airbag ACURA NSX 2021 User Guide

38
Safe Driving
Seat Belts
About Your Seat Belts
Seat 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 any passenger, 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 prot ection 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
Both 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 collis ion or sudden stop the retractor locks to
restrain your body. The passenger’s seat be lt has a lockable retractor that must be
properly activated when using a forward-facing child seat, should you choose to
disregard our recommendations and install one.
2 Installing a Child Seat P. 66
1About Your Seat Belts
Seat belts cannot complete ly 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.
If you extend the seat belt t oo quickly, it will lock in
place. If this happens, sli ghtly retract the seat belt,
then extend it slowly.
3WARNING
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 passenger always
wear seat belts and wear them properly.
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uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
40
Safe DrivingThe driver’s and passenger’s seats are
equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners
to enhance safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten the seat
belts during a moderate-to-severe frontal
collision, sometimes even if the collision is not
severe enough to inflate the front airbags or
the driver’s knee airbag.
■Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners1Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The seat belt tensioners can only operate once.
If a tensioner is activated, the SRS indicator will come
on. Have an authorized Ac ura NSX dealer replace the
tensioner and thoroughly insp ect the seat belt system
as it may not offer protecti on in a subsequent crash.
During a moderate-to-severe side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle also activates.
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43
uuSeat Belts uFastening a Seat Belt
Safe DrivingIf you are pregnant, the best way to prot ect 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 Women1 Advice 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 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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45Continued
Safe Driving
Airbags
Airbag System Components
8
8
8
8109876
6
811
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46
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, driver’s knee, side, and side
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
passenger’s airbag is stored in the
dashboard. Both are marked SRS
AIRBAG.
bDriver’s knee airbag. The knee airbag is
stored under the steering column. It is
marked SRS AIRBAG.
cTwo side airbags, one for the driver and
one for the passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG .
dTwo 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.
eAn electronic control unit that, when the
power system is on, continually monitors
information about the various impact
sensors, seat and buckle sensors, rollover
sensor, airbag activators, seat belt
tensioners, and other vehicle
information. During a crash event the
unit can record such information.
fAutomatic seat belt tensioners. In
addition, the driver’s and passenger’s
seat belt buckles incorporate sensors that
detect whether or not the belts are
fastened.
gWeight sensors in the passenger’s seat.
The sensors are used for occupant
classification to activate or deactivate the
passenger’s airbag.
hImpact sensors that can detect a
moderate-to-severe front or side impact.
iAn indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the passenger’s front airbag has
been turned off.
jAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possib le problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
kA rollover sensor that can detect if your
vehicle is about to roll over and signal the
control unit to deploy both side curtain
airbags.
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47
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe DrivingAirbags can pose serious hazards. To do their job, airbags must inflate with
tremendous force. So, while airbags help to save lives, they can cause burns, bruises,
and other minor injuries, sometimes even fatal ones if occupants are not wearing
their seat belts properl y 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 passenger should move their seat as far back from the dashboard as
possible.
Remember, however, that no safety system ca n prevent all injuries or deaths that
can occur in a severe crash, even when s eat 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 and driver’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.
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48
uuAirbags uTypes of Airbags
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped with four types of airbags:
• Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driv er’s and passenger’s seats.
• Driver’s knee airbag: Airbag under the steering column.
• Side airbags: Airbags in the driver’s an d 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 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 passen ger. 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.
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Continued49
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingFront airbags are designed to inflate duri ng 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 th ey see them lying in front of them.
■Operation
■How the Front Airbags Work1How the Front Airbags Work
Although the driver’s a nd 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.
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50
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
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 protection when a sudden deceleration
causes a driver or passenger to move towa rd 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 are 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 se at belt and a side curtain airbag. Front
airbags, however, are not designed to deploy 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 caus e 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.
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51
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingThe passenger’s airbag have advanced f eatures to help reduce the likelihood of
airbag related injuries to a smaller occupant. The passenger’s advanced airbag system has
weight sensors. The sensors are used for
occupant classification to activate or
deactivate the passenger’s airbag.
For adult size occupant s, the system will
automatically activate the passenger’s airbag.
If a small adult sits in the passenger seat and
the system does not re cognize him/her as an
adult, see
2 Passenger Airbag Off Indicator P. 58
We advise against allowing a child age 12 or under to ride in the passenger’s seat.
However, if you do allow a small child or in fant to ride in the passenger’s seat, the
system is designed to automatically deacti vate the passenger’s airbag. Do not let a
small child or infant ride in the passenger’ s seat if the airbag does not automatically
deactivate.
■Advanced Airbags1 Advanced Airbags
If there is a problem with the passenger’s seat weight
sensors, the SRS indicator will come on, and in the
event of a crash, the airbag will deploy (regardless of
the passenger’s occupant cl assification) with a force
corresponding to the se verity of the impact.
2 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Indicator P. 57
For the advanced front airbags to work properly,
confirm that:
•The occupant is sitting in an upright position,
wearing the seat belt prope rly and the seat back is
not excessively reclined.
•The occupant is not leaning against the door or
center console.
•The occupant’s feet are plac ed on the floor in front
of them.
•There are no objects hang ing from the passenger’s
seat.
•The steering wheel and passenger’s side dashboard
are not obstructed by any object.
•No liquid has been spille d on or under the seat.
•There are no objects placed under or beside the
passenger’s seat. Improperly positioned objects can
interfere with the advanced airbag sensors.
2 Passenger Airbag Off Indicator P. 58
Passenger’s
Seat Weight
Sensors
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