2002 MAZDA MODEL 626 Owners Manual

2-9
Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Seat Belt Systems
Seat belts help to decrease the possibility of severe injury during accidents and sudden
stops. Mazda recommends that the driver and all passengers always wear seat belts.
All of the seat belt retractors are designed to keep the lap/shoulder belts out of the way
when not in use.
The driver’s seat belt has no provisions for child-restraint systems and has only an
emergency locking mode. The driver may wear it comfortably, and it will lock during a
collision.
However, the front passenger ’s seat and rear lap/shoulder belt retractors operate in two
modes: emergency locking mode, and for child-restraint systems, automatic locking mode.
Seat Belt Precautions
Not Wearing Seat Belts:Not wearing a seat belt is extremely dangerous. During a collision, occupants not
wearing seat belts could hit someone or things inside the vehicle or even be thrown
out of the vehicle. They could be seriously injured or even killed. In the same
collision, occupants wearing seat belts would be much safer. Always wear your seat
belt and make sure all occupants are properly restrained.
Seat Belt Damaged During an Accident:
Using a damaged seat belt is dangerous. An accident could damage the belt webbing
of the seat belt in use. A damaged seat belt cannot provide adequate protection in a
collision. Have an Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect all seat belt systems in use during
an accident before they are used again.
Twisted Seat Belts:
Twisted seat belts are dangerous. In a collision, the full width of the belt isn ’t
available to absorb the impact. This puts more force on the bones beneath the belt,
which could break them or cause other serious injury or death. Don ’t wear twisted
seat belts.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G





Pregnant Women and Persons with Serious Medical Conditions
Pregnant women should wear seat belts. Ask your doctor for specific recommendations.
The lap belt should be worn SNUGLY AND AS LOW AS POSSIBLE OVER THE HIPS.
Persons with serious medical conditions also should wear seat belts. Check with your
doctor for any special instructions regarding specific medical conditions.





Emergency Locking Mode
If the belt has fully retracted, it will always be in the emergency locking mode until you
move it into automatic locking mode by pulling the belt all the way out to its full length. In
the emergency locking mode, the belt remains comfortable on the occupant and the
retractor will lock in position during a collision.
If the belt feels tight and hinders comfortable movement while the vehicle is stopped or in
motion, you may be in the automatic locking mode because you have pulled the belt too far
out. To return to the more comfortable emergency locking mode, wait until you can stop
the vehicle in a safe area, retract the belt fully to convert it back to emergency locking
mode and then again extend it around you.
One Belt, One Passenger:Using one seat belt for more than one person at a time is dangerous. A seat belt used
in this way can ’t spread the impact forces properly and the two passengers could be
crushed together and seriously injured or even killed. Never use one belt for more
than one person at a time.
Belt retraction may become difficult if the belts and rings are soiled, so try to keep them
clean.
WARNING
CAUTION
Ring
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G





Automatic Locking Mode
Always use the automatic locking mode to keep the child-restraint system from shifting to
an unsafe position in the event of an accident. To get the seat belt into the automatic
locking mode, pull it all the way out and connect it as instructed on the child-restraint
system. It will retract down to the child-restraint system and stay locked on it. See the
section on child restraint (page 2-18).
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G





Fastening the Seat Belts
1. Grasp the buckle and tongue.
2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.
3. Insert the tongue into the buckle until
you hear a click. 4. Make sure the shoulder belt is snugly
fitted against your body.
3-Point Type Seat Belt
NOTE
When using the rear center seat belt,
refer to "Rear Center Position Seat
Belt" (page 2-14).
Belt
Tongue
Tongue
Buckle
Positioning the Shoulder Portion of the Seat Belt:Improper positioning of the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is dangerous.
An improperly positioned belt will
provide little or no protection in a
collision. Always make sure the
shoulder portion of the seat belt is
positioned across your shoulder and
near your neck, but never under your
arm, on your neck, or on your upper
arm.
Positioning the Lap Portion of the Seat Belt:The lap portion of the seat belt worn
too high is dangerous. In a collision,
this would concentrate the impact
force directly on the abdominal area,
causing serious injury. Wear the lap
portion of the belt snugly and as low
as possible.
WARNING
Keep low on
hip bone Take up slack
Too high
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G





Unfastening the Seat Belts
Depress the button on the buckle.






Shoulder Belt Adjuster
Adjust the height of the shoulder belt if
the seat belt touches your neck, or if it
crosses your arm instead of your shoulder.
Simply push the button, move it to the
desired position, and then release it. Make
sure the adjuster is locked.
NOTE
If a belt does not fully retract, inspect it
for kinks and twists.
Button
Shoulder belt
adjuster
Positioning the Shoulder Portion of the Seat Belt:Improper positioning of the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is dangerous.
An improperly positioned belt will
provide little or no protection in a
collision. Always make sure the
shoulder portion of the seat belt is
positioned across your shoulder and
near your neck, but never under your
arm, on your neck, or on your upper
arm.
WARNING
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2-14
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Before using the rear-center lap/shoulder
belt make sure tongue (A) and anchor
buckle (B) are fastened.





Fastening the Seat Belt
1. Grasp the buckle (D) and tongue (C).
2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.
3. Insert the tongue (C) into the buckle
(D) until you hear a click.
Rear Center Position Seat
Belt
(B)
(A)
(C)
(D) (A)
(B)
Fastening the Rear-Center Seat Belt with Only One Buckle:Fastening the rear-center seat belt
with only one buckle is dangerous. If
only one pair of seat belt tongue and
buckle, either tongue (A) and anchor
buckle (B) or tongue (C) and anchor
buckle (D), is fastened, the seat belt
cannot provide full protection. In a
sudden stop or collision, the user
could slide under the belt and suffer
serious injuries. Always make sure
that both pairs of seat belt tongues
and buckles are fastened properly.
Positioning the Shoulder Portion of
the Seat Belt:Improper positioning of the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is dangerous.
An improperly positioned belt will
provide little or no protection in a
collision. Always make sure the
shoulder portion of the seat belt is
positioned across your shoulder and
near your neck, but never under your
arm, on your neck, or on your upper
arm.
WARNING
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2-15
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
4. Make sure the shoulder belt is snugly fitted against your body.





Unfastening the Seat Belt
Depress the button on the buckle.






Unfastening the Lap Portion of
the Seat Belt
Insert a small object in the anchor buckle
(B) slot, such as a key.





Fastening the Lap Portion of the
Seat Belt
Grasp tongue (A) and insert it into the
anchor buckle (B) until you hear a click. It
is now secure for passenger use.
Positioning the Lap Portion of the Seat Belt:The lap portion of the seat belt worn
too high is dangerous. In a collision,
this would concentrate the impact
force directly on the abdominal area,
causing serious injury. Wear the lap
portion of the belt snugly and as low
as possible.
WARNING
Always unfasten the lap portion of the
belt before folding the rear-left
seatback. Leaving the lap portion of
the belt fastened could cause damage
to the seat belt, buckle and seatback.
NOTE
After returning the rear-left seatback to
its upright position, fasten the lap
portion of the belt.
(B)
CAUTION
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2-16
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
If your seat belt is not long enough, even
when fully extended, a seat belt extender
may be available to you at no charge from
your Authorized Mazda Dealer.
This extender will be only for you and for
the particular vehicle and seat. Even if it
plugs into other seat belts, it may not hold
in the critical moment of a crash.
When ordering an extender, only order
one that provides the necessary additional
length to fasten the seat belt properly.
Please contact your Authorized Mazda
Dealer for more information.
Seat Belt Extender
Unnecessary Use of an Extender:Using a seat belt extender when not
necessary is dangerous. The seat belt
will be too long and not fit properly.
In an accident, the seat belt will not
provide adequate protection and you
could be seriously injured. Only use
the extender when it is required to
fasten the seat belt properly.
Using an Improper Extender:
Using a seat belt extender that is for
another person or a different vehicle
or seat is dangerous. The seat belt will
not provide adequate protection and
the user could be seriously injured in
an accident. Only use the extender
provided for you and for the
particular vehicle and seat. NEVER
use the extender in a different vehicle
or seat.
Using an Extender That is Too Long:
Using an extender that is too long is
dangerous. The seat belt will not fit
properly. In an accident, the seat belt
will not provide adequate protection
and you could be seriously injured.
Don’t use the extender or choose one
shorter in length if the distance
between the extender ’s buckle and the
center of the user ’s body is less than
15cm (6 in).
WARNING
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