belt Acura TL 2012 Owner's Guide

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Many parents say they prefer to put
an infant or a small child in the front
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.
Your vehicle has a back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry a group
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 ). If a child requires close 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 you are not wearing a
seat belt in a crash, you could be
thrown forward 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.
During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in
This can prevent
children f rom accidentally f alling
out (see page ).
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16 161
153
If You Must Drive with Several
Children
If a Child Requires Close
AttentionAdditional Saf ety Precautions
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap.
Never put a seat belt over yourselfand a child.
Never let two children use thesame seat belt .
Use t he childproof door locks t oprevent children f rom opening t herear doors.
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a crash.
in front: of children, and a child must ride
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
2012 TL

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If a child wraps a loose
seat belt around their neck, they
can be seriously or f atally injured.
(See pages and f or how to
activate and deactivate the
lockable retractor.)
Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states, Canadian provinces and
territories, 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 switch or with the keyless
access remote in the vehicle 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. Know how to
operate the emergency trunk
opener and decide if your children
should be shown how to use this
feature(seepage ).
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch , and open the trunk,
which can lead to accidental injury
or death.
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156
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Make sure any unused seat beltt hat a child can reach is buckled,the lockable retractor is activated,and the belt is f ully retracted andlocked.
Do not leave children alone in avehicle. L ock all doors and t he t runk when
your vehicle is not in use.
K eep vehicle keys/remot et ransmit t ers or keyless accessremotes out of the reach ofchildren.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Your vehicle has the engine start/stop
button instead of an ignition switch.
For more information on how to select
the power mode, see page .
:
184On models with keyless access system
2012 TL

Most child seats are LATCH-
compatible (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or CHildren). Some have a
rigid-type connector, while others
have a f lexible-type connector. Both
are equally easy to use. Some
existing and previously owned child
seats can only be installed using the
seat belt. Whichever type you
choose, f ollow the child seat
manufacturer’s use and care
instructions as well as the
instructions in this manual. Proper
installation is key to maximizing your
child’s saf ety.In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using the seat belt and a top tether
f or added security. This is because
all child seats are required to be
designed so that they can be secured
with a lap belt or the lap part of a
lap/shoulder belt.
In addition, the child seat
manufacturer may advise that a seat
belt be used to attach a LATCH-
compatible seat once a child reaches
a specif ied weight. Please read the
child seat owner’s manual f or proper
installation instructions.
The child seat is the correct type
and size f or the child.
The child seat is the correct type
f or the seating position.
The child seat is compliant with
Federal Motor Vehicle Saf ety
Standard 213 or Canadian Motor
Vehicle Saf ety Standard 213.
Make sure the child seat meets the
f ollowing three requirements:
Selecting a Child Seat
Important considerations when
selecting a child seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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2012 TL

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
verify 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 rear-
f acing child seats.
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.
1.
2. 3.
Installing a Child Seat
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety
2012 TL

Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers for CHildren) at the outer
rear seats.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. Usethepullstraptolowerthe
anchor cover on the lower seat
cushion that covers the LATCH
anchor holes in the seat.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point. 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.
1.3. 2.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
47
LOWER ANCHORSOuter seating positionCOVERS
STRAPS
BUTTON
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2012 TL

Tighten the tether strap as
instructed by the child seat maker.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.
In addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
all seating positions except the
driver’s have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat.
Route the tether strap over the
head restraint, then attach the
tether strap hook to the anchor,
making sure the strap is not
twisted. 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 and remove any slack f rom
the lap portion of the belt.
7.
8.
9. 1.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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TETHER STRAP HOOK
ANCHOR COVER
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2012 TL

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. To activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt f eed back into the
retractor.To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,or
push on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt. 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.Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure enough to
stay upright during normal driving
maneuvers. If the child seat is not
secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to
retract f ully, then repeat these
steps.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Installing a Child Seat
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety
2012 TL

To deactivate the lockable retractor
and remove a child seat, unlatch the
buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let
the belt fully retract.A child seat with a tether can be
installed in any seating position in
the back seat, using one of the
anchorage points shown above.
Since a tether can provide additional
security to the lap/shoulder belt
installation, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required Af ter properly securing the child
seat with the lap/shoulder belt
(see page ), pivot the head
restraint down (see page ) and
route the tether strap over the
head restraint.
1.
49 163
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat with
Installing a Child Seat
Using an Out er A nchor
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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TETHER ANCHORAGE POINTS TETHER STRAP HOOK
ANCHOR COVER
COVER
ANCHOR
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or available. a Tether
2012 TL

To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
put on the seat belt, then ask
yourself :Does the child sit all the way back
against the seat?
Do the child’s knees bend
comf ortably over the edge of the
seat?
When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should sit in a back seat on a
booster seat and wear the lap/
shoulder belt.
The f ollowing pages give
instructions on how to check proper
seat belt f it, what kind of booster
seat to use if one is needed, and
important precautions f or a child
who must sit in f ront.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Checking Seat Belt Fit
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Allowing a child age 12 or under
to sit in front can result in injury
or death if the passenger’s front
airbag inflates.
If a child must ride in front,
move the vehicle seat as far
back as possible, use a booster
seat if needed, have the child
sit up properly and wear the
seat belt properly.
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2012 TL

Does the shoulder belt cross
between the child’s neck and arm?
Is the lap part of the belt as low as
possible, touching the child’s
thighs?
Will the child be able to stay
seated like this f or the whole trip?
If you answer yes to all these
questions, the child is ready to wear
the lap/shoulder belt correctly. If
you answer no to any question, the
child needs to ride on a booster seat. A child who has outgrown a f orward- f acing child seat should ride in a
back seat and use a booster seat
until the lap/shoulder belt f its them
properly without the booster.Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster seat meets
f ederal saf ety standards (see page
) and that you f ollow the booster
seat maker’s instructions.
If a child who uses a booster seat
must ride in f ront, move the vehicle
seat as far back as possible and be
sure the child is wearing the seat
belt properly. Some states, Canadian provinces and
territories also require children to
use a booster seat until they reach a
given age or weight (e.g., 6 years or
60lbs).Besuretocheckcurrent
laws in the states, provinces or
territories where you intend to drive.
3.
4.
5.
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Using a Booster Seat
Protecting L arger Children
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety
2012 TL