2012 Acura ZDX child seat

5
Quick Reference Guide
❙Seat Belt to Secure a Child Seat (P 60)
❙Seat Belt (Installing a Child Seat) (P 58)
❙Grab Handle
❙Coat Hook (P 158)
❙Side Curtain Airbags (P 45)
❙Front Seat (P 143)
❙Seat Belts (P 27)
❙Sunglasses Holder (P 159)
❙Sun Visors
❙Vanity Mirrors
❙USB Adapter Cable (P 169)
❙Auxiliary Input Jack (P 169)
❙Rear Seat (P 149)
❙LATCH to Secure a Child Seat (P 55)
❙Side Airbags (P 42)
❙Rear Seat Heater Switches* (P 162)
❙Accessory Power Sockets (P 157)
* Not available on all models

7
Quick Reference Guide
Safe Driving (P 21)
Airbags (P 35)
● Your vehicle is fitted with airbags to help protect you and
your passengers during a m oderate-to-severe collision.
Child Safety (P 50)
● All children 12 an d younger should be seated in the rear seat.
● Smaller children should be properly rest rained in a forward-facing child seat.
● Infants must be properly restrai ned in a rear-facing child seat.
Exhaust Gas Hazard (P 64)
● Your vehicle emits dangerous ex haust gases that contain carbon
monoxide. Do not run the engine in confined spaces where carbon
monoxide gas can accumulate.
Before Driving Checklist (P 26)
● Before driving, check that the front seats, head restraints,
steering wheel, and mirrors ha ve been properly adjusted.
Seat Belts (P 27)
● Fasten your seat belt and sit upright well
back in the seat.
● Check that your passengers are wearing
their seat belts correctly.
Fasten your lap belt as
low as possible.

21
Safe Driving
You can find many safety recommendations throughout this chapter, and throughout this manual.
For Safe Driving
Important Safety Precautions ............. 22
Important Handling In formation......... 24
Your Vehicle’s Safety Features............ 25
Seat Belts About Your Seat Belt s ........................ 27
Fastening a Seat Belt .......................... 31
Seat Belt Inspection............................ 34
Airbags Airbag System Components ............... 35
Types of Airbags ................................ 38
Front Airbags (SRS) ............................ 38 Side Airbags ...................................... 42
Side Curtain Airbags .......................... 45
Airbag System Indicators.................... 46
Airbag Care ....................................... 49
Child Safety Protecting Child Passengers ............... 50
Safety of Infants and Small Children ....... 52Safety of Larger Children ................... 62
Exhaust Gas Hazard Carbon Monoxide Gas ....................... 64
Safety Labels Label Locations .................................. 65

22
Safe Driving
For Safe Driving
The following pages explain your vehicle’s safety features and how to use them
properly. The safety precautions below are ones that we consider to be among the
most important.
Important Safety Precautions
■Always wear your seat belt
A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. So even though your vehicle is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and your passe ngers always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly.
■Restrain all children
Children age 12 and under should ride properly restrained in a back seat, not the
front seat. Infants and small children should be restrained in a child seat. Larger
children should use a booster seat and a lap/shoulder seat belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat.
■Be aware of airbag hazards
While airbags can save lives, they can caus e serious or fatal injuries to occupants
who sit too close to them, or are not pr operly restrained. Infants, young children,
and short adults are at the greatest risk. Be sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
■Don’t drink and drive
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even one dr ink can reduce your ability to respond to
changing conditions, and your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink.
So don't drink and drive, and don't let your friends drink and drive, either.
1 Important Safety Precautions
Some states, provinces and te rritories prohibit the use
of cell phones other than hands-free devices by the
driver while driving.

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.

33
uuSeat Belts uFastening a Seat Belt
Safe DrivingIf you are pregnant, the best way to protect yourself and your unborn child when
driving or riding in a vehicle is to always w ear a seat belt and keep the lap part of the
belt as low as possible across the hips.
■Advice for Pregnant Women1 Advice for Pregnant Women
Each time you have a checkup, ask your doctor if it is
okay for you to drive.
To reduce the risk of injuries to both you and your
unborn child that can be caused by an inflating front
airbag:
•When driving, sit upright and adjust the seat as far
back as possible while a llowing full control of the
vehicle.
•When sitting in the front passenger’s seat, adjust
the seat as far back as possible.
Wear the shoulder belt
across the chest avoiding
the abdomen.
Wear the lap part of the
belt as low as possible
across the hips.