Acura RSX 2005 Owner's Guide

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To remind you of the passenger’s
f ront airbag hazards, and that
children must be properly restrained
in a back seat, your vehicle has
warninglabelsonthedashboardand
on the f ront visors. Please read and
f ollow the instructions on these
labels.Your vehicle has a back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry a group of
children, and a child must ride in
front:
Place the largest child in the f ront
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear the lap/shoulder
belt properly (see page ).
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see page ).
Have the child sit upright and well
backintheseat(seepage ).
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page ). 41
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15Canadian Models
U.S. ModelsIf You Must Drive with Several
Children
Protecting Children General Guidelines
30

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Many parents say they pref er to put
an inf ant or small child in the f ront
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires
attention.
Placing a child in the f ront seat
exposes the child to hazards in a
f rontal collision, and paying close
attention to a child distracts the
driver from the important tasks of
driving, placing both of you at risk.
If a child requires physical attention
or f requent visual contact, we
strongly recommend that another
adult ride with the child in the back
seat. The back seat is far safer for a
child than the front.If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash. If you are not wearing a
seat belt in a crash, you could be
thrown f orward and crush the
child against the dashboard or a
seat-back. If you are wearing a
seat belt the child can be torn
from your arms and be seriously
hurt or killed.
Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. For example, infants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die f rom heatstroke. A
child lef t alone with the key in the
ignition can accidentally set the
vehicle in motion, possibly injuring
themselves or others.
Children who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles.
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch, and open the hatch, which
can lead to accidental injury or
death.
During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
If a Child Requires Close
Attention
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Never let two children use the
same seat belt .
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap.
Do not leave children alone in avehicle. Lock both doors and the hatch
when your vehicle is not in use.
K eep vehicle keys and remot etransmitters out of reach ofchildren.
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
31

An inf ant must be properly
restrained in a rear-f acing, reclining
child seat until the child reaches the
seat maker’s weight or height limit
for the seat and the child is at least
one year old.
Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back.Two types of seats may be used: a
seat designed exclusively f or inf ants,
or a convertible seat used in the rear-
f acing, reclining mode.
If placed
f acing f orward, an inf ant could be
very seriously injured during a
f rontal collision. A rear-f acing child seat can be placed
in any seating position in the back
seat, but not in the f ront.
If the passenger’s f ront airbag
inflates, it can hit the back of the
child seat with enough f orce to kill or
seriously injure an inf ant.
When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront passenger f rom
moving the seat as far back as
recommended, or f rom locking the
seat-back in the desired position.
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Protecting Inf ants
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in
a f orward-f acing position. Never put a
rear-f acing child seat in t he f ront seat .
Child Seat Placement
Child Seat T ype
32

A child who is at least one year old,
and who fits within the child seat
maker’s weight and height limits,
should be restrained in a f orward-
f acing, upright child seat.
Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown.
In either situation, we strongly
recommend that you install the child
seat directly behind the f ront
passenger seat, move the f ront seat
as far forward as needed, and leave it
unoccupied. Or you may wish to get
a smaller child seat that allows you
to saf ely carry a f ront passenger.
We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the f ront.
If it is necessary to put a f orward-
f acing child seat in the f ront, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, be sure the child seat is
f irmly secured to the vehicle, and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
Protecting Small Children
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Child Seat T ype Child Seat Placement
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
33
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death if the
passenger’s front airbag inflates.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not the
front.
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result
in serious injury or death if the
front airbag inflates.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.

When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed f or use with
the Lower Anchors and Tethers f or
Children (LATCH) system.
Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by attaching the seat to
hardware built into the rear seats.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.We also recommend selecting a
LATCH-compatible seat with a rigid,
rather than a f lexible, anchor (see
page ).
In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
Look f or FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box. Rear-facing for infants, forward-
f acing f or small children.
Bef ore purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specif ic
vehicle seating position, or positions,
where the seat will be used.
1. 2.
3.
36
Selecting a Child Seat
T he child seat should meet U.S. or
Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213. T he child seat should be of the
proper t ype and size t o f it t he child.
T he child seat should f it thevehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
34

Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure. A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as f irmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ Some side-to-side
movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat’s
ef f ectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured.
Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
can be seriously injured in a crash. The f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A f orward-f acing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same f or a rear-
f acing child seat.
1.
2. 3.
Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured. Secure the child in the child seat.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
35

Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) at the rear
seats.
The lower anchors are located
between the seat-back and seat
bottom, and are to be used only with
a child seat designed f or use with
LATCH.To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:Move the seat belt buckle or
tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors. Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, then attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connector as
shown above.
The location of each anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
1.
2.3.
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
36
LOWER ANCHORSLOWER ANCHOR
MARKS
Rigid type

Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a f lexible-type connector as shown
above.Whatever type you have, f ollow
the child seat maker’s instructions
f or adjusting or tightening the f it. Route the tether strap over the top
of the seat-back, making sure the
strap is not twisted.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.Pushandpullthechildseat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure.
4. 5.
6.7.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
37
Flexible type

When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.With the child seat in the desired
seating position, route the belt
through the child seat according
to the seat maker’s instructions,
then insert the latch plate into the
buckle.To activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt feed back into the
retractor.
Af ter the belt has retracted, tug on
it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out. If you can pull
thebeltout,itisnotlocked,and
you will need to repeat these steps.
In addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
all seating positions except the
driver’s have a locking mechanism
that must be activated to secure a
child seat.
1.2.
3.
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
Installing a Child Seat
38

Af ter conf irming that the belt is
locked, grab the shoulder part of
the belt near the buckle, and pull
up to remove any slack from the
lap part of the belt. Remember, if
the lap part of the belt is not tight,
the child seat will not be secure.
To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,or
push on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt.A child seat with a tether can be
installed in either seating position in
the back seat, using one of the
anchorage points.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is f irmly secured
during normal driving maneuvers.
If the child seat is not secure,
unlatch the belt, allow it to retract
f ully, then repeat these steps.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism and remove a child seat,
unlatch the buckle, unroute the seat
belt, and let the belt f ully retract. Since a tether can provide additional
security to the lap/shoulder belt
installation, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available.
4. 5.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat with a
Tether
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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