2004 Honda Civic Owner's Manual - Page 14

Protecting Adults and Teens The rest of this section gives more detailed information about how you can maximize your safety. Remember however, that no safety system can prevent all injures or deaths that can occur in severe crashes, even where seat belts are properly worn and the airbags deploy. The following pages provide instructions on how to properly protect the driver, adult passengers and teenage children who are large enough and mature enough to ride in the front seat. See page 30 for important guidelines on how to properly protect infants, small children, and larger children who ride in your vehicle. 1.Close and Lock the Doors After everyone has entered the vehicle, be sure the doors are closed and locked. Locking the doors reduces the chance of someone being thrown out of the vehicle during a crash and it helps prevent passengers from accidentally opening and falling out. Locking the doors also helps prevent an outsider from unexpectedly opening a door when you come to a stop. See page 72 for how to lock the doors. 2.Adjust the Front Seats Adjust the driver's seat as far to the rear as possible while allowing you to maintain full control of the vehicle. Have a front passenger adjust their seat as far to the rear as possible. If you sit too close to the steering wheel or dashboard, you can be seriously injured by an inflating front airbag, or by striking the steering wheel or dashboard. CONTINUED Driver and Passenger Safety 11