HONDA PASSPORT 2001 2.G Owners Manual

T
o wea r a sea t bel t properly , yo u shoul d
si t up , wel l bac k i n you r seat , wit h th e la p
portio n o f th e bel t pulle d snugl y acros s you r
hip s an d th e shoulde r portio n restin g agains t
you r ches t an d shoulder .
Befor e drivin g away , it' s ver y importan t t o
mov e th e driver' s sea t a s fa r bac k a s yo u ca n
whil e stil l allowin g goo d contro l o f th e vehicle .
I f yo u hav e a fron t passenger , hav e the m mov e
thei r sea t a s fa r bac k a s possible . Why ?
Yo
u ca n ge t th e maximu m protectio n offere d
b y airbage s b y followin g a fe w simpl e rules .
First , alway s wea r a sea t belt . A sea t bel t i s
you r bes t protectio n i n an y accident .
A properl y wor n sea t bel t wil l als o hel p kee p
yo u i n a goo d positio n shoul d you r airbag s
eve r deploy .

T
o d o thei r job , airbag s inflat e wit h
tremendou s speed—ove r 10 0 mph . S o whil e
airbag s ca n sav e you r lif e an d reduc e th e
severit y o f injuries , the y ca n als o caus e
abrasion s an d bruises . An d i f yo u si t to o
close , or don' t wea r a sea t belt , or don' t si t in
a prope r position , a n inflatin g airba g ca n
caus e broke n bone s o r mor e seriou s injuries .

Wearing a seat belt, and sitting up, well back

from the steering wheel or dashboard, reduces

the chance of injuries caused by a crash or an

inflating airbag.

It'
s well-know n tha t al l childre n ar e safe r
whe n the y ar e properl y restraine d i n th e bac k
seat , no t th e fron t seat .
To avoid the possiblity of an infant being seriously injured or killed by
an inflating passenger airbag, a rear-facing child seat should always
be secured in the back seat, never in the front. W
e als o kno w tha t passenge r airbag s pos e
additiona l risk s t o infant s an d childre n wh o
rid e i n th e front . A s a result , w e urg e yo u t o
follo w thes e rules :
Neve r pu t a rear-facin g chil d sea t i n th e
fron t sea t o f a ca r wit h a passenge r airbag . I f
th e airba g inflates , i t ca n hi t th e bac k o f th e
chil d sea t wit h enoug h forc e t o kil l o r severel y

injur e a n infant .
Placin g a forward-facin g chil d sea t i n th e
fron t sea t o f a ca r wit h a passenge r airba g

ca n als o b e hazardous . I f th e vehicl e sea t i s
to o fa r forward , o r th e child' s hea d i s throw n

forwar
d durin g a collision , a n inflatin g airba g
ca n strik e th e chil d an d possibl y caus e seriou s
o r fata l injuries .
I f a smal l chil d absolutel y mus t rid e i n th e
front , t o reduc e th e ris k o f injur y b e sur e t o
mov e th e vehicl e sea t a s fa r t o th e rea r a s
possible , secur e th e chil d sea t t o th e vehicl e
wit h th e sea t belt , an d stra p th e chil d i n th e
chil d sea t accordin g t o th e chil d sea t maker' s
instructions .
W e als o recommen d tha t childre n wh o
hav e outgrow n chil d seat s si t i n th e bac k sea t
an d wea r a lap/shoulde r belt . I f a chil d
slouches , scoot s forwar d o n th e seat , lean s forward
, turn s sideway s o r put s thei r fee t u p
o n th e bac k o f th e sea t i n fron t o f them , thei r
chanc e o f bein g injure d i n an y kin d o f cras h
i s greatl y increased .
I n addition , i f a chil d i s ou t o f positio n i n
th e fron t seat , th e chil d coul d b e seriousl y o r
fatall y injure d i f the y ar e struc k b y a n
inflatin g airbag . I f a large r chil d mus t si t i n
th e front , mov e th e vehicl e sea t a s fa r bac k a s
possible , hav e th e chil d si t u p straigh t wit h
thei r bac k agains t th e seat , an d mak e sur e th e
sea t bel t i s properl y an d securel y fastened .
With
or without airbags, toddlers and

larger children are safer when they are

properly restrained in the back seat.

I
f a n automobil e i s badly damaged in a crash,
does this mea n that the airbags should have

deployed?
No t necessarily . Someon e wh o view s vehicl e
damag e afte r a cras h canno t accuratel y
determin e whethe r o r no t th e airbag s shoul d
hav e inflated . Actually , extensiv e damag e t o
crushabl e bod y part s usuall y indicate s tha t th e
ca r absorbe d cras h energ y an d reduce d th e
rat e o f deceleratio n t o a leve l wher e th e
airbag s woul d no t hav e bee n neede d o r

helpful .
Can
airbags prevent all collision injuries?

Unfortunately , n o safet y syste m ca n provid e

complet e protection .

Airbag s ar e designe d t o sav e you r lif e

an d reduc e th e severit y o f injurie s t o you r

hea d an d chest . Bu t airbag s canno t preven t al l

injuries . Durin g a sever e fronta l collision ,

contactin g a n inflatin g airba g ca n resul t i n

abrasion
s o r bruises . Dependin g o n th e angl e
o f impac t an d othe r factors , yo u ca n als o ge t
bumps , cuts , o r eve n broke n bone s fro m
strikin g th e windshiel d o r othe r vehicl e parts .
O f course , ver y sever e collision s ca n
caus e mor e seriou s injuries , includin g fata l
injuries—eve n whe n sea t belt s ar e properl y
wor n an d th e airbag s deploy .
After
an airbag deploys, there is smoke in the

air. Is this harmful?

Th e smok e o r powde r yo u ma y se e i s no t
harmfu l t o mos t people . However , peopl e
wit h breathin g problem s ma y experienc e som e
respirator y distress . I f thi s i s th e case , ge t ou t
o f th e car , o r ope n th e window s o r doors , a s

soo n a s i t i s saf e t o d o so .
Can
an airbag be used more than once?
Airbag s ar e designe d fo r one-tim e us e only .
I n a collisio n wit h multipl e impacts , th e
airbag s wil l deplo y onl y durin g th e firs t
sever e fronta l impact . Afte r airbag s deploy ,
th e bag s an d associate d part s mus t b e
replaced . An y sea t belt s wor n wil l als o
nee d t o b e replaced .

bumper
, o r poundin g o n th e steerin g whee l o r
dashboar d wil l no t mak e th e airbag s deploy .
Therefore , th e chanc e o f you r airbag s
deployin g accidentall y i s extremel y rare .
I f you r airbag s eve r deplo y fo r n o apparen t
reason , hav e th e vehicl e inspecte d b y you r
dealer . Mor e tha n likely , th e deale r wil l fin d
undercarriag e damag e indicatin g tha t yo u hi t
a pothol e o r har d raise d objec t i n th e road ,
an d th e airbag s deploye d becaus e th e sensor s
detecte d a momentar y rapi d deceleration .

Can
the airbag s g o off accidentally?

Th e airba g syste m i s extremel y
sophisticate d an d highl y reliable . A n
electroni c syste m continuall y monitor s th e
sensor s an d othe r component s wheneve r
th e ignitio n i s on , an d th e SR S indicato r
ligh t wil l aler t yo u t o an y problem . Har d
braking , slammin g th e doors , kickin g th e