2019 Acura RDX Owner's Manual

uuSeat Belts uFastening a Seat Belt
40
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 possi ble 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 inju ries to both you and your
unborn child that can be caus ed by an inflating front
airbag:
•When driving, sit upright a nd 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.
19 ACURA RDX-31TJB6000.book 40 ページ ２０１８年４月２６日　木曜日　午後４時５１分

41
uuSeat Belts uSeat 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 latch plates and buckle s work smoothly and the belts retract
easily.
u If a belt does not retract easily, cleanin g 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.1 Seat 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.
19 ACURA RDX-31TJB6000.book 41 ページ ２０１８年４月２６日　木曜日　午後４時５１分

42
Safe Driving
Airbags
Airbag System Components
6
7
8
9
10
9
9
9
6
9911
12
19 ACURA RDX-31TJB6000.book 42 ページ ２０１８年４月２６日　木曜日　午後４時５１分

43
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Continued
Safe Driving
The front, driver’s kn ee, front passenger’s
knee, front side, and si de curtain airbags are
deployed according to the direction and
severity of impact. Both side curtain airbags
are deployed in a rollover. 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.
bThe driver’s knee airbag and passenger’s
knee airbag are stored under the steering
column and the glov e box respectively.
Both are marked SRS AIRBAG.
cTwo 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.
dTwo side curtain ai rbags, one for each
side of the vehicle. The airbags are stored
in the ceiling, abov e the side windows.
The front and rear pillars are marked
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG.
eAn electronic control unit that, when the
vehicle is on, continually monitors
information about the various impact
sensors, seat and buckle sensors, rollover
sensor, airbag activators, seat belt
tensioners, seat weight sensor, seat
position sensor, passenger airbag OFF
indicator, and other vehicle information.
During a crash event the unit can record
such information.
fAutomatic front seat belt tensioners. In
addition, the driver’s and front
passenger’s seat belt buckles incorporate
sensors that detect whether or not the
belts are fastened.
gA driver’s seat position sensor. This
sensor determines the optimal force at
which the airbag will deploy in a crash.
hWeight sensors in the front passenger’s
seat. The front passenger’s airbag will be
turned off if the weight on the seat is
approximately 65 lbs (29 kg) or less (the
weight of an infant or small child).
iImpact sensors that can detect a
moderate-to-severe front or side impact.
jAn indicator on the center console panel
that alerts you that the front passenger’s
front airbag has been turned off.
kAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
lA rollover sensor that can detect if your
vehicle is about to ro ll over and signal the
control unit to deploy both side curtain
airbags.
19 ACURA RDX-31TJB6000.book 43 ページ ２０１８年４月２６日　木曜日　午後４時５１分

uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
44
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 burns, bruises,
and other 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 possi ble 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 in juries if your front airbag inflates.
Do not attach or place objects on the front, driver’s knee and front
passenger’s knee 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 Airbags1 Important Facts About Your Airbags
Do not attempt to deactivate your airbags. Together,
airbags and seat belts pr ovide the best protection.
When driving, keep hands and arms out of the
deployment path of the fro nt airbag by holding each
side of the steering wheel. Do not cross an arm over
the airbag cover.
19 ACURA RDX-31TJB6000.book 44 ページ ２０１８年４月２６日　木曜日　午後４時５１分

45
uuAirbags uTypes of Airbags
Continued
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped with four types of airbags:
• Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats.
• Knee airbags: Airbags under the steering column and under the glove box.
• 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) indica tes 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 pass enger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.
■Housing Locations
1Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the power mode is
in ON.
After an airbag inflates in a crash, you may see a
small amount of smoke. This is from the combustion
process of the infl ator material and is not harmful.
People with respiratory pr oblems may experience
some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
1 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, dependi ng on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the se at 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.
19 ACURA RDX-31TJB6000.book 45 ページ ２０１８年４月２６日　木曜日　午後４時５１分

uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
46
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 depl oyed until they see them lying in front of them.
■Operation
■How the Front Airbags Work1How the Front Airbags Work
Although the driver’s and fr ont passenger’s airbags
normally inflate within a spli t 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 protec tion, and the supplemental
protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.
19 ACURA RDX-31TJB6000.book 46 ページ ２０１８年４月２６日　木曜日　午後４時５１分

47
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Continued
Safe Driving
■When front airbags should not deploy
Minor frontal crashes: Front airbags were designed to supplement seat belts and
help save lives, not to prevent minor scrape s, or even broken bones that might occur
during a less than moderate-to-severe frontal crash.
Side impacts: Front airbags can provide protecti on when a sudden deceleration
causes a driver or front passenger to move toward the front of the vehicle. Side
airbags and side curtain airbags have been specifically designed to help reduce the
severity of injuries that can occur during a moderate-to-severe side impact which
can cause the driver or passenger to move toward the side of the vehicle.
Rear impacts: Head restraints and seat belts ar e your best protection during a rear
impact. Front airbags cannot provide any significant protection and are not designed
to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers: In a rollover, your best form of protection is a seat belt or, if your vehicle
is equipped with a rollover sensor, both a seat belt and a side curtain airbag. Front
airbags, however, are not designed to depl oy in a rollover as they would provide
little if any protection.
■When front airbags deploy with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden deceleration, a strong impact to the
vehicle framework or suspension might cause one or more of the airbags to deploy.
Examples include running into a curb, the edge of a hole, or other low fixed object
that causes a sudden deceleration in th e vehicle chassis. Since the impact is
underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent.
■When front airbags may not deploy , even though exterior damage
appears severe
Since crushable body parts absorb crash energy during an impact, the amount of
visible damage does not always indicate proper airbag operation. In fact, some
collisions can result in severe damage but no airbag deployment because the airbags
would not have been needed or would not have provided protection even if they
had deployed.
19 ACURA RDX-31TJB6000.book 47 ページ ２０１８年４月２６日　木曜日　午後４時５１分