HONDA CIVIC COUPE 2004 7.G Owner's Guide

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Your vehicle has three seating
positions in the back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry more than
three children, and a child must ride
in f ront: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 ). 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.
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If You Must Drive with Several
Children
If a Child Requires Close
Attention
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children General Guidelines
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Do not leave children alone in a
vehicle. Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. For
example, inf ants 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.
Lock both doors and the trunk
when your vehicle is not in use.
Children who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside the
trunk. 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 f eature (see page ).Keep vehicle keys and remote
transmitters out of the reach of
children. Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition,
and open the trunk, which can
lead to accidental injury or death.
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child. During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
Never let two children use the
same seat belt. If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
Use childproof door locks to
prevent children f rom opening the
doors. This can prevent children
f rom accidentally f alling out.
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap. If you are not wearing a
seat belt in 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.
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Additional Saf ety Precautions
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children General Guidelines
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Child Seat Type
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. In this vehicle, a rear-f acing child
seatcanbeplacedinanyseating
position in the back seat, but not in
the front.
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
f or the seat, and the child is at least
one year old. If the passenger’s
f ront airbag inf lates, 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.
In either of these situations, 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.
Protecting Inf ants
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in
a f orward-f acing position. Child Seat Placement
Never put a rear-f acing child seat inthe front seat.
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety34
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 thefront.
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Child Seat Type
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.We also recommend that a small
child stay in the child seat as long as
possible, until the child reaches the
weight or height limit f or the seat.
We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the f ront.
If the vehicle seat is too
f ar f orward, or the child’s head is
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inf lating airbag can strike the child
with enough force to cause very
serious or f atal injuries. 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
Child Seat Placement
Placing a f orward-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwith a passenger’s airbag can behazardous.
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety35
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.
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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.
When buying a child seat, you need
to choose between 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 two outer
seating positions in the back seat.
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 ).
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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 theproper t ype and size t o f it t he child.
T he child seat should f it thevehicle seat ing posit ion (or
posit ions) where it will be used.
1.
2.3.
Selecting a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety36
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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 rear-
f acing child seat.
Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured. Secure the child in the back seat.
1.
2. 3.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety37
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Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children) at the outer
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:
Small marks are positioned to
indicate the locations of each anchor
point. 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
anchors.Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, and attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connection as
shown above.
1. 2.
3.
Installing a Child Seat Using
LATCH
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety38
LOWER ANCHORS Rigid type
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Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a f lexible-type connection 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
seat-back, making sure the strap is
not twisted.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchorage point, then
tighten the strap as instructed by
the child seat maker.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verif y that it is secure.
4.
6.
5. 7.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety39
Flexible type
ANCHORAGE POINT
ANCHORAGE POINT
TETHER STRAP
HOOK
TETHER STRAP HOOK
Outer rear seat Center rear seat
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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.
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.
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
the back seating positions, and in the
f ront passenger seat, have a locking
mechanism that must be activated to
secure a child seat.
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.
1.
2. 3.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
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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
verif y that it is f irmly secured. 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.
To remove slack, it may help to put
weight on the child seat, or push on
the back of the seat while pulling up
on the belt.
4.
5.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety41
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