2012 Acura RDX Owner's Manual

Child Seat PlacementWe strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the front.Placing a forward-facing child seat inthe 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. Even with advanced front airbags
that automatically turn the
passenger's front airbag off (see page
33), 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.
Protecting Infants and Small Children
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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. Some
existing and previously owned child
seats can only be installed using the
seat belt. Whichever type you
choose, follow the child seat
manufacturer's use and care
instructions as well as the
instructions in this manual. Proper
installation is key to maximizing your
child's safety.In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH
compatible child seat can be installed
using the seat belt and a top tether
for added security. This is because
all child seats are required to be
designed so that they can be secured
with a lap belt or the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.
In addition, the child seat
manufacturer may advise that a seat
belt be used to attach a LATCH-
compatible seat once a child reaches
a specified weight. Please read the
child seat owner's manual for proper
installation instructions.Important considerations 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.●The child seat is the correct type
for the seating position.●The child seat is compliant with
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 or Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
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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.
Installing a Child Seat
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Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers
for CHildren) at the rear seats to
secure a child seat in any seating
position: one in each outer seating
position, or one in the center.
The five lower anchors are located
between the seat-back and seat
bottom, and are to be used only with
a child seat designed for use with
LATCH.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
When you install a child seat in the
rear center seating position, use the
center LATCH as shown in the
illustration. To install a child seat in
the outer seating position, use either
LATCH. You can install up to two
child seat at a time with outer
LATCH.
Using the Outer LATCHTo install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in either of the rear outer seats:
1. Move the seat belt buckle ortongue away from the lower
anchors.
2. Make sure there are no objects near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.
BUTTON LOWER ANCHORS
FOR CENTER LATCH
LOWER ANCHORS
FOR OUTER LATCH
OUTER LOWER ANCHORS
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3. Place the child seat on the vehicleseat, then attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker's instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connector as
shown above.
Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a flexible-type connector as shown
above.
4. Whatever type you have, follow the
child seat maker's instructions for
adjusting or tightening the fit.
5. Remove the cargo area cover, and place it on the cargo area floor (see
page 160).
6. Lift the head restraint (see page135), then route the tether strap
through the legs of the head
restraint and over the seat-back,
making sure the strap is not
twisted.
Rigid type
Flexible type
TETHER STRAP
CONTINUED
Installing a Child Seat
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7. Attach the tether strap hook to thetether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.
8. Push and pull the child seat forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
Using the Center LATCHTo install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in the rear center seating
position, use the center lower
anchors as shown above.
Remove the head restraint (see page
136). Make sure the removed head
restraint is secured in the cargo area.
Reinstall the head restraint when the
child seat is removed.
Follow step 1 through 8 as described
previously to secure the child seat.
When you install the child seat in the
rear center seating position, you
cannot use the seat belt behind the
driver's seat.
TETHER STRAP HOOK ANCHOR
CENTER LOWER ANCHORS
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If you want to install two child seats
in the back seats, place each child
seat in the outer seat, as shown in
the above illustration.Do not attach two child seat
connectors to a single lower anchor
at a time.
The LATCH system or the child
seats might be damaged if you try to
install three child seats in the rear
seats.
Installing a Child Seat
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Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/
Shoulder Belt
When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.
In addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
all seating positions except the
driver's have a lockable retractor that
must be activated to secure a child
seat.
1. With the child seat in the desiredseating position, route the belt
through the child seat according to
the seat maker's instructions, then
insert the latch plate into the
buckle and remove any slack from
the lap portion of the belt.
2. To activate the lockable retractor,slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt feed back into the
retractor.
3. After the belt has retracted, tug on it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out. If you can pull
the belt out, it is not locked, and
you will need to repeat these steps.
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