2012 HONDA CIVIC Owners Manual

uuSeat BeltsuFastening a Seat Belt
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Safe Driving
3. Position the lap part of the belt as low as
possible across your hips, then pull up on
the shoulder part of the belt so the lap part
fits snugly. This lets your strong pelvic
bones take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.
4. If necessary, pull up on the belt again to
remove any slack, then check that the belt
rests across the center of your chest and
over your shoulder. This spreads the forces
of a crash over the strongest bones in your
upper body.
The front seats have adjustable shoulder anchors to accommodate taller and shorter
occupants. 1.Move the anchor up and down while holding the release button.
2. Position the anchor so that the belt rests
across the center of your chest and over
your shoulder.1Fastening a Seat Belt
To release the belt, push the red PRESS button then
guide the belt by hand until it has retracted completely.
When exiting the vehicle, be sure the belt is out of
the way and will not get caught by closing the door.
3WARNING
Improperly positioning the seat belts can
cause serious injury or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are properly
positioned before driving.Lap belt as low as
possible
■Adjusting the Shoulder Anchor1Adjusting the Shoulder Anchor
The shoulder anchor height can be adjusted to four
levels. If the belt contacts your neck, lower the height
one level at a time.
After an adjustment, make sure that the shoulder
anchor position is secure.
Push

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uuSeat BeltsuFastening 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 wear a seat belt and keep the lap part of the
belt as low as possible across the hips.
■Advice for Pregnant Women1Advice 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.

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uuSeat BeltsuSeat Belt Inspection
Safe Driving
Seat Belt Inspection
Regularly check the condition of your seat belts as follows: •Pull each belt out fully, and look for frays, cuts, burns, and wear.
• Check that the latches work smoothly and the belts retract easily.
uIf a belt does not retract easily, cleaning the belt may correct the problem. Only
use a mild soap and warm water. Do not use bleach or cleaning solvents. Make
sure the belt is completely dry before allowing it to retract.
Any belt that is not in good condition or working properly will not provide proper
protection and should be replaced as soon as possible.
A belt that has been worn during a crash may not provide the same level of
protection in a subsequent crash. Have your seat belts inspected by a dealer after
any collision.
1Seat Belt Inspection
3WARNING
Not checking or maintaining seat belts can
result in serious injury or death if the seat
belts do not work properly when needed.
Check your seat belts regularly and have
any problem corrected as soon as possible.

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Continued
Safe Driving
Airbags
Airbag System Components

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uuAirbagsuAirbag 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:
aTwo 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."
bTwo 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."
cTwo 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."
dAn electronic control unit 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.
eAutomatic front seat belt tensioners. The
driver's and front passenger's seat belts
incorporate sensors that detect whether
or not they are fastened.
fA driver's seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force.
gWeight 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).
hImpact sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe front or side collision.
iAn indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the front passenger's front
airbag has been turned off.
jSensors that can detect if a child or small
statured adult is in the deployment path
of the front passenger's side airbag.
kAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
lAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you that the front passenger's side
airbag has been turned off.

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uuAirbagsuAirbag System Components
Safe DrivingAirbags 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 airbags1Important 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.

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uuAirbagsuTypes of Airbags
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped with three types of airbags: •Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver's and front passenger's seats.
• Side airbags: Airbags in the driver's and front passenger's seat-backs.
• Side curtain airbags: Airbags above the side windows.
Each is discussed in the following pages.
Front Airbags (SRS)
The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate to severe frontal collision to help protect
the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indicates that the airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. Seat belts are the occupant's primary restraint system.
The front airbags are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and
in the dashboard for the front passenger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.
■Housing Locations
1Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the ignition switch
is in ON
(w .
1Front Airbags (SRS)
Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags (SRS)
Your vehicle is equipped with dual-stage, multiple-
threshold front airbags (SRS).
During a frontal crash severe enough to cause one or
both front airbags to deploy, the airbags can inflate
at different rates, depending on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the seat belts are latched, and/
or other factors. Frontal airbags are designed to
supplement the seat belts to help reduce the
likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal crashes.

Continued39
uuAirbagsuFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingFront airbags are designed to inflate during moderate-to-severe frontal collisions.
When the vehicle decelerates suddenly, the sensors send information to the control
unit which signals one or both front airbags to inflate.
A frontal collision can be either head-on or angled between two vehicles, or when a
vehicle crashes into a stationary object, such as a concrete wall.
While your seat belt restrains your torso, the
front airbag provides supplemental protection
for your head and chest.
The front airbags deflate immediately so that
they won't interfere with the driver's visibility
or the ability to steer or operate other
controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation is so fast that most occupants are not
aware that the airbags deployed until they see them lying in front of them.
■Operation
■How the Front Airbags Work1How the Front Airbags Work
After a front airbag inflates in a crash, you may see
what looks like smoke. This is actually powder from
the airbag's surface. Although the powder is not
harmful, people with respiratory problems may
experience some temporary discomfort. If this occurs,
get out of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
Although the driver's and front passenger's airbags
normally inflate within a split second of each other, it
is possible for only one airbag to deploy. This can
happen if the severity of a collision is at the margin,
or threshold, that determines whether or not the
airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will
provide sufficient protection, and the supplemental
protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.