Important Safety Precautions - Honda Civic Coupe 2004 Owner's Manual

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Important Safety Precautions

You'll find many safety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
moderate to severe frontal or side
collision. 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
Restrain All Children
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in the back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster
and a lap/shoulder belt until they
6
Driver and Passenger Safety
can use the belt properly without a
booster (see page
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
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.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Don't Drink and Drive
Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
14 ). your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don't drink
and drive, and don't let your friends
drink and drive, either.
Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
32 ).
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe
Condition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page 203 ).