2012 HONDA ACCORD Page 74

µµ
µ
If you have children, or ever need to
drive with a child in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section. It begins
with important general guidelines,
then presents special inf ormation f or
infants, small children, and larger
children.Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, traf f ic
collisions are the number one cause
of death of children age 12 and
under.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state,
Canadian province and territory
requires that inf ants and children be
properlyrestrainedwhentheyridein
a vehicle.
(see pages ). (see pages ).
Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many adults do not know
how to protect child
passengers.
40 4849 52
properly
All Children Must Be Restrained
Inf ant s and small children must be
rest rained in an approved child seat t hat is properly secured t o t hevehicle Larger children must be restrained
wit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride on
a boost er seat unt il t he seat belt f it st hem properly
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
35
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in acrash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt and
use a booster seat if necessary.
Main MenuTable of Contents

µ
Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision. To do this,
the passenger’s f ront airbag is quite
large, and it can inflate with enough
f orce to cause very serious injuries.If the vehicle seat is
too far forward, or the child’s head is
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough f orce to kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
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 f or important
inf ormation about protecting larger
children).
According to crash statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in a
back seat.
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
inf lating f ront airbag when they ride
in the back.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
aged 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat. Some
states have laws restricting where
children may ride.
Even though your vehicle has an
advanced front airbag system that
automatically turns the passenger’s
f ront airbag of f under certain
circumstances (see page ), please
f ollow these guidelines:
If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant. 32
49
Small ChildrenPlacing a f orward-f acing child seat in
t he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag can be hazardous.
Larger ChildrenChildren who have outgrown child seat s are also at risk of being injured
or killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag.
Never put a rear-f acing child seat in t he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag.
Inf ant sAll Children Should Sit in a Back
Seat
The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Can Pose Serious Risks
Protecting Children General Guidelines
36
Main MenuTable of Contents

µ
Many parents say they pref er to put
an inf ant or a small child in the f ront
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires
attention.
Placing a child in the f ront seat
exposes the child to hazards in a
f rontal collision, and paying close
attention to a child distracts the
driver from the important tasks of
driving, placing both of you at risk.
Your vehicle has a back seat 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 f ront
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear the lap/shoulder
belt properly (see page ).
If a child requires close physical
attention or f requent visual
contact, we strongly recommend
that another adult ride with the
child in a back seat. The back seat
is f ar saf er f or a child than the
front. If you are not wearing a
seat belt in a crash, you could be
thrown f orward and crush the
child against the dashboard or a
seat-back. If you are wearing a
seat belt, the child can be torn
f rom your arms and be seriously
hurt or killed.
During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see pages
and ).
Have the child sit upright and well
backintheseat(seepage ).
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page ). 15
14 49
94 95 If a Child Requires Close
Attention
If You Must Drive with Several
Children Additional Saf ety Precautions
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap.
Never put a seat belt over yourselfand a child.
Never let two children use thesame seat belt .
38
Main MenuTable of Contents

µ
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch, and open the trunk, which
can lead to accidental injury or
death.
Children
who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles. Know how to
operate the emergency trunk
opener and decide if your children
should be shown how to use this
feature(seepage ).
For example, infants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die f rom heatstroke. A
child lef t alone with the key in the
ignition switch can accidentally set
the vehicle in motion, possibly
injuring themselves or others.
Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states, Canadian provinces and
territories, and can be very
hazardous.
If a child wraps a loose
seat belt around their neck, they
can be seriously or f atally injured.
(See pages and f or how to
activate and deactivate the
lockable retractor.)
This can prevent
children f rom accidentally f alling
out (see page ). 46 47
88
93
Protecting Children General Guidelines
K eep vehicle keys/remot etransmitters out of the reach of
children.
L ock all doors and t he t runk when your vehicle is not in use.
Do not leave children alone in a
vehicle.
Make sure any unused seat belt
t hat a child can reach is buckled, the lockable retractor is activated,
and the belt is f ully retracted andlocked.
Use t he childproof door locks t oprevent children f rom opening t he rear doors.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
39
Main MenuTable of Contents

CONT INUED
Many states, Canadian provinces and
territories allow a child one year of
age or older who also meets the
minimum size and weight
requirements to transition f rom a
rear-facing child seat to a forward
f acing seat. Know the requirements
where you are driving and f ollow the
child seat instructions. Many experts
recommend use of a rear-f acing seat
up to age two, if the child’s heightand weight are appropriate f or a
rear-facing seat.
Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
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.
We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the front.
If the vehicle seat is too
f ar f orward, or the child’s head is
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inf lating airbag can strike the child
with enough force to cause very
serious or f atal injuries.
Even with advanced front airbags
that automatically turn the
passenger’s f ront airbag of f (see
page ), a back seat is the saf est
place f or a small child. 32
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Protecting Small Children
Child Seat T ype Child Seat Placement
Placing a f orward-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwith a passenger’s airbag can be hazardous.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
41
Main MenuTable of Contents

Af ter selecting a proper child seat
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat: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 f or CHildren) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verif y that it is secure.
A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as f irmly 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
ef f ectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured.
Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
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 f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A f orward-f acing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same f or rear-
f acing child seats.
Make sure the child seat meets the
f ollowing three requirements:
The child seat is the correct type
and size f or the child.
The child seat is the correct type
f or the seating position.
The child seat is compliant with
Federal Motor Vehicle Saf ety
Standard 213 or Canadian Motor
Vehicle Saf ety Standard 213. Installing a Child Seat
Important considerations when
selecting a child seat
Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured. Secure the child in the child seat.
1.
2. 3.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
43
Main MenuTable of Contents

Whatever type you have, f ollow
the child seat maker’s instructions
f or adjusting or tightening the f it.Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verif y that it is secure.
Other LATCH-compatible seats
have a f lexible-type connector as
shown above. Lif t the head restraint (see page
), then route the tether strap
through the legs of the head
restraint and over the seat-back,
making sure the strap is not
twisted.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.
Open the anchor cover.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
97
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
45
ANCHOR
Flexible type ANCHOR
COVER
TETHER STRAP HOOK
Main MenuTable of Contents

A child seat with a tether can be
installed in any seating position in
the back seat, using one of the
anchorage points shown above.
Since a tether can provide additional
security to the lap/shoulder belt
installation, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available.Af ter properly securing the child
seat (see page ), lif t the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap through the head restraint
legs.
Tighten the strap according to the
seat maker’s instructions.
Lift the anchor cover, then attach
the tether strap hook to the
anchor, making sure the strap is
not twisted.
1. 2.
3.
46
Installing a Child Seat with a
Tether
Installing a Child Seat
Using an A nchor
48
ANCHOR
ANCHOR
TETHER STRAP HOOK
TETHER STRAP HOOK
Center Position
Outer Position
TETHER ANCHORAGE P
OINTS
Main MenuTable of Contents