Vehicle Safety System Components

Vehicle Safety System Components

(1) — Reinforced-pillar passenger compartment
(2) — Impact-absorbing deformation zones
(3) — Seatbacks
(4) — Head restraints
(5) — Collapsible steering column
(6) — Seat belts
(7) — Front airbags
(8) — Seat belt pretensioners (optional equipment)
(9) — Side airbags (optional equipment)

The vehicles covered in this Manual are equipped with a set of devices designed to protect the driver and passengers in the event of a traffic accident. These include seat belts installed on all seats and other devices that effectively supplement the seat belts.

Some safety system components are an integral part of the vehicle structure and do not require additional attention from the vehicle owner. These include the strong steel frame forming the passenger compartment structure, the front and rear energy-absorbing deformation zones that absorb impact energy in a collision, the injury-reducing collapsible steering column, as well as the seat belt pretensioners (optional equipment), which automatically tension the belts in the event of an impact.

Seat Belts
To ensure the safety of the driver and passengers, all seats in the vehicle are equipped with seat belts.

Some models have a special warning lamp built into the instrument panel that reminds the driver and passengers to fasten their seat belts.

Some models come standard with the SRS supplemental restraint system, better known as airbags, designed to protect the driver and front passenger from head or chest impact against the steering wheel/instrument panel in the event of a severe frontal collision.

Optional equipment may also include side airbags, which protect the driver and front passenger in side impacts.

The vehicle owner whose vehicle is equipped with the SRS must know the most important points about the design and operating principle of the system components:

a) The presence of airbags must never be used as a reason to neglect the use of seat belts. The SRS must be used only in combination with seat belts and other passive safety devices;
b) Front airbags do not provide protection in a side impact or a rear impact. In addition, the modules deploy only in high-severity frontal impacts, i.e., the system does not provide protection in low-severity frontal collisions;
c) Side airbags do not provide protection in a frontal collision or a rear impact. In addition, they deploy only when the energy of a side impact exceeds a certain severity threshold, which is not always the case in a vehicle rollover;
d) Airbag deployment may cause injury.

To effectively perform its protective function, the airbag must inflate from the folded state to the operating state in a very short time. Therefore, although the airbag protects the driver/front passenger from serious injury and in some cases saves their life, it may cause injury, and sometimes serious injury up to and including death, if the driver or front passenger was not properly restrained by the seat belt or was in an improper position on the seat.

To reduce the risk of injury from the airbag, always wear your seat belt and sit in the driver's seat at the greatest possible distance from the steering wheel/instrument panel.

Seat and Seatback Position
The design of the vehicle seats provides maximum comfort for the occupant while ensuring the most effective performance of the seat belts and airbags. The soft padding of the cushions and seatbacks provides additional protection for the occupant in emergency situations.

Seat adjustment also affects the safety of the occupant. For example, a seat positioned too close to the steering wheel/instrument panel increases the risk of injury when the airbag deploys, as well as the risk of being thrown through the windshield.

Reclining the seatback reduces the effectiveness of the seat belt restraint: the further the seatback is reclined, the greater the likelihood that the occupant will slide under the lap portion of the seat belt in a severe frontal impact, and the more severe the injuries may be.

Set the front seat to the position farthest from the steering wheel/instrument panel, and return the seatback to the upright position.

Head Restraints
Head restraints help prevent injury to the cervical spine and head in a rear impact. Adjust the head restraint height so that its top is level with the top of the occupant's ears.

Rules for Using the Passive Safety Devices for the Driver and Passengers
The instructions below introduce the reader to ways of providing maximum protection for everyone in the vehicle.

Doors
After the driver and all passengers have taken their seats in the vehicle, make sure that all vehicle doors are securely closed.
The vehicle is equipped with a special warning lamp that illuminates when one or more vehicle doors are not fully closed.

Front Seats
A driver seated too close to the instrument panel is at increased risk of injury, up to and including serious injury or death, from striking the steering wheel or from airbag deployment in the event of a traffic accident.

To avoid the risk of injury, properly fasten the seat belt, return the seatback to the upright position, and sit firmly against it, while moving the seat to the position farthest from the steering wheel. The driver must, of course, maintain a good view of the road and be able to comfortably operate all vehicle controls. Make sure the front passenger seat is also positioned as far as possible from the instrument panel.

A driver or front passenger seat positioned too close to the steering wheel/instrument panel in the event of a traffic accident may result in serious injury or even death.

Always keep the front seats at the maximum distance from the airbag modules.
The large majority of drivers (even those of short stature) can move the driver's seat as far back from the steering wheel as needed while still reaching the pedals comfortably. However, if you are concerned about the driver's seat being too close to the steering wheel, the authors of this Manual recommend that you consider certain auxiliary equipment; complete information on this subject is always available at authorized Honda service stations.

After making sure the seat is correctly positioned, check that it is securely locked. Instructions for adjusting the front seats are given in the Vehicle Equipment, Instrument and Control Locations section.

Adjust the driver's seatback recline to the most comfortable position for your body size, as close to vertical as possible, while leaving sufficient space between your chest and the steering wheel hub, which houses the airbag. Remember that sitting too close to the instrument panel by the driver or front passenger significantly increases the risk of injury when the airbags deploy.

Excessive seatback recline prevents the shoulder portion of the belt from lying against the chest, which substantially reduces the protective effectiveness of the belt. The further the seatback is reclined, the greater the likelihood that the occupant will slide under the lap portion of the belt in a severe frontal collision, and the more serious the injuries may be. Refer to the Vehicle Equipment, Instrument Panel and Controls section for seat adjustment instructions.

Head Restraints

Before driving, make sure the head restraint on each seat is in the proper position to provide adequate protection of the cervical spine and the head of the occupant in a rear impact. The head restraint must be adjusted in height so that its center is level with the back of the head. If this cannot be achieved, set the head restraint to its highest position.

An incorrect head restraint position reduces its protective effectiveness and increases the risk of serious injury in a traffic accident. Refer to the Vehicle Equipment, Instrument Panel and Controls section for head restraint adjustment instructions.

Seat Belts
Insert the buckle tongue into the buckle until it latches, then pull up on the shoulder portion to confirm the tongue is securely latched. Make sure the belt webbing is not twisted, as a twisted belt is itself unsafe.

Position the lap portion of the belt as low as possible on the hips. Pull on the shoulder portion to remove slack and make the belt fit snugly against the body. If necessary, tighten the belt so that the shoulder portion fits snugly against the torso. The webbing must cross the occupant's chest diagonally so that impact loads are carried mainly by the strongest part of the upper body.

Failure to use seat belts properly may result in serious injury or death in the event of a traffic accident.

The driver, after fastening their own seat belt, must make sure that all passengers are also properly restrained.

Correct positioning of the lap portion of the belt ensures the safest restraint of the body in a crash, holding it by the strong bones of the pelvis. If the shoulder portion crosses the arm, adjust the position of the upper seat belt anchor on the pillar.

To adjust the upper seat belt anchor, press the release buttons and slide the anchor up or down along the guide track in the pillar until the shoulder portion sits correctly relative to the neck. The anchor has four fixed positions.

Never place the shoulder portion of the belt under the arm or behind the back, as this may have the most serious consequences in a crash.

A seat belt that does not function properly cannot provide adequate protection for the driver or passenger in a traffic accident. Improper use of seat belts carries a serious risk of injury, damage and even death. If you are not sure that the adjustments are correct, have a Honda dealer service station check the seat belt operation. Additional information on the seat belts of your vehicle is provided in the Vehicle Equipment, Instrument Panel and Controls section.

Steering Column
The steering column must be adjusted so that the steering wheel hub is positioned facing the driver's chest. A position in which the steering wheel hub faces the driver's face is incorrect, because it reduces the protective function of the front airbag built into it. Refer to the Vehicle Equipment, Instrument Panel and Controls section for the steering wheel position adjustment procedure.

Seating Position
After the driver and all passengers have entered the vehicle, adjusted their seats, and fastened their seat belts, they must assume the correct seating position by sitting upright with their back pressed firmly against the seatback and their feet placed firmly on the floor. Feet must remain on the floor until the vehicle has come to a complete stop and the engine has been turned off.

Incorrect seating position while the vehicle is in motion increases the risk of injury in a collision. If passengers sit hunched over, lie down, turn sideways, lean forward or to the side, or sit with their feet on the seat, the risk of serious injury in an accident increases significantly.

In addition, front passengers who assume an incorrect position on the seat may be seriously injured by interior trim components that break during an impact, or by deployment of the front airbag.

If, on a vehicle equipped with side airbags, the head of a front passenger is leaning to the side during driving and is within the deployment zone of the airbag, the risk of serious injury in an accident increases considerably.

Maintain the correct seating position throughout the entire trip, keeping your back firmly against the seatback and your feet on the floor. Remember that an upright seating position and correct use of the seat belts increase the effectiveness of all the safety systems with which the vehicle is equipped.

Recommendations for Pregnant Women
Ensuring the safety of a pregnant woman in a traffic accident is the best way to protect the fetus. Therefore, when riding in a vehicle (as a driver or passenger), a pregnant woman must always wear her seat belt, paying particular attention to the correct positioning of its sections relative to her body.

When using a combination lap and shoulder belt, remember that the lap portion must be positioned as low as possible.

A pregnant woman must also sit upright in the seat. The front seat should be moved as far back from the instrument panel as possible, which reduces the risk of injury not only to the mother but also to the fetus in the event of a traffic accident or deployment of the front airbag.

At each visit to your doctor during pregnancy, ask whether it is advisable for you to drive a vehicle.

Transporting Children
To ensure the safety of infants and young children, use child safety seats and restraint systems designed for them. If necessary, consult a Honda service center representative.

Additional Recommendations
Do not use the same seat belt to restrain two people at the same time. In this case the belt will not perform its protective function, and passengers may suffer serious injuries in a collision.
Do not attach any covers or other objects to the seat belt webbing. Installing additional items or changing the position of the shoulder belt anchor may reduce the effectiveness of the seat belts and increase the risk of injury in an accident.

Do not place hard or sharp objects between your body and the front airbag.

Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp objects in your mouth, may result in serious injury in an accident.

To reduce the risk of unintended front airbag deployment, do not place your hands near the airbag modules located in the instrument panel and the steering wheel hub.

On models equipped with side airbags, do not attach hard objects to or near the inner panels of the front doors. When a side airbag deploys, cup holders or other items attached to the inner door panel may be torn loose and cause injury to the front passenger.