HONDA ELEMENT 2004 1.G User Guide

The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that drivers
allow at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the center of the steering
wheel and the chest.
If you cannot get f ar enough away
f rom the steering wheel and still
reach the controls, we recommend
that you investigate whether some
type of adaptive equipment may help.Once your seat is adjusted correctly,
rock it back and f orth to make sure
the seat is locked into position. See
page f or how to adjust the f ront
seats.
73
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety12
Sitting too close to a front
airbag can result in serious
injury or death if the front
airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the
front airbags as possible.
—
—y
y
(+
y
y

Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a
comf ortable, upright position,
leaving ample space between your
chest and the airbag cover in the
center of the steering wheel.
Passengers with adjustable seat-
backs should also adjust their seat-
back to a comf ortable, upright
position.Reclining a seat-back so that the
shoulder part of the belt no longer
rests against the occupant’s chest
reduces the protective capability of
the belt. It also increases the chance
of sliding under the belt in a crash
and being seriously injured. The
farther a seat-back is reclined, the
greater the risk of injury.
See page f or how to adjust the
seat-backs.
73
Adjust the Seat-Backs
3.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety13
Reclining the seat-back too far
can result in serious injury or
death in a crash.
Adjust the seat-back to an
upright position, and sit well
back in the seat.
—
—y
y
(+
y
y

Adjust the driver’s head restraint so
the back of your head rests against
the center of the restraint.
Have passengers with adjustable
restraints adjust their restraints
properly as well. Taller persons
should adjust their restraint as high
as possible.Properly adjusted head restraints
will help protect occupants f rom
whiplash and other crash injuries.
See page f or how to adjust the
head restraints.Insert the latch plate into the buckle,
then tug on the belt to make sure the
belt is securely latched. Also check
that the belt is not twisted, because a
twisted belt can cause serious
injuries in a crash.
Position the lap part of the belt as
low as possible across your hips,
then pull up on the shoulder part of
thebeltsothelappartfitssnugly.
This lets your strong pelvic bones
take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.
75
Adjust the Head Restraints
Fasten and Position the Lap/
Shoulder Seat Belts
4.
5.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety14
Improperly positioning head
restraints reduces their
effectiveness and you can be
seriously injured in a crash.
Make sure head restraints are
in place and positioned properly
before driving.
—
—y

y
(+
y
y

If the seat belt touches or crosses
your neck, or if it crosses your arm
instead of your shoulder, you need to
adjust the seat belt anchor height.This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash.
If necessary, pull up on the belt again
to remove any slack, then check that
the belt rests across the center of
your chest and over your shoulder.
This spreads the f orces of a crash
over the strongest bones in your
upper body.
To adjust the height of a f ront seat
belt anchor, squeeze the release
button and slide the anchor up or
down as needed (the anchor has f our
positions).
CONT INUED
Never place t he shoulder port ion of a
lap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety15
RELEASE BUTTONS
Improperly positioning the seat
belts can cause serious injury
or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are
properly positioned beforedriving.
—
—y
y
(+
yy

If a seat belt does not seem to work
as it should, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.Using a seat
belt that is not working properly can
result in serious injury or death.
Have your Honda dealer check the
belt as soon as possible.
See page f or additional
inf ormation about your seat belts
and how to take care of them. Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,
so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your f ace. This
provides optimal protection f rom the
f ront airbag.
See page f or how to adjust the
steering wheel.After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to
sit upright, well back in their seats,
with their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
of f .
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both f eet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased.
19
64
No one should sit in a seat wit h aninoperat ive seat belt .
Adjust the Steering Wheel Maintain a Proper Sitting Position
6.
7.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety16
—
—y
y
(+
y
y

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.When driving, remember to sit
upright and adjust the seat as f ar
back as possible while allowing f ull
control of the vehicle. When riding
as a f ront passenger, adjust the seat
as far back as possible.
This will reduce the risk of injuries
to both you and your unborn child
that can be caused by a crash or an
inflating front airbag.
Each time you have a check-up, ask
your doctor if it’s okay f or you to
drive.
In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the f ront seat can be
seriously or f atally injured by
striking interior parts of the vehicle,
or being struck by an inf lating f ront
airbag.
Advice f or Pregnant Women
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety17
Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on thefloor.
—
—y
y
(+
yy

All passengers
must sit in locked, upright seats
andbeproperlyrestrainedbyseat
belts.
A passenger who is not
wearing a seat belt during a crash
or emergency stop can be thrown
against the inside of the vehicle,
against other occupants, or out of
the vehicle.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash. Objects on
the covers marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG’’
could interf ere with the proper
operation of the airbags. Or, if the
airbags inflate, the objects could
be propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone if the airbags inf late.
If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
vehicle and hurt someone.
If your
hands or arms are close to an
airbag cover, they could be injured
if the front airbag inflates.
Devices intended to improve
occupant comf ort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt can
severely compromise the
protective capability of the seat
belt and increase the chance of
serious injury in a crash.
Carrying hard or sharp
objects on your lap, or driving with
a pipe or other sharp objects in
your mouth, can result in injuries
if your f ront airbag inf lates.
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Never let passengers ride in t he
cargo area or on t op of a f olded-down back seat .
Passengers should not st and up orchange seats while the vehicle ismoving.
T wo people should never use t hesame seat belt . Do not at t ach or place object s on
the f ront airbag covers.
On models wit h side airbags, donot at t ach hard object s on or neara f ront door.
K eep your hands and arms awayf rom t he airbag covers.
Do not put any accessories on seat
belts.
Do not place hard or sharp object sbet ween yourself and a f rontairbag.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety18
—
—y
y
(+
yy

To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched (see page f or how to
properly position the belt).
To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.Guide
the belt across your body so that it
retracts completely. Af ter exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the
way and will not get closed in the
door.All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely in
your seat while it keeps some
tension on the belt. During a collision
or sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move f reely.
The lap/shoulder belt goes over
your shoulder, across your chest,
and across your hips.
The seat belts in all positions except
the driver’s have an additional
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat (see
page ).
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle, and
let the seat belt f ully retract. To
ref asten the belt, pull it out only as
f ar as needed.
Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in all f our seating
positions. The f ront seat belts are
also equipped with automatic seat
belt tensioners.
The seat belt system
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten your belts.
If you turn the ignition switch ON
(II) without f astening your seat belt,
the indicator light will blink. The
light will stay on until the driver’s
seat belt is f astened. 14
41
Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety19
—
—y

y
(+
yy

For added protection, the f ront seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and
a f ront passenger in place.The tensioners are designed to
activate primarily in f rontal collisions,
andtheyshouldactivateinany
collision severe enough to cause
front-airbag inflation.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled in the normal
manner.
However, the tensioners can be
activated during a collision in which
the f ront airbags do not deploy. In
this case, the airbags would not be
needed, but the additional restraint
could be helpf ul.
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety20
—
—y

y
(+
yy

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Honda provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts f or U.S. models. See
your
booklet f or details.If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. Any belt not
in good condition or not working
properly will not provide good
protection and should be replaced as
soon as possible. The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed. If automatic seat belt
tensioners activate during a crash,
they must be replaced.
For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .
170
Honda Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety21
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly whenneeded.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.
—
—y

y
(+
yy