Reasons given... Consider...
9Belts wrinkle my
clothes9Possibly, but a serious crash can do much more
than wrinkle your clothes, particularly if you are
unbelted.
9The people I'm
with don't wear
belts9Set the example, teen deaths occur 4 times more
often in vehicles with TWO or MORE people.
Children and younger brothers/sisters imitate
behavior they see.
9I have an air bag9Air bags offer greater protection when used with
safety belts. Frontal airbags are not designed to
inflate in rear and side crashes or rollovers.
9I'd rather be
thrown clear9Not a good idea.Peoplewho areejected are 40
times more likely to DIE.Safety belts help
prevent ejection, WE CAN'T9PICK OUR CRASH9.
WARNING: Do not sit on top of a buckled safety belt to avoid
the Safety Belt Warning Light. Sitting on the safety belt will
increase the risk of injury in an accident.
Safety belt maintenance
Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged.
NOTE:If unsure about the proper procedures, bring your vehicle to an
authorized Mazda dealership for inspection. Inspect the safety belts to
make sure there are no nicks, tears or cuts, replacing if necessary. All
safety belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat belt
buckle assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped),
shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt guide on
seatback (if equipped), child safety seat tether bracket assemblies
(if equipped), LATCH child seat tether anchors and lower anchors
(if equipped), and attaching hardware, should be inspected after a
collision. Mazda recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in
vehicles involved in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was
minor and an authorized Mazda technician finds that the belts do not
show damage and continue to operate properly, they do not need to be
replaced. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also
be inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is
noted.
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82
WARNING: Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the
safety belt assembly under the above conditions could result in
severe personal injuries in the event of a collision.
Refer toCleaning and maintaining the safety beltsin the
Maintenance and caresection.
AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
Important supplemental restraint system (SRS) precautions
The supplemental restraint system
is designed to work with the safety
belt to help protect the driver and
right front passenger from certain
upper body injuries.
WARNING: Air bags DO NOT
inflate slowly or gently and the
risk of injury from a deploying
air bag is greatest close to the
trim covering the air bag
module.
E CMPH4x4H
F60
408 7 6
5
4
3
2
12020 406080100
120
140
160
18080100
120km/hRPM X 1000
RSM
CST SET
ACCOFF ON
AM/FMTAPE
CD
SCAN
12 3
45 6
LOADCLOCK
AUTO-MPRORPT
RDM/BS TR/APC TR/APC
FF REW
TUNE
SEEKDISCPUSH
POWER VOLP
U
S
H
A
U
D
IO
C
O
N
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LOCK
A/COFFMAX
A/C
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83
WARNING: All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver,
should always properly wear their safety belts, even when an
air bag SRS is provided.
WARNING: Always transport children 12 years old and under
in the back seat and always properly use appropriate child
restraints.
WARNING: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) recommends a minimum distance of at least 25 cm
(10 inches) between an occupant's chest and the driver air bag
module.
WARNING: Never place your arm over the air bag module as a
deploying air bag can result in serious arm fractures or other
injuries.
Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the air bag:
²Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
²Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright
position.
WARNING: Do not put anything on or over the air bag module
including hands or feet. Placing objects on or over the air bag
inflation area may cause those objects to be propelled by the
air bag into your face and torso causing serious injury.
WARNING: Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the Air
Bag Supplemental Restraint System or its fuses. See your
authorized Mazda dealership.
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84
WARNING: Seating Position with Side Air Bags
Sitting too close to the side air bag storage compartments or
placing hands on them is extremely dangerous. A side air bag
inflates with great force and speed directly out of the outboard
shoulder of the front seat and expands along the front door on
the side the car is hit. Serious injury could occur if someone is
sitting too close to the door or leaning against a window in the
front seats or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the front
seatbacks. Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or
hanging out the driver's-side window while driving could block
the side air bag and eliminate the advantages of supplemental
protection. Give the side air bags room to work by sitting in the
center of the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts
worn properly.
WARNING: Modification of the Supplemental Restraint System
Modifying the components or wiring of the supplemental
restraint system is dangerous. You could accidentally activate it
or make it inoperable. Don't make any modifications to the
supplemental restraint system. This includes installing trim,
badges, or anything else over the air bag storage areas. It also
includes installing extra electric equipment on or near system
components or wiring.
An Authorized Mazda Dealer can provide the special care
needed in the removal and installation of front seats. It is
important to protect the side air bag wiring and connections to
assure that the bags do not accidently deploy and that the seats
retain an undamaged air bag connection.
WARNING: Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air
bag Supplemental Restraint System, its fuses or the seat cover
on a seat containing an air bag. See your authorized Mazda
dealer.
WARNING: All occupants of the vehicle including the driver
should always wear their safety belts even when an air bag SRS
is provided.
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89
How does the side air bag system work?
The side air bag system consists of
the following:
²An inflatable nylon bag (air bag)
with a gas generator concealed
behind the outboard bolster of
the driver and front passenger
seatbacks.
²A special seat cover designed to
allow airbag deployment.
²The same warning light,
electronic control and diagnostic
unit as used for the front air
bags.
²The two side sensors are located
on the lower portion of the
b-pillar.
NOTE:A side air bag, in combination with seat belts, can help reduce
the risk of severe injuries in the event of a significant side impact
collision.
The side air bags are fitted on the outboard side of the seatbacks of the
front seats. In certain lateral collisions, the air bag on the side affected
by the collision will be inflated, even if the respective seat is not
occupied. The air bag was designed to inflate between the door panel
and occupant to further enhance the protection provided occupants in
side impact collisions.
The air bag SRS is designed to activate when the vehicle sustains lateral
deceleration sufficient to cause the sensors to close an electrical circuit
that initiates air bag inflation.
The fact that the air bags did not inflate in a collision does not mean that
something is wrong with the system. Rather, it means the forces were
not of the type sufficient to cause activation. Side air bags are designed
to inflate in side-impact collisions, not roll-over, rear-impact, frontal,
near-frontal or opposite side collisions, unless the collision causes
sufficient lateral deceleration.
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90
Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles
For disposal of air bags or air bag equipped vehicles, see your authorized
Mazda dealership. Air bags MUST BE disposed of by qualified personnel.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN
See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety
restraints for children. Also seeAir Bag Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS)in this chapter for special instructions about using air bags.
Important child restraint precautions
NOTE:You are required by law to use safety restraints for children in the
U.S. and Canada. If small children ride in your vehicle (generally children
who are four years old or younger and who weigh 18 kg [40 lbs] or less),
you must put them in safety seats made especially for children. Check
your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements
regarding the safety of children in your vehicle.
WARNING: Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap
while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the
child from injury in a collision.
NOTE:Always follow the instructions and warnings that come with any
infant or child restraint you might use.
WARNING: When possible, always place children under age 12
in the rear seat of your vehicle. Accident statistics suggest that
children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating position.
Children and safety belts
If the child is the proper size, restrain the child in a safety seat.
Children who are too large for child safety seats (as specified by your
child safety seat manufacturer) should always wear safety belts.
Follow all the important safety restraint and air bag precautions that
apply to adult passengers in your vehicle.
If the shoulder belt portion of a combination lap and shoulder belt can be
positioned so it does not cross or rest in front of the child's face or neck,
the child should wear the lap and shoulder belt. Moving the child closer to
the center of the vehicle may help provide a good shoulder belt fit.
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92
WARNING: Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets
unattended in your vehicle.
To improve the fit of lap and shoulder belts on children who have
outgrown child safety seats, Mazda recommends use of a belt-positioning
booster seat that is labelled as conforming to all applicable Federal motor
vehicle safety standards. Belt-positioning booster seats raise the child
and provide a shorter, firmer seating cushion that encourages safer
seating posture and better fit of lap and shoulder belts on the child.
A belt-positioning booster should be used if the shoulder belt rests in
front of the child's face or neck, or if the lap belt does not fit snugly on
both thighs, or if the thighs are too short to let the child sit all the way
back on the seat cushion when the lower legs hang over the edge of the
seat cushion. You may wish to discuss the special needs of your child
with your pediatrician.
WARNING: Placing a child, 12 years or younger, in the front
seat is dangerous. The child could be hit by a deploying air bag
and be seriously injured or even killed. A sleeping child is more
likely to lean against the door and be hit by the side air bag in a
moderate collision. Whenever possible, always secure a child, 12
years or younger, in the rear seat, with an appropriate child
restraint system for the child's age and size. Never use a
rear-facing child restraint system in the front seat with an air
bag that could deploy.
SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
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93
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's instructions with the
safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the
safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden stop or
collision.
When installing a child safety seat:
²Review and follow the information
presented in theAir Bag
Supplemental Restraint
Systemsection in this chapter.
²Use the correct safety belt buckle
for that seating position (the
buckle closest to the direction the
tongue is coming from).
²Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure
the tongue is securely fastened in
the buckle.
²Keep the buckle release button
pointing up and away from the
safety seat, with the tongue
between the child seat and the
release button, to prevent accidental unbuckling.
²Place seat back in upright position.
²Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer toAutomatic
locking mode(passenger side front seat).
Mazda recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top tether
strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position which is capable
of providing a tether anchorage. For more information on top tether
straps, refer toAttaching child safety seats with tether straps.
WARNING: Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's
instructions included with the safety seat you put in your
vehicle. If you do not install and use the safety seat properly,
the child may be injured in a sudden stop or collision.
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94