2012 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID airbag

30
uuFor Safe Driving uYour Vehicle's Safety Features
Safe Driving
Your Vehicle's Safety FeaturesThe 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 zones, a co llapsible 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 are not used properly.
Safety Cage
Crush Zones
Seats and Seat-Backs
Head Restraints
Collapsible Steering Column
Seat Belts
Front Airbags
Side Airbags
Side Curtain Airbags
Door Locks
Seat Belt Tensioners
Occupant Position Detection
System (OPDS) Sensor6789101112
6
9
12
10
11
7
8
7
108
9

31
uuFor Safe Driving uYour Vehicle's Safety Features
Safe Driving
For 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 are closed and locked.
Locking the doors helps prevent an occupant from being ejected and an outsider
from unexpectedly opening a door.
2 Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Inside P. 107
•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. 126
•Adjust head restraints to the proper position. Head restraints 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.
2 Adjusting the Head Restraints P. 128
•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. 35
•Protect children by using seat belts or child seats according to a child's age, height
and weight.
2 Child Safety P. 54
■
Safety Checklist
1Safety Checklist
If the door open indicator is on, a door is not
completely closed. Close all doors tightly until the
indicator goes off.
2 Door Open Indicator P. 74

32Safe Driving
Seat BeltsAbout Your Seat BeltsSeat belts are the single most effective safety device because they keep you
connected to the vehicle so that you can 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 crash so that you can take full
advantage of the additional protection 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 with lap/shoulder seat belts with emergency
locking retractors. In normal driving the retractor lets you move freely while keeping
some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop the retractor locks to
restrain your body. The rear seat belts also have a lockable retractor for use with
child seats.2 Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt P. 61
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.
3
WARNING
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
34Safe Driving
The front seats are equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners to enhance safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten the front seat belts during a moderate-to-
severe frontal collision, sometimes even if the collision is not severe enough to
inflate the front airbags.■
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
1Automatic 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.

37
uuSeat Belts uFastening a Seat Belt
Safe Driving
If you are pregnant, the best way to protect yourself and your unborn child when
driving or riding in a vehicle is to always wear a seat belt and keep the lap part of the
belt as low as possible across the hips.■
Advice for Pregnant Women
1Advice 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 allowing 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.

39
Continued
Safe Driving
AirbagsAirbag System Components

40
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, front side, and side curtain
airbags are deployed according to the
direction and severity of impact. The airbag
system includes:a
Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
front airbags. The driver's airbag is stored
in the center of the steering wheel; the
front passenger's airbag is stored in the
dashboard. Both are marked "SRS
AIRBAG."
b
Two side airbags, one for the driver and
one for a front passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked "SIDE AIRBAG."
c
Two side curtain airbags, one for each
side of the vehicle. The airbags are stored
in the ceiling, above the side windows.
The front and rear pillars are marked
"SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG."
d
An electronic control uni t that continually
monitors and records information about
the sensors, the airbag activators, the
seat belt tensioners, and driver and front
passenger seat belt use when the ignition
switch is in ON
(w
.
e
Automatic front seat belt tensioners. The
driver's and front passenger's seat belts
incorporate sensors that detect whether
or not they are fastened.
f
A driver's seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force.
g
Weight sensors in the front passenger's
seat. The front passenger's airbag will be
turned off if the weight on the seat is 65
lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight of an infant
or small child).
h
Impact sensors that can detect a
moderate-to-severe front or side
collision.
i
An indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the front passenger's front
airbag has been turned off.
j
Sensors that can detect if a child or small
statured adult is in the deployment path
of the front passenger's side airbag.
k
An indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
l
An indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you that the front passenger's side
airbag has been turned off.

41
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
Airbags can pose serious hazards. To do their job, airbags must inflate with
tremendous force. So, while airbags help save lives, they can cause minor injuries,
sometimes even fatal ones if occupants are not wearing their seat belts properly and
sitting correctly.
What you should do: Always wear your seat belt properly, and sit upright and as
far back from the steering wheel as possible while allowing full control of the
vehicle. A front passenger should move their seat as far back from the dashboard as
possible.
Remember, however, that no safety system can prevent all injuries or deaths that
can occur in a severe crash, even when seat belts are properly worn and the airbags
deploy.
Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a front airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp
object in your mouth, can result in injuries if your front airbag inflates.
Do not attach or place objects on the front airbag covers. Objects on the
covers marked ”SRS AIRBAG” could interfere with the proper operation of the
airbags or be propelled inside the vehicle and hurt someone if the airbags inflate.■
Important Facts About Your Airbags
1 Important Facts About Your Airbags
Do not attempt to deactivate your airbags. Together,
airbags and seat belts provide the best protection.
When driving, keep hands and arms out of the
deployment path of the front airbag by holding each
side of the steering wheel. Do not cross an arm over
the airbag cover.