HONDA Element 2003 Owner's Manual
2003 Element Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... i
A Few Words About Safety.................................................................................................................ii
Important Handling Information.....................................................................................................iii
Your Vehicle at a Glance.....................................................................................................................2
Driver and Passenger Safety ..............................................................................................................5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls.................................................................................................................63
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ..............................................................................................117
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving..................................................................................................................................157
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ..............................................................................................................................................171
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance.....................................................................................................................................207
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care..............................................................................................................................267
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected......................................................................................................275
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information.....................................................................................................................303
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................319
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)......................................................................................................323
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index...................................................................................................................................................... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.
Contents
Owner’s Identification
Main Menu
OWNER
ADDRESS
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
V. I. N.
DELIVERY DATE
(Date sold to original retail purchaser)
DEALER NAME DEALER NO.
ADDRESS
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
OWNER’S SIGNATURE
DEALER’S SIGNATURE
POSTAL CODE
POSTAL CODE
This Owner’s Manual should be considered
a permanent part of the vehicle, and should
remain with the vehicle when it is sold.
This Owner’s Manual covers all models of
the Element. Y ou may find descriptions of
equipment and features that are not on your
particular model.
The inf ormation and specifications included
in this publication were in effect at the time
of approval for printing. Honda Motor Co.,
Ltd. reserves the right, however, to
discontinue or change specif ications or
design at any time without notice and
without incurring any obligation whatsoever.
Introduction
Main Menu
Congratulations! Your selection of a 2003 Honda Element was a wise
investment. It will give you years of driving pleasure.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Honda is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Afterwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
Several warranties protect your new Honda. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the schedules given in this manual
helps to keep your driving trouble-free while it preserves your investment.
When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Honda
dealer’s staff is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to
your Honda. Your Honda dealer is dedicated to your satisfaction and will be
pleased to answer any questions and concerns.
California Proposition 65 Warning
WARNING:
California to cause cancer and birth def ects or other reproductive harm.
This product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of
As you read this manual, you will
find inf ormation that is preceded by
a symbol. This
information is intended to help you
avoid damage to your Honda, other
property, or the environment.
i
AFewWordsAboutSafety
Main Menu
Your safety, and the safety of others,
is very important. And operating this
vehicle safely is an important
responsibility.
To help you make informed
decisions about safety, we have
provided operating procedures and
other information on labels and in
this manual. This information alerts
you to potential hazards that could
hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or
maintaining your vehicle. You must
use your own good judgement.
ii
You will f ind this important safety information in a variety of forms,
including:
Safety Labels
Safety Messages
three signal words: , , or .
These signal words mean:
Safety Headings
Safety Precautions.
Safety Section
Instructions
This entire book is filled with important safety information please read it
carefully.
−
on the vehicle.
−
preceded by a safety alert symbol and one of
DANGER WARNING CAUTION
You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don’t follow
instructions.
−
such as Important Safety Reminders or Important
−
such as Driver and Passenger Safety.
−
how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
−
Important Handling Information
Main Menu
Your Element 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 of f the ground, it has a high
center of gravity. This means your vehicle can tip 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.
For information on how to reduce the risk of rollover, read ‘‘Driving Guidelines’’ on page of this manual and the
Off-Highway Guidelines
accident.
section on page . Failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an
200
172
iii
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Main Menu
POWER DOOR
LOCK SWITCH
(P.87)
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
(P.103)
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE
(P.160)
A/T model is shown.
2
MIRROR CONTROLS
(P.106)
INDICATORS (P.65)
GAUGES
(P.72)
AUDIO SYSTEM
(P.126, 137)
HEATING/COOLING
CONTROLS
(P.118)
PARKING BRAKE
(P.111)
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Main Menu
HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS
(P.76, 77)
CRUISE CONTROL
(P.153)
A/T model is shown.
＊＊To use the horn, press the center pad of the steering wheel.:
TILT ADJUSTMENT
(P.82)
HORN
WINDSHIELD
WIPERS/WASHERS
(P.78, 79)
SHIFT LEVER
(P.176, 179)
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
(P.81)
HAZARD WARNING
LIGHTS
(P.81)
3
4
Main Menu
Driver and Passenger Safety
Main Menu
This section gives you important
information about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supplemental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain infants
and children in your vehicle.
.......................................Seat Belts . 8
.........................................Airbags . 10
.....................Seats & Seat-Backs . 11
..........................Head Restraints . 11
..................................Door Locks . 11
............................Protecting Adults . 13
.........Important Safety Precautions . 6
.......Your Vehicle’s Safety Features . 7
........Pre-Drive Safety Checklist . 12
.....1. Close and Lock the Doors . 13
...........2. Adjust the Front Seats . 13
............3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 15
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................Belts . 17
....6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 20
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
................................Position . 20
.....Advice for Pregnant Women . 21
........................Protecting Children . 24
All Children Must Be
...............................Restrained . 24
Children Should Sit in the Back
...........................................Seat . 25
The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Poses Serious Risks to
..............................Children . 25
If You Must Drive with Several
...................................Children . 28
If a Child Requires Close
..................................Attention . 28
General Guidelines for Using
...............................Child Seats . 29
.......................Protecting Infants . 34
...4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 16
...Additional Safety Precautions . 22
...Additional Safety Precautions . 29
.........Protecting Small Children . 38
.......Protecting Larger Children . 42
Using Child Seats with
.....................................Tethers . 46
.............................Using LATCH . 47
Additional Information About Your
.................................Seat Belts . 50
..Seat Belt System Components . 50
......................Lap/Shoulder Belt . 50
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................Tensioners . 52
...............Seat Belt Maintenance . 53
Additional Information About Your
.....................................Airbags . 54
........................SRS Components . 54
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................Work . 54
...How Your Side Airbags Work . 56
How the SRS Indicator Light
.......................................Works . 57
How the Side Airbag Cutoff
...........Indicator Light Works . 58
.............................Airbag Service . 59
...Additional Safety Precautions . 59
.............Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 60
...................................Safety Labels . 61
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
5
Important Safety Precautions
Main Menu
Table of Contents
You’ll find many safety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
moderate to severe frontal collision.
So even though your vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly. (See page .)
17
Restrain All Children
Children are safest when they are
properly restrained in the back seat,
notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo
smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly
restrained in a child safety seat. (See
page .)
24
6
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed
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 f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page
.)
10
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents 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
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 f riends
drink and drive, either.
Condition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page .)
210
Your Vehicle’s Safety Features
Main Menu
Table of Contents
(7)
(5)
(10)
(3)
(4)
(2)
(6)
(9)
(8)
(1) Safety Cage
(2) Crush Zones
(3) Seats & Seat-Backs
(4) Head Restraints
(5) Collapsible Steering Column
(6) Seat Belts
(7) Front Airbags
(8) Side Airbags (EX model)
(9) Front Seat Belt Tensioners
(10) Door Locks
(1)
(2)
Your vehicle is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers
during a crash.
Some safety features do not require
anyactiononyourpart.These
include a strong steel framework
that forms a safety cage around the
passenger compartment; front and
rear crush zones that are designed to
crumple and absorb energy during a
crash; a collapsible steering column;
and seat belt tensioners that
automatically tighten the front seat
belts in the event of a crash.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
7
Your Vehicle’s Safety Features
Main Menu
Table of Contents
These safety features are designed
to reduce the severity of injuries in a
crash. However, you and your
passengers can’t take full advantage
of these safety features unless you
remain sitting in a proper position
always wear your seat belts
and
properly.
In fact, some safety
features can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.
8
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Seat Belts
Foryoursafety,andthesafetyof
your passengers, your vehicle is
equipped with seat belts in all seating
positions.
Your seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to fasten your seat
belts.
Why Wear Seat Belts
Seat belts are the single most
effective safety device for adults and
larger children. (Infants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
Your Vehicle’s Safety Features
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
if you have airbags.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.
When properly worn, seat belts:
Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in safety features.
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including side and
rear impacts and rollovers. In a
rollover crash, an unbelted person
is more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt.
Help keep you from being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.
Keep you from being thrown out
of the vehicle.
Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of
injury from an inflating airbag, and
allows you to get the best
advantage from the airbag.
Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every
crash.Butinmostcases,seatbelts
can reduce your risk of serious
injury.
What you should do:
Always wear
your seat belt, and make sure you
wear it properly.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
9
Your Vehicle’s Safety Features
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Airbags
Your vehicle has a Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) with front
airbags to help protect the heads and
chests of the driver and a front seat
passenger during a moderate to
severe f rontal collision.
10
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Only on models equipped with side
airbags
Your vehicle also has side airbags to
help protect the upper torso of the
driver or a front seat passenger
during a moderate to severe side
impact.
The most important things you need
to know about your airbags are:
Airbags do not replace seat belts.
They are designed to supplement
the seat belts.
Airbags of f er no protection in rear
impacts, rollovers, or minor
frontal or side collisions.
Airbags can pose serious hazards.
To do their job, airbags must
inflate with tremendous force and
speed. So while airbags help save
lives, they can cause minor injuries,
or more serious or even fatal
injuries if occupants are not
properly restrained or sitting
properly.
What you should do:
Always wear
your seat belt properly, and sit
upright and as far back as possible
from the steering wheel or
dashboard.
Your Vehicle’s Safety Features
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Seats & Seat-Backs
Your vehicle’s seats are designed to
keep you in a comfortable, upright
position so you can take full
advantage of the protection offered
by seat belts and the energy
absorbing materials in the seats.
How you adjust your seats and seatbacks can also affect your safety. For
example, sitting too close to the
steering wheel or dashboard
increases the risk of you or your
passenger being injured by striking
theinsideofthevehicle,orbyan
inflating airbag.
Reclining a seat-back too f ar reduces
the seat belt’s effectiveness and
increases the chance that the seat’s
occupant will slide under the seat
belt in a crash and be seriously
injured.
What you should do:
Move the front
seats as far back as possible, and
keep adjustable seat-backs in an
upright position whenever the
vehicle is moving.
Head Restraints
Head restraints can help protect you
from whiplash and other injuries. For
maximum protection, the back of
your head should rest against the
center of the head restraint.
Door Locks
Keeping your doors locked reduces
thechanceofbeingthrownoutof
the vehicle during a crash. It also
helps prevent occupants from
accidentally opening a door and
falling out, and outsiders from
unexpectedly opening your doors.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
11
Your Vehicle’s Safety Features
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist
To make sure you and your
passengers get the maximum
protection from your vehicle’s safety
features, check the following each
time before you drive away:
All adults, and children who have
outgrown child safety seats, are
wearing their seat belts and
wearingthemproperly(seepage
).
17
Any infant or small child is
properly restrained in a child seat
inthebackseat(seepage ).
Frontseatoccupantsaresitting
upright and as far back as possible
from the steering wheel and
dashboard (see page ).
Seat-backs are upright (see page
).
15
12
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
13
24
Head restraints are properly
adjusted (see page ).
16
Alldoorsandthetailgateare
closed and locked (see page ).
13
All cargo is properly stored or
secured (see page ).
167
The rest of this section gives more
detailed inf ormation about how you
can maximize your safety.
Remember, however, that no safety
system can prevent all injuries or
deaths that can occur in severe
crashes, even when seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags deploy.
Protecting Adults
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Introduction
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver and other adult
occupants.
These instructions also apply to
children who have outgrown child
seats and are large enough to wear
lap/shoulder belts. (See page for
important additional guidelines on
how to properly protect larger
children.)
Close and Lock the Doors
1.
After everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors and
tailgate (including the hatch glass)
are closed.
Your vehicle has a door
monitor light on the
instrument panel to indicate when
any door is not tightly closed.
42
Your vehicle also has a
tailgate and hatch open
indicator light on the instrument
panel to indicate when the tailgate or
the hatch is not tightly closed.
For safety, locking the doors reduces
the chance that a passenger,
especially a child, will open a door
while the vehicle is moving and
accidentally fall out. It also reduces
the chance of someone being thrown
out of the vehicle during a crash.
For security, locked doors can
prevent an outsider from
unexpectedly opening a door when
you come to a stop.
See page for how to lock the
87
doors.
Adjust the Front Seats
2.
Any driver who sits too close to the
steering wheel is at risk of being
seriously injured or killed by striking
the steering wheel or from being
struck by an inflating front airbag
during a crash.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
13
Protecting Adults
Main Menu
Table of Contents
To reduce the chance of injury, wear
your seat belt properly, sit upright
with your back against the seat, and
movetheseatawayfromthe
steering wheel to the farthest
distance that allows you to maintain
full control of the vehicle.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that drivers
adjust the seat so the center of the
chest is at least 10 inches (25 cm)
away from the center of the steering
wheel.Alsomakesureyourfront
seat passenger moves the seat as far
to the rear as possible.
14
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Sitting too close to a front
airbag can result in serious
injury or death if the front
airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the
front airbags as possible.
Most shorter drivers can get f ar
enough away from the steering
wheel and still reach the pedals.
However, if you are concerned about
sitting too close, we recommend that
you investigate whether some type
of adaptive equipment may help.
Once your seat is adjusted correctly,
rock it back and forth to make sure
the seat is locked in position.
See page for how to adjust the
92
front seats.
Protecting Adults
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Adjust the Seat-Backs3.
Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a
comfortable, upright position,
leaving ample space between your
chest and the airbag cover in the
center of the steering wheel. If you
sit too close to the steering wheel,
you could be injured if the front
airbag inflates.
A front passenger should also adjust
the seat-back to an upright position,
but as far from the dashboard as
possible. A passenger who sits too
close to the dashboard could be
injured if the front airbag inf lates.
Reclining a seat-back so that the
shoulder part of the belt no longer
rests against the occupant’s chest
reduces the protective capability of
the belt. It also increases the chance
of sliding under the belt in a crash
and being seriously injured. The
farther a seat-back is reclined, the
greater the risk of injury.
Reclining the seat-back too far
can result in seriousinjury or
death in a crash.
Adjust the seat-back to an
upright position and sit well
back in the seat.
See page for how to adjust seat-
92
backs.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
15
Protecting Adults
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Adjust the Head Restraints4.
Before driving, make sure everyone
with an adjustable head restraint has
properly positioned the head
restraint. The restraint should be
positioned so the back of the
occupant’s head rests against the
center of the restraint. A taller
person should adjust the restraint as
high as possible.
16
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Improperly positioning head
restraints reduces their
effectiveness and you can be
seriously injured in a crash.
Make sure head restraints are
in place and positioned properly
before driving.
Properly adjusted head restraints
will help protect occupants from
whiplash and other crash injuries.
See page for how to adjust the
94
head restraints.
Fasten and Position the Seat
Main Menu
Table of Contents
5.
Belts
Insert the latch plate into the buckle,
then tug on the belt to make sure the
belt is securely latched. Also check
that the belt is not twisted, because a
twisted belt can cause serious
injuries in a crash.
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.
Protecting Adults
If necessary, pull up on the shoulder
belt again to remove any slack from
the shoulder belt, 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.
Improperly positioning the seat
belts can cause serious injury
or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are
properly positioned before
driving.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
17
Protecting Adults
Main Menu
Table of Contents
If the seat belt touches or crosses
your neck, or if it crosses your arm
instead of your shoulder, you need to
adjust the seat belt anchor height.
18
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
RELEASE BUTTONS
To adjust the height of a front seat
belt anchor, squeeze the two release
buttons and slide the anchor up or
down as needed (it has four
positions).
Never place the shoulder portion of a
lap/shoulder belt under your arm or
behind your back.
This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash.
Protecting Adults
Main Menu
Table of Contents
If a seat belt does not seem to work
as it should, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.
sit in a seat with an inoperative seat
belt.
Anyone using a seat belt that is
No one should
not working properly can be
seriously injured or killed. Have your
Honda dealer check the belt as soon
as possible.
See page for additional
50
information about your seat belt
system and how to take care of your
belts.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
19
Protecting Adults
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Adjust the Steering Wheel Maintain a Proper Sitting
6. 7.
Position
After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to
sit upright, well back in their seats,
with their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
off.
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,
so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your face.
Pointing the steering wheel toward
your chest provides optimal
protection from the airbag.
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both feet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased.
In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the front seat can be
seriously or f atally injured by
striking interior parts of the vehicle,
or by being struck by an inflating
front airbag. Being struck by an
inflating side airbag can result in
possibly serious injuries.
Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on the
floor.
See page for how to adjust the
82
steering wheel.
20
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Adults
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Remember, to get the best
protection from your vehicle’s
airbags and other safety features,
you must sit properly and wear your
seat belt properly.
Advice for Pregnant Women
Because protecting the mother is the
best way to protect her unborn child,
a pregnant woman should always
wear a seat belt whenever she drives
or rides in a vehicle.
Remember to keep the lap portion of
the belt as low as possible across
your hips.
Pregnant women should also sit
upright and as far back as possible
from the steering wheel or
dashboard. This will reduce the risk
of injuries to both the mother and
her unborn child that can be caused
by a crash or an inflating airbag.
Each time you have a check-up, ask
your doctor if it’s okay for you to
drive.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
21
Protecting Adults
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Additional Safety Precautions
Never let passengers ride in the
cargo area or on top of a foldeddown back seat.
must sit in locked, upright seats
andbeproperlyrestrainedbyseat
belts.
Passengers should not stand up or
change seats while the vehicle is
moving.
A passenger who is not
wearing a seat belt during a crash
or emergency stop can be thrown
against the inside of the vehicle,
against other occupants, or out of
the vehicle.
22
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
All passengers
Two people should never use the
same seat belt.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
Do not put any accessories on seat
belts.
Devices intended to improve
occupant comf ort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt can
severely compromise the
protective capability of the seat
belt and increase the chance of
serious injury in a crash.
Do not place hard or sharp objects
between yourself and a f ront
airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp
objects on your lap, or driving with
a pipe or other sharp objects in
your mouth, can result in injuries
if your front airbag inflates.
Do not attach or place objects on
the f ront airbag covers.
Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard could
interfere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inflate, the objects could be
propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone.
On models with side airbags, do
Main Menu
Table of Contents
not attach hard objects on or near
a front door.
If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
vehicle and hurt someone.
Keep your hands and arms away
from the airbag covers.
If your
hands or arms are close to the
airbag cover in the center of the
steering wheel or on top of the
dashboard, they could be injured if
the front airbag inflates.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
23
Protecting Children
Main Menu
Table of Contents
All Children Must Be Restrained
Each year, many children are injured
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.
Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many parents and other
adults may not know how to
properly
protect young passengers. (See page
So if you have children, or if you ever
need to drive with a grandchild or
other children in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section.
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In fact, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of death of children ages 12 and
under.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
infants and children be restrained
whenever they ride in a vehicle.
Anychildwhoistoosmalltoweara
seat belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat.
.)
A larger child should always be
restrained with a seat belt, and use a
booster, if needed.
(See page .)2942
24
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Additional Precautions to Parents
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap.
If you are not wearing a
seat belt in a crash, you could be
thrown forward into the
dashboard and crush the child.
Ifyouarewearingaseatbelt,the
child can be torn from your arms
during a crash. For example, if
your vehicle crashes into a parked
vehicleat30mph(48km/h),a
20-lb (9 kg) infant will become a
600-lb (275 kg) force, and you will
not be able to hold on.
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and an infant or child.
crash, the belt could press deep
into the child and cause very
serious injuries.
During a
Children Should Sit in the Back
Seat
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
safer when they are restrained in the
back seat, not the front seat. The
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat.
In the back seat, children are less
likely to be injured by striking hard
interior parts during a collision or
hard braking. Also, children cannot
be injured by an inflating airbag
when they ride in the back.
The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Poses Serious Risks to Children
Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision. To do this,
the passenger’s front airbag is quite
large, and it inf lates with tremendous
speed.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
25
Protecting Children
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Infants
Never put a rear-f acing child seat in
the front seat of a vehicle equipped
with a passenger’s front airbag.
the airbag inflates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
infant.
26
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Small Children Larger Children
Placing a f orward-facing child seat in
the front seat of a vehicle equipped
If
with a passenger’s front airbag can
be hazardous.
If the vehicle seat is
too far forward, or the child’s head is
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough force to kill or
Children who have outgrown child
seats are also at risk of being injured
or killed by an inflating passenger’s
front airbag.
Whenever possible,
larger children should sit in the back
seat, in a booster seat if needed, and
be properly restrained with a seat
belt.
very seriously injure a small child.
Loading...