HONDA RIDGELINE 2014 1.G User Guide

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You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
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 passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
smallchildrenshouldberestrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat
(see pages ). 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.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
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 f riends
drink and drive, either.
Engaging in mobile phone
conversation or other activities that
keep you f rom 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 saf e to divert attention
away f rom driving.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ). Excessive speed is a major f actor 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
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
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34 54 311
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Restrain All Children
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and Drive
Pay Appropriate Attention to the
Task of Driving Saf ely
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition Control Your Speed
Important Saf ety Precautions
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety

Your vehicle is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers
during a crash.
Some f eatures do not require any
action on your part. These include a
strong steel f ramework that f orms a
saf ety cage around the passenger
compartment, front and rear crush
zones, a collapsible steering column,
and tensioners that tighten the f ront
seat belts in a crash.
However, you and your passengers
can’t take f ull advantage of these
f eatures unless you remain sitting in
the correct position and. In fact, some safety
f eatures can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.
The f ollowing pages explain how you
cantakeanactiveroleinprotecting
yourself and your passengers.
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
always wear
your seat belts
7
(7)
(10)
(5) (11)
(10)
(2)(6)
(8) (9) (12) (3)
(8)(7)
(4)
(9)
(2)(1)
(1) Safety Cage
(2) Crush Zones
(3) Seats and Seat-Backs
(4) Head Restraints
(5) Collapsible Steering Column
(6) Seat Belts
(7) Front Airbags
(8) Side Airbags
(9) Side Curtain Airbags
(10) Door Locks
(11) Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
(12) Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) Sensors
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety

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Your vehicle is equipped with seat
belts in all seating positions.
Seat belts are the single most
effectivesafetydeviceforadultsand
larger children. (Inf ants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
The pickup bed is not equipped with
seats or seat belts. Do not let anyone
ride in the pickup bed as they can
easily be thrown out and be killed or
seriously injured.
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces and territories
require you to wear seat belts.
Your seat belt system also includes
an indicator on the instrument panel
and a beeper to remind you and your
passengers to f asten your seat belts.
Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in saf ety f eatures.
When properly worn, seat belts:
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including: frontal impacts
side impacts
rear impacts
rollovers
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Seat BeltsWhy Wear Seat Belt s
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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
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.
Allowing passengers to ride in
the pickup bed or on the tailgate
can result in death or serious
injury in a crash.
Make sure all passengers ride
in a seat and wear a seat belt
properly.
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety

Your vehicle has a supplemental
restraint system (SRS) with f ront
airbags to help protect the heads and
chests of the driver and a front seat
passenger during a moderate to
severe f rontal collision (see pagef or more inf ormation on how
your f ront airbags work). Your vehicle also has side airbags to
help protect the upper torso of the
driver or a front seat passenger
during a moderate to severe side
impact (see page for more
information on how your side
airbags work).
Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of
injury f rom an inf lating airbag and
allows you to get the best
advantage f rom the airbag.
Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every
crash. But in most cases, seat
belts can reduce your risk of
serious injury. Always wear
your seat belt, and make sure you
wear it properly. Help keep you f rom being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.
Keep you f rom being thrown out
of the vehicle.
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CONT INUED
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Airbags
What you should do:
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety

The rest of this section gives more
detailed inf ormation about how you
can maximize your saf ety.
The most important things you need
to know about your airbags are:
They are designed to supplement
the seat belts.
Remember, however, that no saf ety
system can prevent all injuries or
deaths that can occur in a severe
crash, even when seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags deploy.Always wear
your seat belt properly, and sit
upright and as f ar back f rom the
steering wheel as possible while
allowing f ull control of the vehicle. A
f ront passenger should move their
seat as far back from the dashboard
as possible.
To do their job, airbags must
inflate with tremendous force.
So, while airbags help save
lives, they can cause burns,
bruises, and other minor injuries,
and sometimes even fatal ones
if occupants are not wearing
their seat belts properly
and sitting correctly.
In addition, your vehicle has side
curtain airbags to help protect the
heads of the driver, f ront passenger,
and passengers in the outer rear
seating positions during a moderate
to severe side impact or rollover (see
page f or more inf ormation on how
your side curtain airbags work).
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Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Airbags do not replace seat belts. What you should do:
Airbags can pose serious hazards.
Airbags of f er no protection in rear
collisions, or minor f rontal or side collisions.
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety

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See pages f or important
guidelines on how to properly
protect infants, small children, and
larger children who ride in your
vehicle. The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver, adult passengers,
and teenage children who are large
enough and mature enough to drive
or ride in the f ront.
After everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors are closed
and locked. Bef ore driving, be sure
the tailgate is also closed.
Your vehicle has a door and
tailgate open indicator on
the instrument panel to indicate
when any door or the tailgate is not
tightly closed. Your vehicle also has an
In-Bed Trunk open
indicator to show when the In-Bed
Trunk lid is not tightly closed (see
page ). Your vehicle also has a tailgate, In-
Bed Trunk, and door open indicator
on the multi-information display to
indicate when the tailgate, the In-
Bed Trunk, or a specif ic door is not
tightly closed. You will see the
appropriate indicator(s) and
message(s) f or each condition.
You will also hear a beep when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position, and each time you open
any door, the tailgate, or the In-Bed
Trunk with the key in the ON (II)
position.
Your vehicle also has a
tailgate and door open
indicator on the inf ormation display
to indicate when the tailgate or a
specif ic door is not tightly closed.
You will see the appropriate
indicator(s) f or each condition.
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CONT INUED
On models with navigation system
On models without navigation system
Protecting A dults and Teens
Introduction
Close and L ock the Doors
1.
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety

When one or more doors are open,
the ‘‘DOOR OPEN’’ message will
come on.When the In-Bed Trunk is not tightly
closed, the ‘‘TRUNK OPEN’’
message will come on.When the tailgate is not tightly
closed, the ‘‘TAILGATE OPEN’’
message will come on.
Protecting A dults and Teens
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety

Adjust the driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible while allowing you to
maintain f ull control of the vehicle.
Have a front passenger adjust their
seat as far to the rear as possible.
Locking the doors reduces the
chance of someone being thrown out
of the vehicle during a crash, and it
helps prevent passengers f rom
accidentally opening a door and
f alling out.
Locking the doors also helps prevent
an outsider f rom unexpectedly
opening a door when you come to a
stop.
This vehicle has auto door locking/
unlocking f eatures. See page f or
how to set them.
When the In-Bed Trunk, tailgate,
and one or more doors are not
tightly closed, the ‘‘DOOR, TRUNK
& TAILGATE OPEN’’ message will
come on. 104
CONT INUED
Protecting A dults and Teens
Adjust the Front Seats
2.
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety

If you sit too close to the steering
wheel or dashboard, you can be
seriously injured by an inf lating f ront
airbag, or by striking the steering
wheel or dashboard.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.
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.
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. 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. In addition to
adjusting the seat, you can adjust the
steering wheel up and down (see
page ). 99
119
On RT, DX, VP, and Sport 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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Driver and Passenger Saf ety

Adjust the driver’s head restraint so
the center of the back of your head
rests against the center of the
restraint.
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. When a passenger is seated in the
rear center seating position, make
sure the center head restraint is
adjusted to its highest position.
Properly adjusted head restraints
will help protect occupants f rom
whiplash and other crash injuries.
Have passengers adjust their head
restraints properly as well. Taller
persons should adjust their restraint
as high as possible.
See page f or how to adjust the
manual adjustable seat-back, and
page f or the power adjustable
seat-back. See page f or how to adjust the
head restraints and how the driver’s
and f ront passenger’s active head
restraints work.
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Protecting A dults and Teens
A djust the Head Restraints
4.
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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. 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.
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety