Seat Belts; About Your Seat Belts - Honda CIVIC 2014 Manual

Seat Belts

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About Your Seat Belts

Seat belts are the single most effective safety device because they keep you connected to the
vehicle so that you can take advantage of many built-in safety features. They also help to
keep you from being thrown against the inside of the vehicle, against any passengers, or out
of the vehicle. When worn properly, seat belts also keep your body properly positioned in a
crash so that you can take full advantage of the additional protection provided by the
airbags.
In addition, seat belts help to protect you in almost every type of crash, including:
- frontal impacts
- side impacts
- rear impacts
- rollovers
■ Lap/shoulder seat belts
All five seating positions are equipped with lap/shoulder seat belts with emergency locking
retractors. In normal driving the retractor lets you move freely while keeping some tension on
the belt. During a collision or sudden stop the retractor locks to restrain your body.
The seat belt must be properly secured when using a front-facing child restraint system.
2 Installing a Child Restraint System with a Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt P. 60
■ Proper use of seat belts
Follow these guidelines for proper use:
• All occupants should sit upright, well back in the seat, and remain in that position for the
duration of the trip. Slouching and leaning reduce the effectiveness of the belt and can
increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
• Never place the shoulder part of a lap/shoulder seat belt under your arm or behind your
back. This could cause very serious injuries in a crash.
• Two people should never use the same seat belt. If they do, they could be very seriously
injured in a crash.
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