2-23
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
8. Pull the seatback towards the front of
the vehicle until the opposite end of the
support bar hooks onto the anchor loop
in the side trim. Attempt to push the
seatback towards the rear (liftgate) to
make sure the support bar is securely
latched.
To return the third-row seat to the road
position (forward facing)
1. Detach the support bar by following
the reverse procedure for installation.
2. From inside the vehicle, carefully
lower the seat towards the front until it
locks in place. Attempt to move the
seat forward and backward to make
sure it’s securely locked in place.
3. Reinsert the head restraints.4. Place the seat belt buckles face up.
J16L_EA.book Page 23 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
2-24
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
The second-row and front seats can be
folded down for use as beds when the
vehicle is safely parked.
To Fold the Seats Flat
1. Pull the seat slide levers and slide the
second-row seats all the way back
(page 2-10).
2. Raise the recline levers and fold down
the second-row seatbacks rearward
until they lock (page 2-10).
3. Remove the head restraints from the
front seats (page 2-7).
4. Pull the seat slide levers and slide the
front seats all the way forward
(page 2-3).5. Raise the recline levers and fold down
the front seatbacks rearward until they
lock (page 2-4).
To return the seats to their road positions,
reverse the procedures for folding the
second-row and front seats flat.
Flat Folding
Full-Flat Seats:
Sitting or lying on seats folded flat is
a dangerous way to ride. During
sudden braking or a collision you
could be thrown around inside the
vehicle and seriously injured. Don’t
ride on seatbacks folded flat.
WARNING
J16L_EA.book Page 24 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
2-37
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
J16L_EA.book Page 37 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
2-38
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.
J16L_EA.book Page 38 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
2-41
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
J16L_EA.book Page 41 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
2-42
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
If You Must Use the Front Seat
for Children
If you cannot put all children in the rear
seats, at least put the smallest in the rear
and be sure the largest child up front uses
the shoulder belt over the shoulder.
Do not put rear-facing child-restraint
systems on the front passenger’s seat.
This seat is also not set up for tethered
child-restraint systems, put them in one of
the three rear seat positions set up with
tether anchors.
Don’t allow anyone to sleep against the
right front door if you have an optional
side air bag, it could cause serious injuries
to an out of position occupant. As
children more often sleep in cars, it is
better to put them in the rear seat. If
installing the child-restraint system on the
front seat is unavoidable, follow these
instructions when using a front-facing
child-restraint system in the front
passenger’s seat.
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.
NOTE
To check if your Mazda front seats
have side air bags:
Every Mazda side air bag will have a
"SRS-Air Bag" label on the outboard
shoulder of the front seats.
Fro n t Pa ss en ge r’s Seat Position:
As your vehicle has front air bags and
doubly so because your vehicle has
side air bags, a front-facing child-
restraint system should be put on the
front seat only when it is unavoidable.
Always move the seat as far back as
possible, because the force of a
deploying air bag could cause serious
injury or death to the child.
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.
WARNING
J16L_EA.book Page 42 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
2-44
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
J16L_EA.book Page 44 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
2-45
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
Child-Restraint System
Installation Procedure
(Second-Row Seats)
1. Slide the second-row seat as far back as
possible.
2. Raise the reclining lever and lower the
seatback forward.
3. Raise the seatback to the most upright
position. Make sure the seatback is
securely latched by rocking the
seatback.4. Expand the area between the seat
bottom and the seatback slightly to
verify the locations of the LATCH
lower anchors.
5. Secure the child-restraint system using
BOTH LATCH lower anchors,
following the child-restraint system
manufacturer’s instruction.
6. If your child-restraint system came
equipped with a tether, that probably
means it is very important to properly
secure the tether for child safety, please
carefully follow the child-restraint
system manufacturer’s instructions
when installing tethers.
For right seatFor left seat
LATCH lower
anchor
Second-row
seat
J16L_EA.book Page 45 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM