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SAFETY
SAFETY
Child Safety
Each year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they
are either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, vehicle collisions are
the number one cause of death of children ages 12 and under.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada
recommend that all children ages 12 and under be properly restrained in a
rear seat. Some states, provinces, and territories have laws restricting where
children may ride.
To reduce the number of child deaths and injuries, every state and Canadian
province and territory requires that infants and children be properly restrained
when they ride in a vehicle.
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Protecting Child Passengers
• An inflating front or side airbag can injure or kill a child sitting in the front
seat.
• A child in the front seat is more likely to interfere with the driver’s ability
to safely control the vehicle.
• Statistics show that children of all sizes and ages are safer when they
are properly restrained in a rear seat.
• Any child who is too small to wear a seat belt correctly must be
restrained in an approved child seat that is properly secured to the
vehicle using either the lap belt portion of the lap/shoulder belt or the
lower anchors of the LATCH system.
• Never put a seat belt over yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt
would likely press deep into the child and cause serious or fatal injuries.
• Never let two children use the same seat belt. Both children could be
very seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not allow children to operate the doors, windows, or seat adjusters.
• Do not leave children in the vehicle unattended, especially in hot
weather when the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough to kill
them. They could also activate vehicle controls, causing it to move
unexpectedly.
Children who are unrestrained or improperly restrained can be seriously
injured or killed in a crash.
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, using a
booster seat if necessary.
WARNING
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or wrap one around their neck can
result in serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat belt and make sure any unused
seat belt a child can reach is buckled, fully retracted, and locked.
WARNING
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Protecting Infants
An infant must be properly restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat
until the infant reaches the seat manufacturer’s weight or height limit for the
seat and the infant is at least one year old. Many experts recommend use
of a rear-facing seat for a child up to two years old if the child’s height and
weight are appropriate for a rear-facing seat.
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Airbag Care
You do not need to, and should not, perform any maintenance on or replace
any airbag system components yourself. However, you should have your
vehicle inspected by a dealer in the following situations:
When the airbags have deployed
If an airbag has inflated, the control unit and other related parts must
be replaced. Similarly, once an automatic seat belt tensioner has been
activated, it must be replaced.
When the vehicle has been in a moderate-to-severe collision
Even if the airbags did not inflate, have your dealer inspect the following:
the driver’s seat position sensor, weight sensors in the passenger’s seat,
front seat belt tensioners, and each seat belt that was worn during the
crash.
Do not remove or modify a front seat without first consulting a dealer
This would likely disable the driver’s seat position sensor or the weight
sensors in the passenger’s seat. If it is necessary to remove or modify a
front seat to accommodate a person with disabilities, contact a Honda
dealer. For U.S. vehicles, call Honda Automobile Customer Service at (800)
999-1009. For Canadian vehicles, call Honda Canada Customer Relations at
(888) 946-6329.
