2006 Honda Ridgeline Owner's Manual - Page 22

Additional Information About Your Seat Belts All seat belts have an emergency locking retractor. In normal driving, the retractor lets you move freely in your seat while it keeps some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop, the retractor automatically locks the belt to help restrain your body. The seat belts in all seating positions except the driver's have an additional locking mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat (see page 42 ). If the shoulder part of the belt is pulled all the way out, the locking mechanism will activate. The belt will retract, but it will not allow the passenger to move freely. To deactivate the locking mechanism, unlatch the buckle and let the seat belt fully retract. To refasten the seat belt, pull it out only as far as needed. For added protection, the front seat belts are equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners. When activated, the tensioners immediately tighten the belts to help hold the driver and a front passenger in place. The tensioners are designed to activate in any collision severe enough to cause the front airbags to deploy, or if a sensor detects your vehicle is about to rollover (see page 26 ). Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners If a side curtain airbag deploys during a side impact, the tensioner on that side of the vehicle will also deploy. The tensioners can also be activated during a collision in which the front airbags do not deploy. In this case, the airbags would not be needed, but the additional restraint could be helpful. When the tensioners are activated, the seat belts will remain tight until they are unbuckled in the normal manner. If the front seat belt tensioners ever activate, they must be replaced as the belts will no longer retract properly. 20