2001 MAZDA MODEL PROTÉGÉ airbag

Ess€ntial Safety Equipment
I Installing Child-Restraint Slstems
Accident statistics reveal that achild is
safer in the rear sea1. The front
passengeas seat is cl$fly rhe worst
choice for any child under 12, and with
rearfacing child-restraint systems il is
clearly unsafe due to airbags.
Some child-restraint systems now come
with tethers and therefore must be
instdled on lhe seais thai take tethers to
be effective. In your Mazda. tethered
child-restraint systems can only be
accommodated in tbe three positions on
Sorne child-restraint systems also emplo]
specially designed LAfCH attachmenls;
refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint
Stslems" (page 2 27).
Awtnu^tc
Tethercd C hia-Resttuint S$tems
wo* Onb on Rear Seat:
Insto ation of a tether equipped
chiu-rcstraint ststem in the fuo t
Ntsenger seat delbats the safetr
des;gn ofthe srsten and wi result
in an incleased chonce ofseious
inju.r if the chiaaestruint srsten
soes foNad without benefit of
being tethercd. Place tether equipped
.hild-restruint slstens wherc therc
Awenumc
Seating Positiotr t!,ith S le Ab Bag:
A owing anrone to lean orer or
against the front door is dangercus.
If the yehicle b equrrped h,ith side
air boes, the inpact of an infuting
side ab bag could cause serious
Wury or death to the percon.
Chiuren arc norc likelr to sleepin
the vehicle; when ther do,ther aR
nofe at sk in the ffont passenge.'s
seat that has a side air bag because
the! nu! slump owr i,tto th. poth oI
the seatba.k-nounted air bag. If a
chiucan't be seated in the rear, do
not a oh, the chid to lean ovat or
agdinst the front door, eve if the
chid is seated in a chiA-ftstraint
2.23

Essential Safety Equipment
For earngbl sal ror rear len $d
4. Ifyour child restrainisysiem requiresthe use ofa |elher strap, hook thel,ether strap by following thenranulacturer's inslructions.
V If you must use th€ FRONT SEAT
for children
Ifyou cannot put ali children in the rear
seal. al least put lhe smallest in the rear
sea! and be sure the largest child up fronr
uses lhe shoulderbelt over rhe shoulder
Do not put reaFfacing cbjld,resrrainr
systems on the fronr passenger's seat.
This seat is also not set up for tetber€d
cbild-restraint sysrems. put them in oneof the tbree rear seat posirions set up wiih
Don't allow anyone 10 sleep against the
right front door if you have an optional
side airbag. itcould cause serious
injuries to an out ofposition occupant.
As children more often sleep in cars, it isbetler to put them in the rear seai_ If
ins(alling tbe child-restraint system on
the front seat is unavoidable, follow rhesenstruclions when using a front-facing
child reslraint system in the front
:sone modek. 2-25

Essential Safery Equipment
Aw,qn^til,{c
Air Bags without Seat Bela:
Dependi g onlr on the air bags forp.otettion duing an accident is
dangerous. Alone, air bags ma! not
prcvent seious inider. The
awropnak ab bags can be erye.ted
to in|tate onlr during atontal, sine
or neat-ftontal collision of at least
noderate force. Uehicte occupants
shouA al'vars wear seat beks.
Without seat beli usage. the air bags
cannot provide adequate proteclion
du'ng an accident. Seaibelt usag-. is
. Keep the passenger away from an
inflating air bag.
. Reduce the possibility of injuries
during an accident that is nol designed
fbr air bag inflation. such as roll-over
Reduce the possibility ofinjuries in
fronlal or side collisions that a.re not
severe enough to activate the air bags-
Reduce the possibility ofbeing thrown
Reduce the possibiliry ofinjuries to
lower body and legs during an
accident because the airbags allows
no protecnon to trrese parts.
Hold the driver in a position which
allows better control of the vehicle.
Small children, those under 18 kg (10 lb),
should be protected by a child restraint
systen (page 2-20).
Awz.nutue
Child in the Frcnt Seat:
Placing a chiu, 12 rears or under, in
thefn t seat is dangercus.The child
couu be hit br a deploti gairbag
and be seiouslt injurcd or ewn
ki ed. A sleeping chiA is morc likelr
to lean agdinstthe doot and be hit br
the side air bag in a moderate,
right-sine c ollis ion. Whenever
possible,al|'ars secure a ehid 12
rears and under on the /ea. seat with
an apprcpriate chil.l4estruint slstem
for the child's age and size.
Never use a rear-facins
child-restruint sytem on the hontseat with an ab bag that could
2-3I

Essential Safety Equipmenr
Awnnt'tme
Seanng Positiotr with Front Ait
E!c$
Sittinq too close to the ait baq
storage compatlme nts or placing
hands orfeeton then is extremelr
dangenus. Flont ab bass infute
|'ith grcatforce and speed.
Seious injunes couu otcut if
someone is too close.The direr
shouu alwars hold onto onb the rim
of the steerins vheel. The ftont seatpassenger shouu keep both feet on
the floor Front seat occupants
shoutd sdjust thet sea^ as fff back
as possible and alwars sit upnght
ryainst the seatbacks with seat beAs
I How the Air Bags Work
When airbag cr3sh sensors detect a
frontal or side impact of greater ihan
modera!€ tbrce. an electrical curent is
sent to the inflators. Nitrogen and argongases are produced to inflate the airbags.Alter the inflalion, the airbags quickly
The airbags will functjon only once.
After that. the air bags will not work
again and must be replaced.
Only an Authorized Mazda Dealer can

Essential Safety Equipment
I Limitations to Front Air Bag Activation
Depending on the severity ofimpacr, fte front air bags maynot inflate in the following casesi
aD Impacts involving trees orpoles cause severe cosmetic
damage but may nothave enough impacr to aciivate the air
bag
O Rear-ending or running under a truck's tail gate may notprovide the stopping force necessary for air bag
@ Frontal offset impactto the vehicle may not provide thesbpping tbrce necessary for airbag deployment.
2-39

Essenrial Safeb Equipment
I Non-ActiYation of Front Air Bags
Frcnt ajr bags will not normally inflate in the following casesi
O Collision from the rear.
O Vehicle roll over, may deploy the side air bag(s) bul notthe
front air bags.
O Impacl to ihe side, bul iirnay deploy a side airbag.
2-40

Essential Safety Equipment
I Side Air-Bag Activation
Greater than moderate jmpact to one side of rhe vehicle(driver orpassenger side areat will cause aside airbag roinflate, but itwill notnormally deploy lhe fronl airbags.

Essential Safety Equipment
I Limitations to Side Air Bag Activation
Depending on ihe severily of impact, a side air bag may noi
inflaie in the following cases:
O Fronlal olTset impact may not provid€ enough side impact
to deploy a side air bag.
O Side impacts involving trees or poles can cause severe
cosmedc damage but may not have enough impact force to
activate a ail bag,
O Vehicle roll-over may not provide €nough side force ro
deploy the side air bags.
@ Side impacts wilh two-wheeled vehicles may not provide
enough force to deploy a side airbag.
@
2-42