the chance of
someone being thrown out of the
vehicle during a crash, and it helps
prevent passengers from accidentally
opening a door, the hatch, or the
tailgate and falling out.
Locking the doors, the hatch, or the
tailgate also helps prevent an
outsider from unexpectedly opening
a door when you come to a stop.
See page 80 for how to lock the
doors, and page 61 for how the door
and tailgate indicator system works. 2. Adjust the Front Seats
Adjust the driver's seat as far to the
rear as possible while allowing you to
maintain full control of the vehicle.
Have a front passenger adjust their
seat as far to the rear as possible.
If you sit too close to the steering
wheel or dashboard, you can be
seriously injured by an inflating front
airbag, or by striking the steering
wheel or dashboard.
CONTINUED
Protecting Adults and Teens
11
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration recommends that
drivers allow at least 10 inches (25
cm) between the center of the
steering wheel and the chest. In
addition to adjusting the seat, you
can adjust the steering wheel up and
down (see page 74).
If you cannot get far enough away
from the steering wheel and still
reach the controls, we recommend
that you investigate whether some
type of adaptive equipment may help.
Sitting too close to a front
airbag can result in serious
injury or death if the front
airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the
front airbags as possible.Once a seat is adjusted correctly,
rock it back and forth to make sure it
is locked in position.
See page 83 for how to adjust the
front seats.
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs
Adjust the driver's seat-back to a
comfortable, upright position, leaving
ample space between your chest and
the airbag cover in the center of the
steering wheel.
Passengers with adjustable seat-
backs should also adjust their seat-
back to a comfortable, upright
position.
Protecting Adults and Teens1210/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

Never place the shoulder portion of alap/shoulder belt under your arm or
behind your back.
This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash.
If a seat belt does not seem to work
properly, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.
No one should sit in a seat with an
inoperative seat belt.
Using a seat
belt that is not working properly can
result in serious injury or death.
Have your dealer check the belt as
soon as possible.
See page 18 for additional
information about your seat belts and
how to take care of them. 6. Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and head restraints, and
put on their seat belts, it is very
important that they continue to sit
upright, well back in their seats, with
their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is safely parked and the
engine is off.
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches, lies
down, turns sideways, sits forward,
leans forward or sideways, or puts
one or both feet up, the chance of
injury during a crash is greatly
increased. In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the front seat can be
seriously or fatally injured in a crash
by striking interior parts of the
vehicle or being struck by an
inflating front airbag.
Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on the
floor.
Protecting Adults and Teens
15
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

Advice for Pregnant WomenIf 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.When driving, remember to sit
upright and adjust the seat as far
back as possible while allowing full
control of the vehicle. When riding
as a front passenger, adjust the seat
as far back as possible.
This will reduce the risk of injuries to
both you and your unborn child that
can be caused by a crash or an
inflating front airbag.
Each time you have a checkup, ask
your doctor if it's okay for you to
drive.
Additional Safety Precautions
●Never let passengers ride in the
cargo area or on top of a folded-
down back seat.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
●Passengers should not stand up or change seats while the vehicle is
moving.
A passenger who is not
wearing a seat belt during a crash
or emergency stop can be thrown
against the inside of the vehicle,
against other occupants, or out of
the vehicle.
●Two people should never use the
same seat belt.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
Protecting Adults and Teens1610/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

●Do not put any accessories on seatbelts.
Devices intended to improve
occupant comfort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt can
reduce the protective capability of
the belt and increase the chance of
serious injury in a crash.
●Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a front
airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp
objects on your lap, or driving with
a pipe or other sharp object in your
mouth, can result in injuries if your
front airbag inflates.
●Do not attach or place objects on
the front airbag covers.
Objects on
the covers marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG ’’
could interfere with the proper
operation of the airbags or be
propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone if the airbags inflate.
●Do not attach hard objects on or
near a door.
If a side airbag or a
side curtain airbag inflates, a cup
holder or other hard object
attached on or near the door could
be propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone.
●Keep your hands and arms away
from the airbag covers.
If your
hands or arms are close to an
airbag cover, they could be injured
if the front airbag inflates.
●Do not cover or replace front seat- back covers without consulting
your dealer.
Improperly replacing
or covering front seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags from
inflating during a side impact.
Protecting Adults and Teens
17
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

Automatic Seat Belt TensionersFor added protection, the front seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and a
front passenger in position.The tensioners can be activated
during a collision in which the front
airbags
do not deploy.
In this case, the
airbags would not be needed, but the
additional restraint could be helpful.
If the tensioner is activated, the SRS
indicator comes on and the tensioner
must be replaced. Seat Belt Maintenance
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out fully, and look for
frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. If a belt does
not retract easily, cleaning the belt
may correct the problem (see page
209). Any belt that is not in good
condition or working properly will
not provide good protection and
should be replaced as soon as
possible.
Honda provides a limited warranty
on seat belts. See your
Honda
Warranty Information
booklet for
details.
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts2010/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

Airbag System Components
(12)
(1)
(3)
(5) (6) (10)
(4)
(14)
(15)(7)
(4)
(5)
(11)
(13)
(2)
(9) (8)
(1) Driver's Front Airbag
(2) Passenger's Front Airbag
(3) Control Unit
(4) Front Seat Belt Tensioners
(5) Side Airbags
(6) Driver's Seat Position Sensor
(7) Front Passenger's Weight Sensors
(8) Front Impact Sensors
(9) Passenger Airbag Off Indicator
(10) Side Impact Sensors (First)
(11) Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) Sensors
(12) Side Impact Sensors (Second)
(13) Side Curtain Airbags
(14) Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator
(15) Rear Safing Sensor
(16) Rollover Sensor
(13)
(8)
(12)
(16)
(4)
Additional Information About Your Airbags2210/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu