2-41
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R21-EA-02G
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. Adjust
the angle of the seat belt buckle so that
the belt is not loose. 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.5. If your child-restraint system requires
the use of a tether strap, hook and
tighten the tether strap by following the
manufacturer’s instructions.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.
Anchor bracket
location
Anchor
bracket Tether strap Tether strap position
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R21-EA-02G
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 Anchor bracket
location
Tether
strap
Anchor
bracketTether strap position
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R21-EA-02G
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. 8R21-EA-02G
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.
Likewise the LATCH child-restraint
system cannot be secured in the front
passenger’s seat and should be used in the
second-row seats.
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
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2-45
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R21-EA-02G
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. Furthermore,
leaning over or against the doors
could block the side air bag and
eliminate the advantages of
supplemental protection. With the
front air bag and the additional side
air bag that comes out of the front
seat, the rear seat is always a better
location for children who are prone to
sleeping. 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
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R21-EA-02G
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. 8R21-EA-02G
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 for LATCH child-
restraint systems.
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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2-50
Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8R21-EA-02G
SRS Air Bags
Read this owner’s manual carefully to verify what air bags (driver-side air bag, passenger-
side air bag, side air bags) are equipped in your vehicle.
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include 4 air bags (verify "SRS
AIR BAG" location indicator marks).
They are located in:
•The steering wheel hub
•The passenger side dashboard
•The outboard sides of the front seatbacks
These systems operate independently depending on the type of accident encountered; if
you have side air bags, the side air bags are not likely to deploy on both sides in the same
accident because a vehicle is not often hit from both sides. The side air bags work together
but they and the frontal air bag system will not normally deploy during the same type of
accident unless a combination of frontal and side impacts occur.
The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide only supplemental
protection only in the front seats in a few modes, so seat belts become important in the
following ways:
Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during an accident.
Seat belt usage is necessary to:
•Keep the passenger away from an inflating air bag.
•Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.
•Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal or side collisions that are not severe enough
to activate the air bags.
•Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.
•Reduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts.
•Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.
Small children, those under 18 kg (40 lb), should be protected by a child-restraint system
(page 2-37).
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions
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