2002 MAZDA MODEL MPV ECU

2-35
Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
Child Restraint
Mazda strongly urges the use of child-restraint systems for children small enough to use
them.
You are required by law to use a child-restraint system for children in the U.S. and Canada.
Small children, generally those who are four years old or younger and who weigh under 18
kg (40 lb), riding in your vehicle, must be protected by child-restraint systems made
especially for children.
Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements regarding the safety
of children riding in your vehicle.
Whatever child-restraint system you consider, please pick the appropriate one for the age
and size of the child, obey the law and follow the instructions that come with the individual
child-restraint system.
A child who has outgrown child-restraint systems should sit in the rear and use seat belts,
both lap and shoulder. If the shoulder belt crosses the neck or face, move the child closer to
the center.
Statistics confirm that the rear seat is the best place for all children up to 12 years of age-
the more so with a supplemental restraint system (air bags).
A rear-facing child-restraint system should NEVER
be used in the front seat because it
would be too close to the air bag. The front passenger’s seat is also the least preferred seat
for other child-restraint systems.
Child Restraint Precautions
Proper Size of Child-Restraint System:
For effective protection in vehicle accidents and sudden stops, a child must be
properly restrained using a seat belt or child-restraint system depending on age and
size. If not, the child could be seriously injured or even killed in an accident.
Follow the Manufacturer’s Instructions and Always Keep the Child-Restraint System
Buckled Down:
An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Make sure
the child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-restraint
system manufacturer’s instructions. When not in use, remove it from the vehicle or
fasten it with a seat belt, or latch it down to BOTH LATCH lower anchors.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
Holding a Child While the Vehicle is Moving:
Holding a child in your arms while the vehicle is moving is extremely dangerous. No
matter how strong the person may be, he or she cannot hold onto a child in a sudden
stop or collision and it could result in serious injury or death to the child or other
occupants. Even in a moderate accident, the child may be exposed to air bag forces
that could result in serious injury or death to the child, or the child may be slammed
into the adult, injuring the adult. Always secure a child in a proper child-restraint
system.
Rear-Facing Child-Restraint System:
Rear-facing child-restraint systems on the front seat are particularly dangerous.
The child-restraint system can be hit by a deploying air bag and moved violently
backward resulting in serious injury or death to the child. NEVER use a rear-facing
child-restraint system in the front seat with an air bag that could deploy.
Children and Seating Position with Side Air Bag:
Allowing anyone to lean over or against the front door is dangerous. If the vehicle is
equipped with side air bags, the impact of an inflating side air bag could cause serious
injury or death to the person. Children are more likely to sleep in the vehicle; when
they do, they are more at risk in the front passenger’s seat that has a side air bag
because they may slump over into the path of the seatback-mounted air bag. If a child
can’t be seated in the rear, do not allow the child to lean over or against the front door,
even if the child is seated in a child-restraint system.
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.
WARNING
Deploying air bag
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
A seat belt or child-restraint system can become very hot in a closed vehicle during
warm weather. To avoid burning yourself or a child, check them before you or your child
touches them.
NOTE
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially
designed LATCH child-restraint systems in the rear seats. When using these anchors to
secure a child-restraint system, refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint Systems" (page 2-44).
CAUTION
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
Accident statistics reveal that a child is
safer in the rear seats. The front
passenger’s seat is clearly the worst
choice for any child under 12, and with
rear-facing child-restraint systems it is
clearly unsafe due to air bags.
Some child-restraint systems now come
with tethers and therefore must be
installed on the seats that take tethers to
be effective. In your Mazda, tethered
child-restraint systems can only be
accommodated in the three positions on
the rear seats.
Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems" (page 2-44).

Second-Row Seats Child-
Restraint System Installation
Follow these instructions when using a
child-restraint system, unless you are
attaching a LATCH-equipped child-
restraint system to the rear LATCH lower
anchors. Refer to "LATCH Child-
Restraint Systems" (page 2-44).
1. If the seat in which you install a child-
restraint system has a seat slide
function, slide the seat as far back as
possible.
2. Secure the child-restraint system with
the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
See the instructions on the child-
restraint system for belt routing
instructions.
Installing Child-Restraint
Systems
Tethered Child-Restraint Systems
Work Only on Rear Seat:
Installation of a tether equipped
child-restraint system in the front
passenger’s seat or the third-row
outboard seats defeats the safety
design of the system and will result in
an increased chance of serious injury
if the child-restraint system goes
forward without benefit of being
tethered.
Place tether equipped child-restraint
systems where there are tether
anchors.
WARNING
NOTE
Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
If you are not sure whether you have a
LATCH system or tether, check in the
child-restraint system manufacturer’s
instructions and follow them
accordingly. Depending on the type of
child-restraint system, it may not
employ seat belts which are in
automatic locking mode.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K

Third-Row Center Seat Child-
Restraint System Installation
In the third-row seat, tether equipped
child-restraint systems belong only in the
center seat where there is a tether anchor
available.
Follow these instructions when using a
child-restraint system.
1. Secure the child-restraint system with a
lap belt. Adjust for a snug fit by pulling
on the loose end of the belt webbing.2. If your child-restraint system requires
the use of a tether strap, peel back the
carpeting in the rear luggage
compartment to expose the anchor
bracket (above the marking).
3. Hook the tether strap by following the
child-restraint system manufacturer’s
instructions.
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
Using the tether to secure anything
but a child-restraint system is
dangerous. This could weaken or
damage the tether or tether anchor
and result in injury. Use the tether
and tether anchor only for a child-
restraint system.
Incorrect Positioning of the Tether
Strap:
Positioning the tether strap on top of
the head restraint is dangerous. In a
collision, the head restraint could
bend or break. This will cause the
strap to loosen. The child-restraint
system could move and injure the
child or someone else. Always
position the tether strap between the
head restraint and the seatback.
WARNING
Marking
Tether
strap
Anchor
bracket
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K

Third-Row Outboard Seats
Child-Restraint System
Installation
Follow these instructions when using a
child-restraint system.
1. Secure the child-restraint system with
the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
See the instructions on the child-
restraint system for belt routing
instructions.2. To get the retractor into the automatic
locking mode, pull the shoulder belt
portion of the seat belt until the entire
length of the belt is out of the retractor.
3. Push the child-restraint system firmly
into the vehicle seat. Be sure the belt
retracts as snugly as possible. Clicking
from the retractor will be heard during
retraction if the system is in the
automatic locking mode. If the belt
does not lock the seat down tight,
repeat this step.
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
Using the tether to secure anything
but a child-restraint system is
dangerous. This could weaken or
damage the tether or tether anchor
and result in injury. Use the tether
and tether anchor only for a child-
restraint system.
NOTE
Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
Depending on the type of child-
restraint system, it may not employ
seat belts which are in automatic
locking mode.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K

Front Passenger’s Seat Child-
Restraint System Installation
1. Slide the seat as far back as possible.
2. Secure the child-restraint system with
the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
See the instructions on the child-
restraint system for belt routing
instructions.3. To get the retractor into the automatic
locking mode, pull the shoulder belt
portion of the seat belt until the entire
length of the belt is out of the retractor.
4. Push the child-restraint system firmly
into the vehicle seat. Be sure the belt
retracts as snugly as possible. Clicking
from the retractor will be heard during
retraction if the system is in automatic
locking mode. If the belt does not lock
the seat down tight, repeat this step.
Children and Seating Position with
Side Air Bag:
Allowing anyone to lean over or
against the front door is dangerous. If
the vehicle is equipped with side air
bags, the impact of an inflating side
air bag could cause serious injury or
death to the person. Children are
more likely to sleep in the vehicle;
when they do, they are more at risk in
the front passenger’s seat that has a
side air bag because they may slump
over into the path of the seatback-
mounted air bag. If a child can’t be
seated in the rear, do not allow the
child to lean over or against the front
door, even if the child is seated in a
child-restraint system.
WARNING
NOTE
•Inspect this function before each
use of the child-restraint system.
You should not be able to pull the
shoulder belt out of the retractor
while the system is in the automatic
locking mode. When you remove
the child-restraint system, be sure
the belt fully retracts to return the
system to emergency locking mode
before occupants use the seat belts.
•Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer’s instruction carefully.
Depending on the type of child-
restraint system, it may not employ
seat belts which are in automatic
locking mode.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially designed
LATCH child-restraint systems in the second-row seats. Both anchors must be used,
otherwise the seat will bounce around and put the child in danger. Some LATCH child-
restraint systems must also be used in conjunction with a tether to be effective. If they have
a tether you must use it to better assure your child’s safety.
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems
Manufacturer’s Instructions for Child-Restraint System:
An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Make sure
the child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-restraint
system manufacturer’s instructions.
Unsecured Child-Restraint System:
An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Follow the
child-restraint system manufacturer’s instructions on belt routing to secure the seat
just as you would with a child in it so that nobody is tempted to put a child in an
improperly secured seat later on. When not in use, remove it from the vehicle or fasten
it with a seat belt, or latch it down to BOTH LATCH lower anchors.
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems:
Not following the child-restraint system manufacturer’s instructions when installing
the child-restraint system is dangerous. If seat belts or a foreign object prevent the
child-restraint system from being securely attached to the LATCH lower anchors and
the child-restraint system is installed improperly, the child-restraint system could
move in a sudden stop or collision causing serious injury or death to the child or other
occupants. When installing the child-restraint system, make sure there are no seat
belts or foreign objects near or around the LATCH lower anchors. Always follow the
child-restraint system manufacturer’s instructions.
WARNING
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