Page 19 of 290
2-9
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
To return the seatbacks to the upright position
1. Lift the seatbacks upright. Pull on the
tops of the seatbacks from inside the
vehicle to make sure they are locked.
2. Fasten the rear-center lap/shoulder belt
and check that all seat belts are routed
properly for passenger use (page 2-17).
Armrest
The armrest can be used or placed
upright.
Seat Belts Caught Under Seatbacks:A seat belt caught under a seatback
after the seatback is returned to its
upright position is dangerous. In a
collision or sudden stop, the seat belt
cannot provide adequate protection.
Always make sure the seat belts are
fully pulled out from under the
seatbacks.
WARNING
Armrest
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2-11
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
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. Whether a front seat was occupied or not, if the front air bags deployed the
pretensioners also deployed and both front seat belts must be replaced. 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.
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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2-13
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
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 2-17).
Belt
Tongue
Tongue
Buckle
Positioning the Shoulder Portion of the Seat Belt:Improper positioning of the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is dangerous.
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 boneTake up slack
Too high
WARNING
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2-14
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
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.
To raise the shoulder belt adjuster, push
the adjuster up. To lower the shoulder belt
adjuster, push the button and slide it
down. Make sure the adjuster is locked.
NOTE
If a belt does not fully retract, inspect it
for kinks and twists. If it is still not
retracting properly, have it inspected at
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Positioning the Shoulder Portion of the Seat Belt:Improper positioning of the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is dangerous.
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.
Shoulder belt
adjuster
WARNING
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2-15
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
For optimum protection, the driver and
front passenger seat belts are equipped
with pretensioner and load limiting
systems.
In moderate or greater frontal or near-
frontal accidents, the front air bag and
pretensioner systems deploy
simultaneously. The pretensioners take up
slack in the front seat belts as the air bags
are expanding. The load limiting system
releases belt webbing in a controlled
manner to reduce belt force on the
occupant’s chest.
Front Seat Belt
Pretensioner and Load
Limiting Systems
Incorrect Positioning of the Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belts:Incorrect positioning of the driver
and passenger seat belts is dangerous.
Without proper positioning, the
pretensioner and load limiting
systems cannot provide adequate
protection in an accident and this
could result in serious injury. Wear
seat belts only as recommended in
this owner’s manual.
Expended Seat Belt Pretensioners:
Use of front seat belts with the
pretensioner system expended is
dangerous.
The seat belt pretensioners will only
function once. After they are
expended, they will not work again
and must be replaced immediately,
even if there was no front seat
occupant seated at the time.
If the seat belt pretensioners are not
replaced, the risk of injury in a
collision will increase.
Always have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer inspect and replace the seat
belt pretensioners after a collision.
WARNING
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2-16
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Modification or Testing of the Pretensioner System:Modifying the components or wiring
of the pretensioner system, including
the use of electronic testing devices is
dangerous. You could accidentally
activate it or make it inoperable which
would prevent it from activating in an
accident. The occupants could be
seriously injured. Never modify the
components or wiring, or use
electronic testing devices on the
pretensioner system.
Pretensioner System Disposal:
Improper disposal of the pretensioner
system or a vehicle with non-
deactivated pretensioners is
dangerous. Unless all safety
procedures are followed, injury could
result. Ask an Authorized Mazda
Dealer how to safely dispose of the
pretensioner system or how to scrap a
pretensioner-equipped vehicle.
WARNINGNOTE
•
The pretensioner system will only
activate in a moderate or greater
frontal or near-frontal collision. It
will not activate in most rollovers,
side or rear impacts.
•
Some smoke (non-toxic gas) will be
released when the air bags and
pretensioners deploy. This does not
indicate a fire. This gas normally
has no effect on occupants,
however, those with sensitive skin
may experience light skin irritation.
If residue from the deployment of
the air bags or the front pretensioner
system gets on the skin or in the
eyes, wash it off as soon as possible.
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2-17
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Air Bag/Front Seat Belt
Pretensioner Systems Warning
Light
If the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner
system is OK, the warning light comes on
when the ignition switch is turned to the
ON position or after the engine is cranked.
After about 6 seconds it goes out.
A system malfunction is indicated when
the warning light constantly flashes, stays
on or doesn’t come on at all when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position. If any of these occur, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible. The system may not work in an
accident.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.
Self-Servicing the Air Bag/Pretensioner Systems:Self-servicing or tampering with the
systems is dangerous. An air bag/
pretensioner could accidentally
activate or become disabled. This
could cause serious injuries. Never
tamper with the systems and always
have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
perform all servicing and repairs.
WARNING
Rear Center Position Seat
Belt
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)(A)
(B)
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2-18
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
4. Make sure the shoulder belt is snugly
fitted against your body.
Unfastening the Seat Belt
Depress the button on the buckle.
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.
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.
Using Rear-Center Seat Belt:
Using the rear-center seat belt with
the rear-left head restraint removed is
dangerous. The seat belt will not
provide adequate protection with the
rear-left head restraint removed
because the seat belt is not positioned
properly. The user could be seriously
injured in an accident. Always use the
rear-center seat belt with the rear-left
head restraint installed.
WARNING
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
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