sport mode HONDA RIDGELINE 2007 1.G Owners Manual

If you sit too close to the steering
wh eel or dashboard, you can be
seriously injured by an inflating front
ai rbag, or by striking the steering
wh eel or dashboard.
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.
Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a
comfortable, 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 comfo rtable, upright
position.
If
you cannot get far enough away
from 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 it
is locked into position. See page
f or how to adjust the f ront seats.
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On RT, RTX, and Canadian LX models
Protecting A dults and Teens
Adjust the Seat-Backs
3.
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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.

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Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe frontal collision. To do this,
the passenger’s front airbag is quite
large, and it can inflate with enough
force to cause very serious injuries. If
the vehicle seat is
too far forward, or the child’s head is
thro wn forward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough force to kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
Whenever possible,
larg er children should sit in the back
seat, on a booster seat if needed, and
be properly restrained with a seat
belt (see page for important
info rmation about protecting larger
children).
Children
who ride in the back are
less likely to be injured by striking
interior vehicle parts during a
collision or hard braking. Also,
children cannot be injured by an
inflating front airbag when they ride
in the back. Even
though your vehicle has an
advanced front airbag system that
automatically turns the passenger’s
front airbag off (see page ),
please f ollow these guidelines:
If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant.
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in a
back seat. The National Highway
Traf f ic Saf ety Administration and
Transport Canada recommend that
all children aged 12 and under be
properly restrained in a back seat.
Some states have laws restricting
where children may ride.
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CONT INUED
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Small ChildrenPlacing a f orward-f acing child seat inthe f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag canbe hazardous.
Larger ChildrenChildren who have outgrown childseat s are also at risk of being injuredor killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag.
Inf ant s
Never put a rear-f acing child seat inthe f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag.All Children Should Sit in a Back
Seat The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Can Pose Serious Risks
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
33

If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to:
Carefully read the owner’s manual,
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instru ctions and all safety
info rmation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the floor.
Ch eck that the child’s seat belt is
properly and secu rely positioned.
Physically,
a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
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 serious
injuries. If the passenger’s front airbag
inf lates in a moderate to severe
f rontal 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. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat. Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in f ront,
there are other important f actors you
should consider.
Supervise the child. Even a mature
child sometimes needs to be
reminded to f asten the seat belt or
sit properly.
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Physical Size
Maturity
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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