2014 Acura MDX Owner's Manual

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25
Safe Driving
You can find many safety recommendations throughout this chapter, and throughout this manual.
For Safe Driving
Important Safety Precautions.............. 26
Important Handling Information ......... 28
Your Vehicle’s Safety Features ............ 29
Seat Belts
About Your Seat Belts ........................ 31
Fastening a Seat Belt .......................... 34
Seat Belt Inspection ............................ 38Airbags
Airbag System Components ............... 39
Types of Airbags ................................ 42
Front Airbags (SRS) ............................ 42
Driver’s Knee Airbag .......................... 46
Side Airbags....................................... 48
Side Curtain Airbags .......................... 50
Airbag System Indicators .................... 51
Airbag Care ....................................... 53Child Safety
Protecting Child Passengers ............... 54
Safety of Infants and Small Children .. 56
Safety of Larger Children ................... 64
Exhaust Gas Hazard
Carbon Monoxide Gas ....................... 66
Safety Labels
Label Locations .................................. 67

26Safe Driving
For Safe DrivingThe 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 passengers always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly.■Restrain all children
Children ages 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 cause serious or fatal injuries to occupants
who sit too close to them, or are not properly 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 drink 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.
1Important Safety Precautions
Some states, provinces and territories prohibit the use
of cell phones other than hands-free devices by the
driver while driving.

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uuFor Safe DrivinguImportant Safety Precautions
Safe Driving
■Pay appropriate attention to the task of driving safely
Engaging in cell phone conversation or other activities that keep you from paying
close attention to the road, other vehicles, and pedestrians could lead to a crash.
Remember, situations can change quickly, and only you can decide when it is safe to
divert some attention away from driving.■Control your speed
Excessive speed is a major factor 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 current 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.

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uuFor Safe DrivinguImportant Handling Information
Safe Driving
Important Handling InformationYour 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 bumps, obstacles, and rough terrain. It also
provides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier.
These advantages come at some 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. Utility vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a reminder,
make sure you and your passengers always wear seat belts.
1Important Handling Information
For information on how to reduce the risk of rollover,
read:
2Driving Guidelines for Your Utility Vehicle
P. 327
2Off-Highway Driving Guidelines P. 320
Failure to operate your vehicle correctly might result
in a crash or a rollover.

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uuFor Safe DrivinguYour Vehicle’s Safety Features
Continued
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 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 are not used properly.
67891012Safety Cage
Crush Zones
Seats and Seat-Backs
Head Restraints
Collapsible Steering Column
Seat Belts
Front Airbags
Side Curtain Airbags
Door Locks Side Airbags11Seat Belt Tensioners/Seat Belt
e-pretensioners
*
67
89
9
10
11
11
12
7
Knee Airbag
10
* Not available on all models

uuFor Safe DrivinguYour Vehicle’s Safety Features
30Safe 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 and the tailgate are
closed and locked. Locking the doors and the tailgate helps prevent an occupant
from being ejected and an outsider from unexpectedly opening a door or the
tailgate.
2Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Inside P. 124
•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.
2Adjusting the Seats P. 161
•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.
2Adjusting the Head Restraints P. 164
•Always wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly. Confirm that any
passengers are properly belted as well.
2Fastening a Seat Belt P. 34
•Protect children by using seat belts or child seats according to a child’s age, height
and weight.
2Child Safety P. 54
■Safety Checklist
1Safety Checklist
If the door and/or tailgate open message appears on
the multi-information display (MID), a door and/or
the tailgate is not completely closed. Close all doors
and the tailgate tightly until the message disappears.

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Continued
Safe 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 seven 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 front passenger’s, second row and third
row seat belts also have a lockable retractor for use with child seats.2Installing 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.