2012 Acura ZDX Owner's Manual

23
uuFor Safe Driving uImportant Safety Precautions
Safe Driving
■Pay appropriate attention to the task of driving safely
Engaging in cell phone conversation or ot her activities that keep you from paying
close attention to the road, other vehicles, and pedestrian s could lead to a crash.
Remember, situations can change quickly, an d only you can decide when it is safe to
divert some attention away from driving.
■Control your speed
Excessive speed is a major fa ctor in crash injuries and deaths. Generally, the higher
the speed, the greater the risk, but serious injuries can also occur at lower speeds.
Never drive faster than is safe for curre nt conditions, regardless of the maximum
speed posted.
■Keep your vehicle in safe condition
Having a tire blowout or a mechanical failure can be extremely hazardous.
To reduce the possibility of such problems, check your tire pressures and condition
frequently, and perform all regularly scheduled maintenance.

24
uuFor Safe Driving uImportant Handling Information
Safe Driving
Important Handling Information
Your vehicle has higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed for use
only on pavement. Higher ground clearance has many advantages for off-highway
driving. It allows you to travel over bu mps, obstacles, and rough terrain. It also
provides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier.
These advantages come at so me cost. Because your vehicle is taller and rides higher
off the ground, it has a higher center gravity making it more susceptible to tripping
or roll over if you make abrupt turns. Ut ility vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more li kely to die than a person wearin g a seat belt. As a reminder,
make sure you and your passengers always wear seat belts.1Important Handling Information
Failure to operate your vehi cle correctly might result
in a crash or a roll over.
2 Precautions While Driving P. 226
2 Off-Highway Driving Guidelines P. 220

25
uuFor Safe Driving uYour Vehicle’s Safety Features
Continued
Safe Driving
Your Vehicle’s Safety Features
The following checklist will help you take an active role in protecting yourself and
your passengers.
1Your Vehicle’s Safety Features
Your 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 zone s, a collapsible steering
column, and tensioners that tighten the front seat
belts in a sufficient 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 ar e not used properly.
a Safety Cageb Crush Zonesc Seats and Seat-Backsd Head Restraintse Collapsible Steering Columnf Seat Beltsg Front Airbagsh Side Airbagsi Side Curtain AirbagsjDoor Locksk Seat Belt Tensi oners/Seat Belt
e-pretensioners*
l Occupant Position Detection
System (OPDS) Sensora
bb
e
f
il
j
k
g h
d
c
g j h
i
* Not available on all models

uuFor Safe Driving uYour Vehicle’s Safety Features
26
Safe DrivingFor 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 and the tailgate are
closed and locked. Locking the doors and the tailgate helps prevent an occupant
from being ejected and an outsider fro m unexpectedly opening a door or the
tailgate.
2 Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Inside P. 111
•Adjust your seat to a position suitable for driving. Be sure the front seats are
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.
2 Adjusting the Seats P. 143
•Adjust head restraints to the proper position. Head re straints are most effective
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.
2Adjusting the Head Restraints P. 145
•Always wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly. Confirm that any
passengers are properly belted as well.
2 Fastening a Seat Belt P. 31
•Protect children by using seat belts or child seats according to a child’s age, height
and weight.
2 Child Safety P. 50
■Safety Checklist1Safety Checklist
If the door and tailgate open indicator is on, a door
and/or the tailgate is not co mpletely closed. Close all
doors and the tailgate tightly until the indicator goes
off.
2 Door and Tailgate Open Indicator P. 73

27Continued
Safe Driving
Seat Belts
About Your Seat Belts
Seat belts are the single most effective safety device because they keep you
connected to the vehicle so that you ca n 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 cr ash so that you can take full
advantage of the additional protec tion 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 wi th lap/shoulder seat belts with emergency
locking retractors. In normal driving the re tractor lets you move freely while keeping
some tension on the belt. During a collisi on or sudden stop the retractor locks to
restrain your body. The rear seat belts al so have a lockable retractor for use with
child seats.
2 Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt P. 58
1About 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.
3WARNING
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.

uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
28
Safe Driving
■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 position
for the duration of the trip. Slouching an d 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
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
seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not put any accessories on the seat belts. Devices intended to improve 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.
Your vehicle monitors front seat belt use. If
the ignition switch is turned to ON
w*1
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 in dicator will remain on.
The beeper will also periodically sound and
the indicator will blink while driving until the
driver’s and front passe nger’s seat belts are
fastened.
*1: Models with the keyless access system have an ENGINE START/STOP button
instead of an ignition switch.
■Seat Belt Reminder
1 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 re tractor by unfastening the
seat belt and allow the be lt to retract completely.
Then refasten the belt.
1 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
(w*1.
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.

Continued29
uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
Safe DrivingThe front seats are equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners to enhance safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten th e front seat belts during a moderate-to-
severe frontal collision, some times even if the collision is not severe enough to
inflate the front airbags.
■Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners1 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.

uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
30
Safe DrivingVehicles equipped with CMBSTM also have seat
belt e-pretensioners in the front seats that
automatically start to retract if your vehicle
gets too close to another vehicle in front of
you. They begin with a light tug to alert the
driver, then tighten if the system detects that
your vehicle may collide with the vehicle in
front of you. The e-pretensioners will release if
a collision is avoided.
2 CMBSTM (Collision Mitigation Braking
SystemTM)* P. 257
2 Brake Assist System P. 256
■Seat Belt e-pretensioners*1Seat Belt e-pretensioners*
If the automatic seat belt tensioners are activated
during a collision, both of the front seat belt
assemblies and all relate d components must be
replaced. 2 Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners P. 29
The front passengers e-pretensioner does not
activate when the passe ngers front airbag is
automatically turned off.
* Not available on all models