2004 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK ECU

2-25
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Accident statistics reveal that a child is
safer in the rear seat. 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 seat.
Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems" (page 2-32).

Rear Seat 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 2-32).
1. Make sure the seatback is securely
latched by rocking the seatback.
2. Secure the child-restraint system with
the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
See the manufacturer’s instructions on
the child-restraint system for belt
routing instructions.
Installing Child-Restraint
Systems
Tethered Child-Restraint Systems
Work Only on Tether-Equipped Rear
Seats:
Installation of a tether equipped
child-restraint system in the front
passenger’s seat 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. 8S18-EA-03I
For rear left seatFor rear right seat
5 Door
Anchor bracket
location
(Outboard position)
5 Door
Tether strap position
(Outboard position)
Tether strap
Cover
5 Door
Anchor bracket
location
(Center position)
For rear
center seat
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
Using the tether or tether anchor 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.
5 Door
Tether strap
position
(Center position)
Tether
strap
For rear
center seat
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

If You Must Use the Front Seat
for Children
If you cannot put all children in the rear
seat, at least put the smallest children 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 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
rear seat.
Don’t allow anyone to sleep against the
right front or rear doors if you have an
optional side and curtain 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
•To check if your 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.
•To check if your vehicle has curtain
air bags:
Every Mazda curtain air bag will
have an "SRS-Air Bag" marking on
the front and rear window pillars
along the roof edge.
Fro n t Pa ss en ge r’s Seat Position:
As your vehicle has front air bags and
doubly so if your vehicle has side air
bags, a front-facing child-restraint
system should be put on the front seat
only when it is unavoidable.
Even if the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light
illuminates, 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:
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.
Even though you may feel assured
that the front passenger air bag will
not deploy based on the fact that the
front passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light illuminates, NEVER
use a rear-facing child-restraint
system in the front seat with an air
bag that could deploy even in a
moderate collision.
WARNING
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2-29
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

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 manufacturer’s 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 the previous
step and also this one.Children and Seating Position with
Side and Curtain Air Bags:
Allowing anyone to lean over or
against the front door, the area of
front seat, front and rear window
pillars and the roof edge along both
sides which the side and curtain air
bags deploy even though using a
child-restraint system is dangerous. If
the vehicle is equipped with side and
curtain air bags, the impact of
inflation could cause serious injury
or death to the child. Furthermore,
leaning over or against the front door
could block the side and curtain air
bags 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. Do not allow a
child to lean over or against the
doors, even if the child is seated in a
child-restraint system.
WARNING
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2-32
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially designed
LATCH child-restraint systems in the rear outboard 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.
Attaching Two Child-Restraint Systems to the Same LATCH Lower Anchor:
Attaching two child-restraint systems to the same LATCH lower anchor is dangerous.
In a collision, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two child-restraint system
attachments and may break, causing serious injury or death. If you use the seat
position for another child-restraint system when an outboard LATCH position is
occupied, use the center seat belts instead, and the tether if tether-equipped.
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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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Child-Restraint System
Installation Procedure (Rear
Outboard Seats)
1. Make sure the seatback is securely
latched by rocking the seatback.
2. Expand the area between the seat
bottom and the seatback slightly to
verify the locations of the LATCH
lower anchors.
3. Secure the child-restraint system using
BOTH LATCH lower anchors,
following the child-restraint system
manufacturer’s instruction.4. 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.
NOTE
The markings above the LATCH lower
anchors indicate the locations of
LATCH lower anchors for the
attachment of a child-restraint system.
LATCH
lower anchorMarking
For rear
right seatFor rear
left seat
Cover
For rear right seatFor rear left seat
4 Door
Anchor bracket
location
Anchor
bracket
Anchor
bracket
Tether
strap4 Door
Tether strap
position
For rear left seatFor rear right seat
5 Door
Anchor bracket
location
(Outboard position)
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2-34
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Child-Restraint System
Installation Procedure (Rear
Center Seat)
The LATCH lower anchors at the center
of the rear seat are much further apart than
the sets of LATCH lower anchors for
child-restraint system installation at other
seating positions. Child-restraint systems
with rigid LATCH attachments cannot be
installed on the center seating position.
Some LATCH equipped child-restraint
systems can be placed in the center
position and will reach the nearest
LATCH lower anchors which are 400 mm
(15.75 in) apart. LATCH compatible
child-restraint systems (with attachments
on belt webbing) can be used at this
seating position only if the child-restraint
system manufacturer’s instructions state
that the child-restraint system can be
installed to LATCH lower anchors that are
400 mm (15.75 in) apart. Do not attach
two child-restraint systems to the same
LATCH lower anchor. If your child-
restraint system has a tether, it must also
be used for your child’s optimum safety.
1. Make sure the seatback is securely
latched by rocking the seatback.
2. Expand the area between the seat bottom
and the seatback slightly to verify the
locations of the LATCH lower anchors.
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
Using the tether or tether anchor 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.
5 Door
Tether strap position
(Outboard position)
Tether strap
WARNING
For rear center seat
LATCH
lower anchorMarking
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2-35
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
3. Secure the child-restraint system using
BOTH LATCH lower anchors,
following the child-restraint system
manufacturer’s instructions.
4. 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.
NOTE
The markings above the LATCH lower
anchors indicate the locations of
LATCH lower anchors for the
attachment of a child-restraint system.
Cover 4 Door
Anchor bracket
location
Anchor
bracket
For rear center seat
4 Door
Tether strap
position
(Center position)
Anchor
bracket
Tether strap
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
Using the tether or tether anchor 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.
Cover
5 Door
Anchor bracket
location
(Center position)
For rear
center seat
5 Door
Tether strap
position
(Center position)
Tether
strap
For rear
center seat
WARNING
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 35 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM