2000 Honda Odyssey Owner's Manual - Page 40

Protecting Children Additional Precautions for Small Children Never hold a small child on your lap. If you are not wearing a seat belt in a crash, you could be thrown forward into the dashboard and crush the child. If you are wearing a seat belt, the child can be torn from your arms during a crash. For example, if your vehicle crashes into a parked vehicle at 30 mph (48 km/h), a 30-lb (14 kg) child will become a 900-lb (410 kg) force, and you will not be able to hold on. Never put a seat belt over yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt could press deep into the child and cause very serious injuries. Protecting Larger Children When a child reaches the recommended weight or height limit for a forward-facing child seat, the child should sit in the back seat and wear a lap/shoulder belt. If a child is too short for the shoulder part of the belt to properly fit, we recommend that the child use a booster seat until tall enough to use the seat belt without a booster. 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 children who must sit in the front seat. Allowing a larger child to sit improperly in the front seat can result in injury or death if the airbags inflate. If a larger child must sit in front, make sure the child moves the seat as far back as possible and wears the seat belt properly. CONTINUED Driver and Passenger Safety