(1) - Cabin with reinforced racks; (2) - Zones of shock-mitigating deformation; (3) - Seats with backs; (4) - Headrests; (5) - Folding steering column upon impact; (6) - Seat belts; (7) - Front airbags; (8) - Automatic seat belt tensioners (additional equipment); (9) - Side airbags (additional equipment)
The cars considered in this Guide are equipped with a set of tools designed to protect the driver and passengers in the event of a traffic accident. This includes seat belts installed on all vehicle seats and other devices that effectively complement the belts.
Some components of the security system, being an integral part of the vehicle design, do not require additional attention from the vehicle owner. These include a strong steel frame that forms the structure of the cab, inside which is the cabin, front and rear deformation zones that absorb impact energy in a collision; safety folding steering column upon impact; as well as automatic seat belt tensioners (additional equipment), which automatically tension the belts in the event of an impact.
Seat belts
To ensure the safety of the driver and passengers, all car seats are equipped with seat belts.
A special rabbit lamp is mounted in the instrument panel of some models, reminding the driver and passengers of the need to fasten their seat belts.
Driver and Passenger Airbags
SRS, more commonly known as airbags, is standard on some models to protect the driver and front passenger from head or chest impact on the steering wheel/dashboard in the event of a severe frontal impact.
Additional equipment may also include side airbags that provide protection for the driver and front passenger in side impacts.
The owner of a car equipped with the SRS system must know the most important points about the design and operation of the system elements:
- a) The presence of airbags is by no means an excuse for neglecting the use of seat belts. SRS should only be used in conjunction with seat belts and other passive safety equipment;
- b) The front airbags do not provide protection in the event of a side impact or a rear impact. In addition, the modules are triggered only during high-intensity directed impacts, i.e. the system does not provide protection for weak frontal collisions;
- c) Side airbags do not provide protection in the event of a frontal collision and rear impact, in addition, they also work only when the side impact energy exceeds a certain intensity threshold, which is not always the case when the car is turned over;
- d) Deployment of the airbag can cause injury.
In order to effectively perform its protective function, the airbag must deploy from the collapsed state to the operational state in a very short time. Therefore, the airbag, while protecting the driver/front passenger from serious injury, in some cases saving their lives, can cause injury and sometimes serious injury or death if the driver or front passenger was not properly fastened with seat belts or was in an emergency. seating position.
To reduce the risk of airbag injury, always wear your seat belt and position yourself in the driver's seat as far away from the steering wheel/dashboard as possible.
The position of the seats and their backs
The design of car seats guarantees maximum comfort for the person sitting in them, while at the same time providing conditions for the most effective performance of their functions by seat belts and airbags. The soft padding of the cushions and backrests provides additional protection for the seated person in emergency situations.
Adjusting the position of the seat also affects the safety of the person sitting in it. For example, sitting too close to the steering wheel/dashboard increases the risk of injury from airbag deployment, as well as the risk of being thrown through the windshield.
Increasing the recline of the seatback will worsen the seatbelt's body retention - the more the backrest is tilted back, the more likely the body is to slip under the lap section of the seatbelt in a severe frontal impact, and the more severe the injuries can be.
Fix the position of the front seat in the position as far as possible from the steering wheel / instrument panel, bring the backrest to a vertical position.
Headrests
Head restraints prevent injury to the cervical spine and head in a rear impact. The head restraint must be adjusted in height so that its upper cut is flush with the upper edge of the ear of the seated person.
Rules for the use of passive safety equipment for the driver and passengers
The following instructions will guide the reader on how to ensure maximum protection for all occupants of the vehicle.
Doors
After the driver and all passengers have taken their seats in the cabin, make sure that all vehicle doors are tightly closed.
The car is equipped with a special control lamp that lights up when one or more car doors are not closed tightly.
Front seats
A driver sitting too close to the instrument panel is at increased risk of injury, including serious injury or death from hitting the steering wheel or deploying an airbag in the event of an accident.
To avoid the risk of injury, properly fasten your seat belt, return the seatback to an upright position and press your back firmly against it while moving the seat as far away from the steering wheel as possible. In this case, of course, the driver must provide himself with a good overview and the ability to conveniently manipulate all the controls of the car. Make sure the front passenger seat is also as far away from the instrument panel as possible.
Warning! If the driver's and front passenger's seats are too close to the steering wheel/dashboard in the event of an accident, serious injury or even death can result. Try to always position the front seats as far away from the airbag modules as possible.
The vast majority of drivers (even short stature) can move the driver's seat as far as possible from the steering wheel, while freely reaching the pedals. However, if you are concerned about the position of the driver's seat being too close to the steering wheel, the compilers of this Guide recommend that you pay attention to some types of auxiliary equipment - Honda's authorized service stations can always get comprehensive information on this issue.
After making sure that the seat is in the correct position, check the reliability of its fixation. Instructions for adjusting the position of the front seats are given in Section Vehicle equipment, arrangement of instruments and controls.
Adjust the backrest of the driver's seat, bringing it to the most convenient position for your physique, as close as possible to the vertical position, while leaving sufficient space between the chest and the steering wheel hub, in which the airbag is mounted. Be aware that placing the driver/front passenger too close to the instrument panel greatly increases the risk of injury from airbag deployment. Too much backrest tilt causes the shoulder section of the belt not to be pressed against the chest, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the protective functions of the belt. The more the seat back is tilted back, the more likely the occupant's body will slide under the lumbar section in a severe vehicle frontal impact, and the more severe the injuries can be. For seat back adjustment instructions, see Section Vehicle equipment, arrangement of instruments and controls.
Headrests
Before driving, make sure that the position of the head restraints on each of the seats meets the necessary requirements, ensuring proper 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 central part is flush with the back of the head. If this cannot be achieved, the head restraint should be set to its highest position.
Warning! Improperly positioned head restraints reduce their effectiveness and increase the risk of serious injury in a crash. Head restraint adjustment instructions are given in Section Vehicle equipment, arrangement of instruments and controls.
Seat belts
Snap the belt buckle buckle into the buckle, then pull the shoulder section strap up to check that the buckle is securely locked into the buckle. Make sure the strap is not twisted - a twisted strap is dangerous in itself.
Lower the lap section of the belt as far as possible, placing it as low as possible on the hips. By pulling on the shoulder section, take up any slack and try to get the belt snug against your body. If necessary, tighten the belt and achieve a snug fit of its shoulder section to the body. The strap should pass diagonally across the ribcage of the seated person in such a way that the load on impact falls mainly on the strongest upper torso.
Warning! Failure to wear seat belts can result in serious injury in the event of an accident.
The driver of the vehicle, having fastened his seat belt, must check that all passengers are also properly fastened.
The correct position of the lap section of the belt will provide the safest repayment of the inertia of the body in the event of an accident, holding it by the strong bones of the hip joint. If the strap passes over the shoulder of the arm, the position of the upper anchorage of the strap on the car pillar should be corrected.
To adjust the position of the upper harness anchor, press the release buttons and slide the anchor up or down on the rack-mounted rail until the shoulder section of the harness is correctly positioned in relation to the neck. The mount has four fixed positions.
Warning! Never pass the shoulder section of the belt under your arm and do not wind it behind your back - this can be fraught with the most serious consequences in an accident.
A malfunctioning seat belt will not provide adequate protection to the driver/passenger in the event of an accident. Improper use of seat belts entails a serious risk of injury, damage and even death. If you are not sure that the adjustments are correct, have a Honda dealer check how the seat belts function. Additional information on seat belts on a car is presented in Section Vehicle equipment, arrangement of instruments and controls.
Steering column
The steering column must be adjusted so that the steering wheel hub is against the driver's chest. The position in which the steering wheel hub is opposite the driver's face is incorrect, since it reduces the protective functions of the front airbag mounted in it. A description of the procedure for adjusting the position of the steering wheel is given in Section Vehicle equipment, arrangement of instruments and controls.
Landing on the seat
After the driver and all passengers have taken their seats in the car, adjusted their seats and put on their seat belts, they should put their body in the correct position, pressing their backs firmly against the seat back and placing their feet firmly on the floor of the cabin. Feet should not come off the floor until the car comes to a complete stop and the engine is turned off.
Poor seating while driving increases the risk of injury in a crash. For example, if passengers are crouched, lying down, turning sideways, leaning forward or sideways, or climbing into the seat with their feet, the risk of serious injury as a result of an accident increases significantly.
In addition, front passengers sitting in the wrong seating position can be seriously injured by the interior trim parts breaking as a result of a crash or by the front airbag deploying.
In a vehicle equipped with side airbags, if the front passenger's head is tilted to the side while driving and is in the airbag deployment area, the risk of serious injury and injury in an accident is greatly increased.
Try to maintain the correct seating position throughout the trip, keeping your back firmly pressed against the seat back and placing your feet on the floor. Remember that upright seating and the proper use of seat belts increase the effectiveness of all safety features that the car is equipped with.
Recommendations for pregnant women
Keeping a pregnant woman safe in a traffic accident is the best way to save a fetus. Therefore, when driving (as driver or passenger) a pregnant woman must wear a seat belt without fail, paying special attention to the correct placement of its sections relative to her body.
When using belts with a diagonal lap design, remember that the lap section should be located as low as possible.
A pregnant woman should also occupy an upright position on the seat. At the same time, the front seat should be moved as far as possible from the instrument panel, which will reduce the risk of injury or injury not only for the mother, but also for the fetus in the event of a traffic accident or deployment of the front airbag.
At each visit to the doctor you see during pregnancy, ask if it is desirable for you to drive a car.
Transportation of children
To ensure the safety of transporting young and middle-aged children, special child seats and restraints should be used. If necessary, consult a Honda Service Center.
Additional Recommendations
It is forbidden to use the same seat belt for fastening two people at the same time. In this case, the belt will not perform its protective functions and passengers may be seriously injured in an accident.
Do not attach any pads or other objects to the seat belt straps. Installing additional items or changing the position of the shoulder section can reduce the effectiveness of the seat belts and increase the chance of injury in a crash.
Do not place hard or sharp objects between your body and the front airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp objects on your knees, or driving with a smoking pipe or other sharp objects in your mouth in an accident can result in serious injury.
To prevent the risk of unauthorized deployment of the front airbags, try to keep your hands away from the locations of their modules on the instrument panel and steering wheel hub.
On models equipped with side airbags, do not attach solid objects to or near the interior panels of the front doors. When the side airbag deploys, the cup holders or other items attached to the front door interior panel may be torn off, risking injury to the front passenger.