Driver and Passenger Safety -> Protecting Infants and Small Children for Your Honda CR-V SUV Second Generation (2001-2005)

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Protecting Infants and Small Children  
Protecting Infants  
Two types of seats may be used: a  
Rear-facing Child Seat Placement  
A rear-facing child seat can be placed  
in any seating position in the back  
seat, but not in the front. Never put a  
rear-facing child seat in the front  
seat.  
seat designed exclusively for infants,  
or a convertible seat used in the rear-  
facing, reclining mode.  
Do not put a rear-facing child seat in  
a forward-facing position. If placed  
facing forward, an infant could be  
very seriously injured during a  
frontal collision.  
If the passenger’s front airbag  
inflates, it can hit the back of the  
child seat with enough force to kill or  
seriously injure an infant.  
When properly installed in the back  
seat, a rear-facing child seat may  
prevent the driver or a front  
passenger from moving their seat as  
far back as recommended, or from  
locking their seat-back in the desired  
position. It could also interfere with  
proper operation of the passenger’s  
advanced front airbag system.  
Child Seat Type  
An infant must be properly  
restrained in a rear-facing, reclining  
child seat until the child reaches the  
seat maker’s weight or height limit  
for the seat and the child is at least  
one year old.  
Only a rear-facing child seat provides  
proper support for a baby’s head,  
neck, and back.  
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Protecting Infants and Small Children  
In any of these situations, we  
Protecting Small Children  
We also recommend that a small  
child use the child seat until the child  
reaches the weight or height limit  
for the seat.  
strongly recommend that you install  
the child seat directly behind the  
front passenger’s seat, move the seat  
as far forward as needed, and leave it  
unoccupied. Or, you may wish to get  
a smaller rear-facing child seat.  
Child Seat Placement  
We strongly recommend placing a  
forward-facing child seat in a back  
seat, not the front.  
Placing a rear-facing child seat  
in the front seat can result in  
serious injury or death during a  
collision.  
Placing a forward-facing child seat in  
the front seat of a vehicle equipped  
with a passenger’s airbag can be  
hazardous. If the vehicle seat is too  
far forward, or the child’s head is  
thrown forward during a collision, an  
inflating airbag can strike the child  
with enough force to cause very  
serious or fatal injuries.  
Child Seat Type  
Always place a rear-facing child  
seat in the back seat, not the  
front.  
A child who is at least one year old,  
and who fits within the child seat  
maker’s weight and height limits,  
should be restrained in a forward-  
facing, upright child seat.  
Of the different seats available, we  
recommend those that have a five-  
point harness system as shown.  
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Protecting Infants and Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat  
Selecting a Child Seat  
In seating positions and vehicles not  
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-  
compatible child seat can be installed  
using a seat belt.  
Even with advanced front airbags  
that automatically turn the  
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.  
passenger’s front airbag off (see  
page 30 ), a back seat is the safest  
place for a small child.  
Whatever type of seat you choose, to  
provide proper protection, a child  
seat should meet three  
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.  
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.  
requirements:  
1.The child seat should meet U.S. or  
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety  
Standard 213.  
Look for FMVSS  
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.  
Since LATCH-compatible child seats  
are easier to install and reduce the  
possibility of improper installation,  
we recommend selecting this style.  
Placing a forward-facing child  
seat in the front seat can result  
in serious injury or death if the  
front airbag inflates.  
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.  
We also recommend selecting a  
LATCH-compatible seat with a rigid,  
rather than a flexible, anchor (see  
page 41 ).  
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.  
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Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat  
3.The child seat should fit the  
vehicle seating position (or  
Installing a Child Seat  
movement can be expected and  
should not reduce the child seat’s  
effectiveness.  
After selecting a proper child seat  
and a good place to install the seat,  
there are three main steps in  
installing the seat:  
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.  
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 firmly secured.  
1.Properly secure the child seat to  
the 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.  
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.  
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.  
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.  
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  
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Installing a Child Seat  
Installing a Child Seat with  
LATCH  
Your vehicle is equipped with  
LATCH (lower anchors and tethers  
for children) at the outer rear seats.  
BUTTON  
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 with  
LATCH.  
Rigid type  
LOWER ANCHORS  
The location of each lower anchor is  
indicated by a small button above the  
anchor point.  
To install a LATCH-compatible child  
seat:  
3. Place the child seat on the vehicle  
seat, then attach the seat to the  
lower anchors according to the  
child seat maker’s instructions.  
1. Move the seat belt buckle or  
tongue away from the lower  
anchors.  
Some LATCH-compatible seats  
have a rigid-type connector as  
shown above.  
2. Make sure there are no objects  
near the anchors that could  
prevent a secure connection  
between the child seat and the  
anchors.  
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Installing a Child Seat  
ANCHOR  
Flexible type  
TETHER STRAP HOOK  
Other LATCH-compatible seats  
have a flexible-type connector as  
shown above.  
5. Remove the head restraint (see  
page 80 ). Make sure the removed  
head restraint is secured in the  
cargo area. Reinstall the head  
restraint when the child seat is  
removed.  
8. Attach the tether strap hook to the  
tether anchor in the ceiling, then  
tighten the strap as instructed by  
the child seat maker.  
4. Whatever type you have, follow  
the child seat maker’s instructions  
for adjusting or tightening the fit.  
9. Push and pull the child seat  
forward and from side-to-side to  
verify that it is secure.  
6. Route the tether strap over the  
seat-back, making sure the strap is  
not twisted.  
7. Locate the appropriate anchor  
cover, and pull it down and out to  
expose the tether anchor.  
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Installing a Child Seat  
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 locking mechanism  
that must be activated to secure a  
child seat.  
If you intend to install a child seat in  
the center seating position of the  
rear seat, make sure the detachable  
seat belt anchor is securely latched.  
1. With the child seat in the desired  
seating position, route the belt  
through the child seat according  
to the seat maker’s instructions,  
then insert the latch plate into the  
buckle.  
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 the  
retractor.  
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  
To deactivate the locking  
mechanism and remove a child seat,  
unlatch the buckle, unroute the seat  
belt, and let the belt fully retract.  
4. After confirming that the belt is  
locked, 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.  
5. Push and pull the child seat  
forward 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 these  
steps.  
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.  
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Installing a Child Seat  
Installing a Child Seat with a  
Tether  
Using an Outer Anchor  
ANCHOR  
TETHER ANCHORAGE POINTS  
COVER  
TETHER STRAP HOOK  
1. After properly securing the child  
seat (see page 43 ), remove the  
head restraint, then route the  
tether strap over the seat-back.  
Make sure to store the removed  
head restraint in the cargo area  
and to reinstall it when the child  
seat is removed.  
2. Remove the cover with a small  
flat-tipped screwdriver or  
fingernail file.  
A child seat with a tether can be  
installed in any seating position in  
the back seat, using one of the  
anchorage points shown above.  
3. Attach the tether strap hook to the  
anchor, making sure the strap is  
not twisted.  
Since a tether can provide additional  
security to the lap/shoulder belt  
installation, we recommend using a  
tether whenever one is required or  
available.  
4. Tighten the strap according to the  
seat maker’s instructions.  
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Installing a Child Seat, Protecting Larger Children  
Using the Center Anchor  
Protecting Larger Children  
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 a lap/shoulder  
belt.  
ANCHOR  
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.  
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.  
TETHER STRAP HOOK  
1. After properly securing the child  
seat (see page 43 ), remove the  
head restraint, then route the  
tether strap over the seat-back.  
Make sure to store the removed  
head restraint in the cargo area  
and to reinstall it when the child  
seat is removed.  
2. Follow steps 2 through 4 in the  
previous page.  
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Protecting Larger Children  
Checking Seat Belt Fit  
3. Does the shoulder belt cross  
Using a Booster Seat  
between 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.  
To determine if a lap/shoulder belt  
properly fits a child, have the child  
put on the seat belt, then ask  
yourself:  
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.  
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  
Some states and Canadian provinces  
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 or provinces where you intend  
to drive.  
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.  
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.  
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.  
When Can a Larger Child Sit in  
Front  
The National Highway Traffic Safety  
Administration and Transport  
Canada recommend that all children  
age 12 and under be properly  
restrained in a back seat.  
Booster seats can be high-back or  
low-back. Whichever style you select,  
make sure the booster seat meets  
federal safety standards (see page  
33 ) and that you follow the booster  
seat maker’s instructions.  
Physical Size  
Physically, a child must be large  
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to  
properly fit (see pages and ). If  
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  
belt properly.  
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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.  
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  
If you decide that a child can safely  
ride up front, be sure to:  
Additional Safety Precautions  
Do not let a child wear a seat belt  
across the neck. This could result  
in serious neck injuries during a  
crash.  
Do not put any accessories on a  
seat belt. Devices intended to  
improve a child’s comfort or  
reposition the shoulder part of a  
seat belt can make the belt less  
effective and increase the chance  
of serious injury in a crash.  
Carefully read the owner’s manual,  
and make sure you understand all  
seat belt instructions and all safety  
information.  
Do not let a child put the shoulder  
part of a seat belt behind the back  
or under the arm. This could  
cause very serious injuries during  
a crash. It also increases the  
chance that the child will slide  
under the belt in a crash and be  
injured.  
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.  
Check that the child’s seat belt is  
properly and securely positioned.  
Two children should never use the  
same seat belt. If they do, they  
could be very seriously injured in a  
crash.  
Supervise the child. Even a mature  
children sometimes needs to be  
reminded to fasten the seat belts  
or sit properly.  
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Carbon Monoxide Hazard  
Your vehicle’s exhaust contains  
carbon monoxide gas. You should  
have no problem with carbon  
monoxide entering the vehicle in  
normal driving if you maintain your  
vehicle properly.  
With the tailgate/hatch glass open,  
airflow can pull exhaust gas into your  
vehicle’s interior and create a  
hazardous condition. If you must  
drive with the tailgate/hatch glass  
open, open all the windows and set  
the heating and cooling system as  
shown below.  
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.  
Breathing it can cause  
unconsciousness and even kill  
you.  
Have the exhaust system inspected  
for leaks whenever:  
Avoid any enclosed areas or  
activities that expose you to  
carbon monoxide.  
If you must sit in your parked vehicle  
with the engine running, even in an  
unconfined area, adjust the heating  
and cooling system as follows:  
The vehicle is raised for an oil  
change.  
High levels of carbon monoxide can  
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,  
such as a garage. Do not run the  
engine with the garage door closed.  
Even with the door open, run the  
engine only long enough to move the  
vehicle out of the garage.  
You notice a change in the sound  
of the exhaust.  
1. Select the fresh air mode.  
2. Select the  
mode.  
The vehicle was in an accident  
that may have damaged the  
underside.  
3. Turn the fan on high speed.  
4. Set the temperature control to a  
comfortable setting.  
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