HONDA CR-Z 2011 1.G Owner's Guide

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Safe Driving
For Safe Driving
The following pages explain your vehicle’s safety features and how to use them properly. The safety precautions below are ones that we consider to be among the most important. Important Safety PrecautionsDon’t Drink and Drive
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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 friends drink and drive, either.
Pay Appropriate Attention to the Task of Driving Safely
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Engaging in cell phone conversation or other activities that keep you from paying close attention to the road, other vehicles, and pedestrians could lead to a crash. Remember, situations can change quickly, and only you can decide when it is safe to divert some attention away from driving.
Control Your Speed
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Excessive speed is a major factor in crash injuries and deaths. Generally, the higher the speed, the greater the risk, but serious injuries 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 Condition
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Having a tire blowout or a mechanical failure can be extremely hazardous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check your tires’ pressure and condition frequently, and perform all regularly scheduled maintenance.
Important Safety Precautions
Some states, provinces and territories prohibit the use of cell phones (other than hands-free devices) by the driver while driving.
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For Safe Driving Important Safety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
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A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags are designed to supplement seat belts, not replace them. So even though your vehicle is equipped with airbags, make sure you and your passenger always wear your seat belts, and wear them properly.
Your Vehicle is Not Recommended for Child Passengers
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada recommend that all children age 12 and under be properly restrained in a back seat. Since this vehicle does not have a back seat, we strongly recommend that you do not carry any child who is not large enough and mature enough to ride in front.
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
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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 follow all instructions and warnings in this manual.
Important Safety Precautions
Never carry an infant in a rear-facing child seat in this vehicle.If an older child must ride in this vehicle, follow all child safety instructions and warnings in this manual.
Child Safety P. 5 6
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For Safe Driving Your Vehicle’s Safety Features
Your Vehicle’s Safety Features Your vehicle is equipped with many features that work together to help protect you and your passenger during a crash. Some features do not require any action on your part. These include a strong steel framework that forms a safety cage around the passenger compartment, front and rear crush zones, a collapsible steering column, and tensioners that tighten the seat belts in a crash. However, you and your passenger cannot take full advantage of these features unless you remain sitting in the correct position and always wear your seat belts. In fact, some safety features can contribute to injuries if they are not used properly. The following checklist will help you take an active role in protecting yourself and your passenger.
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For Safe Driving Your Vehicle’s Safety Features
Safety Checklist
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For the safety of you and your passenger, make a habit of checking these items each time before you drive.
After everyone has entered the vehicle, be sure both doors and the hatch are
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closed and locked. Locking the doors and the hatch helps prevent an occupant from being ejected and an outsider from unexpectedly opening a door or the hatch.
Locking/Unlocking Doors from Inside P.1 0 2
Adjust your seat to a position suitable for driving. Be sure the seats are adjusted
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as far to the rear as possible while allowing the driver to control the vehicle. Sitting too close to a front airbag can result in serious or fatal injury in a crash.
Adjusting the Seats P.11 9
Always wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly. Confirm that
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any passenger is properly belted as well.
Fastening the Seat Belts P. 3 7
If you choose to ignore our warnings and carry a child in this vehicle, make every
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effort to protect them by properly using a seat belt or a child seat according to the child’s age, height, and weight.
Child Safety P. 5 6
Safety Checklist
If the door/hatch open indicator is on, a door and/ or the hatch is not completely closed. Close both doors and the hatch tightly until the indicator goes off.
Door/Hatch Open Indicator P. 7 2
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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 a 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 protection provided by the airbags. In addition, seat belts help protect you in almost every type of crash, including:frontal impacts
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side impacts
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rear impacts
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rollovers
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Lap/Shoulder Seat Belts
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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 collision or sudden stop the retractor locks to restrain your body. The passenger’s seat belt 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.
Installing a Child Seat using the Lockable Retractor Seat Belt P. 6 0
About Your Seat Belts
Seat belts cannot completely 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.
WARNING
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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Seat Belts About Your Seat Belts
Proper Use of Seat Belts
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Follow these guidelines for proper use:
All occupants should sit upright, well back in the seat, and remain in that position

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for the duration of the trip. Slouching or leaning reduces the effectiveness of the belt and can increase the chance of serious injury in a crash. Never place the shoulder part of a lap/shoulder seat belt under your arm or

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behind your back. This could cause very serious injuries in a crash.Two people should never use the same seat belt. If they do, they could be very

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seriously injured in a crash.Do not put any accessories on the seat belts. Devices intended to improve

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comfort or reposition the shoulder part of a seat belt can reduce the protective capability and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash. Seat Belt Reminder

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Your vehicle monitors seat belt use. If the ignition switch is turned to ON
II before the
driver’s seat belt is fastened, a beeper will sound and the indicator will blink. If the driver does not fasten the belt before the beeper stops, the indicator will remain on. The beeper will also periodically sound and the indicator will blink while driving until the driver’s and passenger’s seat belts are fastened.
About Your Seat Belts
If your passenger moves around and extends the seat belt, the lockable retractor may activate. If this happens, release the retractor by unfastening the seat belt and allow the belt to retract completely. Then refasten the belt.
Seat Belt Reminder
The indicator will also come on if a passenger does not fasten their seat belt within 6 seconds after the ignition switch is turned to ON
. When no one
is sitting in the passenger's seat, or a child or small adult is riding there, the indicator will not come on. This is because the weight sensor in the seat cannot detect their presence.
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Seat Belts About Your Seat Belts
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
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The 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 inlate the front airbags.
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The seat belt tensioners can only operate once. If a tensioner is activated, the SRS indicator will come on. Have a dealer replace the tensioner and thoroughly inspect the seat belt system as it may not offer protection in a subsequent crash.
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Seat Belts Fastening a Seat Belt
continued
Fastening a Seat Belt
After adjusting your seat to the proper position, and while sitting upright and well back in the seat:
Adjusting the Seats P.11 9
1. Pull the seat belt out slowly.
2. Insert the latch plate into the buckle, then tug on the belt to make sure the buckle is secure.
Make sure that the belt is not twisted or
caught on anything.
Fastening a Seat Belt
No one should sit in a seat with an inoperative seat belt or one that does not appear to be working correctly. Using a seat belt that is not working properly may not protect the occupant in a crash. Have your dealer check the belt as soon as possible. Never insert any foreign objects into the buckle or retractor mechanism.
Correct Seated Posture
Pull out slowly.
Latch Plate
Buckle
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Seat Belts Fastening a Seat Belt 3. 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. If necessary, pull up on the belt again to
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remove any slack, 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.
Fastening a Seat Belt
To release the belt, push the red PRESS button then guide the belt by hand until it has retracted completely. When exiting the vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the way and will not get closed in the door.
WARNING
Improperly positioning the seat belts can cause serious injury or death in a crash. Make sure all seat belts are properly positioned before driving.Lap belt as low as possible
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Seat Belts Fastening a Seat Belt
Advice for Pregnant Women
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If you are pregnant, the best way to protect 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 Women
Each time you have a checkup, ask your doctor if it is okay for you to drive. To reduce the risk of injuries to both you and your unborn child that can be caused by an inlating front airbag: When driving, sit upright and adjust the seat as
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far back as possible while allowing full control of the vehicle.When sitting in the passenger's seat, adjust the
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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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