2011 HONDA ELEMENT seats

●Moving the front seat forcibly back
against cargo on the seat or floor
behind it.●Hanging heavy items on the front
passenger seat, or placing heavy
items in the seat-back pocket.●Moving the front seat or seat-back
forcibly back against the folded
rear seat.●Back seat passengers should not
wedge objects or intentionally
force their feet under front
passenger seat.
If your vehicle has optional floor
mats, make sure the mat behind the
front passenger's seat is hooked to
the floor mat anchor (see page 209).
If it is not, the mat may interfere with
the proper operation of the sensors
and operation of the seat. How Your Side Airbags Work
If you ever have a moderate to severe
side impact, sensors will detect rapid
acceleration and signal the control
unit to instantly inflate either the
driver's or the passenger's side
airbag.
Only one airbag will deploy during a
side impact. If the impact is on the
passenger's side, the passenger's
side airbag will deploy even if there
is no passenger.
To get the best protection from the
side airbags, front seat occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
Additional Information About Your Airbags2810/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

If the impact is on the passenger's
side, the passenger's side curtain
airbag will inflate even if there are no
occupants on that side of the vehicle.In a RolloverIf the rollover sensor detects your
vehicle is about to roll over, it signals
the control unit, which immediately
deploys both side curtain airbags and
activates both front seat belt
tensioners.
The airbag on the passenger's side
will deploy, and the seat belt
tensioner will activate, even if there
are no passengers on that side of the
vehicle.To get the best protection from the
side curtain airbags, occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
How the SRS Indicator Works
The SRS indicator alerts
you to a potential problem
with your airbag system components.
When you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, this indicator
comes on briefly then goes off. This
tells you the system is working
properly.
Additional Information About Your Airbags3010/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 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 recommends 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 32), 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 49 for important
information about protecting larger
children).
Protecting Children －General Guidelines3610/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

If You Must Drive with Several
Children
Your vehicle has two back seats
where children can be properly
restrained. If you ever have to carry a
group of children, and a child must
ride in front:●Place the largest child in the front
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear the lap/shoulder
belt properly (see page 49).●Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see page 83).●Have the child sit upright and well
back in the seat (see page 15).●Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page
14).If a Child Requires Close
Attention
Many parents say they prefer to put
an infant or a small child in the front
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires
attention.
Placing a child in the front seat
exposes the child to hazards in a
frontal collision, and paying close
attention to a child distracts the
driver from the important tasks of
driving, placing both of you at risk.
If a child requires physical attention
or frequent visual contact, we
strongly recommend that another
adult ride with the child in the back
seat. The back seat is far safer for a
child than the front.Protecting Children
－General Guidelines3810/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

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.
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In any of these situations, we
strongly 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.
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 back seat, not the
front.Protecting Small Children
Child Seat TypeMany states allow a child one year of
age or older who also meets the
minimum size and weight
requirements to transition from a rear-
facing child seat to a forward facing
seat. Know the requirements where
you are driving and follow the child
seat 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. Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a five-point
harness system as shown.
We also recommend that a small child
use the child seat until the child
reaches the weight or height limit for
the seat.
Child Seat PlacementWe strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back seat,
not the front.Placing a forward-facing child seat in
the front seat of a vehicle equippedwith a passenger's 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
airbag can strike the child with enough
force to cause very serious or fatal
injuries.
CONTINUED
Protecting Infants and Small Children
41
Driver and Passenger Safety
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Even with advanced front airbags that
automatically turn the passenger's front
airbag off (see page 32), a back seat is
the safest place for a small child.
If it is necessary to put a forward-facing
child seat in the front, move the vehicle
seat as far to the rear as possible, and
be sure the child seat is firmly secured
to the vehicle and the child is properly
strapped in the seat.
Placing a forward-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.
Selecting a Child Seat
When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed for 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 seats.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
1.
The child seat should meet Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
213.
Look for FMVSS 213 on the
box.
2.
The child seat should be of the proper type and size to fit the child.Rear-facing for infants, forward-
facing for small children.
Protecting Infants and Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat4210/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

3.The child seat should fit the vehicleseating position (or positions)where it will be used.Before purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specific
vehicle seating position or positions
where the seat will be used. Installing a Child Seat
After selecting a proper child seat
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:
1.
Properly secure the child seat to
the vehicle.
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.
2.
Make sure the child seat is firmly secured.
After installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure. A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as firmly 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
effectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a different seating
position, or use a different style of
child seat that can be firmly secured.
3.
Secure the child in the child seat.Make sure the child is properly
strapped in the child seat
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 following pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A forward-facing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same for rear-
facing child seats.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
43
Driver and Passenger Safety
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