belt HONDA FIT 2011 2.G Owner's Guide

Additional Safety Precautions
Never hold an infant or child on
your lap.
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 orkilled.

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 acrash.
Make sure any unused seat belt
that a child can reach is buckled,
the lockable retractor is activated, and the belt is fully retracted and
locked.
If a child wraps a loose
seat belt around their neck, they
can be seriously or fatally injured.
(See pages 45 and 46 for how to
activate and deactivate the
lockable retractor.)

Use the childproof door locks to prevent children from opening the
rear doors.
This can prevent
children from accidentally falling
out (see page 83).

Do not leave children alone in a vehicle.
Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states, Canadian provinces and
territories, and can be veryhazardous. For example, infants and small
children left in a vehicle on a hot
day can die from heatstroke. A
child left alone with the key in the
ignition switch can accidentally set
the vehicle in motion, possibly
injuring themselves or others.

Lock all doors and the tailgate when your vehicle is not in use.
Children who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles.

Keep vehicle keys/remote transmitters out of the reach of
children.
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch, and open the tailgate,
which can lead to accidental injury
or death.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
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Even with advanced front airbags that
automatically turn the passenger's
front airbag off (see page 31), a back
seat is the safest place for a small child.
If it is necessary to put a forward-
facing child seat in the front, move the
vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, and be sure the child seat is
firmly secured to the vehicle and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death if the front
airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.Selecting a Child Seat
When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed for use with
the Lower Anchors and Tethers for
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.
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 threerequirements: 1.
The child seat should meet Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213
or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213.
Look for FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
2.
The child seat should be of the proper type and size to fit the child.
Rear-facing for infants, forward-
facing for small children.
3.
The child seat should fit the vehicle seating position (or positions)
where it will be used.
Before purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specific
vehicle seating position or positions
where the seat will be used.
Protecting Infants and Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat
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After selecting a proper child seat
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat: 1.
Properly secure the child seat tothe vehicle.
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 for CHildren) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
2.
Make sure the child seat is firmly secured.
After installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure. A child seat secured with a seat
belt should be installed as firmly
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 effectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a different seating
position, or use a different style of
child seat that can be firmlysecured. 3.
Secure the child in the child seat.
Make sure the child is properly
strapped in the child seat
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 following pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A forward-facing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same for rear-
facing child seats.
Installing a Child Seat
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Installing a Child Seat with LATCH
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 for use withLATCH.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
You can find lower anchors in the
slits in the seat-backs.
To install a LATCH-compatible child seat:
1. Move the seat belt buckle ortongue away from the lower anchors.
2. Make sure there are no objects near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the anchors.3. Place the child seat on the vehicleseat, 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.
LOWER ANCHORS
BUTTONRigid type
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Installing a Child Seat
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Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/
Shoulder Belt
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 childseat.
If you intend to install a child seat in
the center seating position of the rear
seat, make sure to push down the
head restraint to the lowest position,
and make sure the detachable seat
belt is securely latched (see page99).
1. With the child seat in the desiredseating 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 from
the lap portion of the belt.2. 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 theretractor.
3. After 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
the belt out, it is not locked, and
you will need to repeat these steps.
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Installing a Child Seat
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4. After confirming that the belt islocked, 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 put
weight on the child seat, or push
on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt.5. Push and pull the child seatforward and from 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 fully, then repeat thesesteps. To deactivate the lockable retractor
and remove a child seat, unlatch the
buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let
the belt fully retract.
Installing a Child Seat
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Installing a Child Seat with a Tether
A child seat with a tether can be
installed in any seating position in
the back seat.
Each rear outside seating position
has an anchorage point on the seat-
back, and the center seating position
has an anchorage point in the ceiling
near the tailgate.
Since a tether can provide additional
security to the lap/shoulder belt
installation, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required oravailable.Using an Outer Anchor
1. After properly securing the childseat (see page 45), lift the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
through the head restraint legs.
2. Attach the tether strap hook to theanchor, making sure the tether
strap is not twisted.
3. Tighten the strap according to the seat maker's instructions.
TETHER STRAP HOOK ANCHOR
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Installing a Child Seat
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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 following pages give instructions
on how to check proper seat belt fit,
what kind of booster seat to use if
one is needed, and important
precautions for a child who must sit
in front.
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.Checking Seat Belt Fit
To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly fits a child, have the child
put on the seat belt, then askyourself:
1. Does the child sit all the way back
against the seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably over the edge of the seat?
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Protecting Larger Children
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3. Does the shoulder belt crossbetween the child's neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching the child's thighs?
5. Will the child be able to stay seated like this for 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. Using a Booster Seat
A child who has outgrown a forward-
facing child seat should ride in a
back seat and use a booster seat until
the lap/shoulder belt fits them
properly without the booster.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
60 lbs). Be sure to check current
laws in the states, provinces and
territories where you intend to drive.
Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster seat meets
federal safety standards (see page
41) and that you follow the booster
seat maker's instructions.
Protecting Larger Children
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If a child who uses a booster seat
must ride in front, move the vehicle
seat as far back as possible and be
sure the child is wearing the seat beltproperly.
A child may continue using a booster
seat until the tops of their ears are
even with the top of the vehicle's or
booster's seat-back. A child of this
height should be tall enough to use
the lap/shoulder belt without a
booster seat.When Can a Larger Child Sit inFront
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
If the passenger's front airbag
inflates in a moderate to severe
frontal collision, the airbag can cause
serious injuries to a child who is
unrestrained, improperly restrained,
sitting too close to the airbag, or out
of position.
A side airbag also poses risks. If any
part of a larger child's body is in the
path of a deploying side airbag, the
child could receive possibly seriousinjuries.Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in front,
there are other important factors you
should consider.
Physical Size
Physically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit (see pages 14 and 49). If
the seat belt does not fit properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in front.
Maturity
To safely ride in front, a child must
be able to follow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
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Protecting Larger Children
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