2004 Honda Civic Owner's Manual - Page 32

Protecting Children General Guidelines Children who are unrestrained or improperly restrained can be seriously injured or killed in a crash. Any child too small for a seat belt should be properly restrained in a child seat. A larger child should be properly restrained with a seat belt and use a booster if necessary. Children depend on adults to protect them. However, despite their best intentions many adults do not know how to properly protect child passengers. If you have children, or if you ever need to drive with a child in your vehicle, be sure to read this section. It begins with important general guidelines, then presents special information for infants, small children, and larger children. All Children Must Be Restrained Each year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they are either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death of children ages 12 and under. To reduce the number of child deaths and injuries, every state and Canadian province requires that infants and children be properly restrained when they ride in a vehicle. CONTINUED Driver and Passenger Safety 29