Reasons given... Consider...
Seat belts don’t
work Safety belts,
when used properly, reduce risk of
death to front seat occupants by 45% in cars,
and by 60% in light trucks.
Traffic is light Nearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in single-vehicle
crashes,many when no other vehicles are around.
Belts wrinkle my
clothes Possibly, but a serious crash can do much more
than wrinkle your clothes, particularly if you are
unbelted.
The people I’m
with don’ t wear
belts Set the example, teen deaths occur 4 times more
often in vehicles with TWO or MORE people.
Children and younger brothers/sisters imitate
behavior they see.
I have an air bag Air bags offer greater protection when used with
safety belts. Frontal airbags are not designed to
inflate in rear and side crashes or rollovers.
I’d rather be
thrown clear Not a good idea.
Peoplewho are ejected are 40
times more likely to DIE. Safety belts help
prevent ejection, WE CAN’T PICK OUR CRASH.
WARNING: Always wear the safety belt. Do not be tempted to
sit on top of the belt to fool police or to defeat the warning
system. The safety belt and safety belt warning system are
there to protect your life.
One time disable
Any time the safety belt is buckled and then unbuckled during an
ignition ON cycle, the BeltMinder will be disabled for that ignition cycle
only.
Deactivating/activating the BeltMinder feature
Read steps1-9thoroughly before proceeding with the
deactivation/activation programming procedure.
The BeltMinder feature can be deactivated/activated by performing the
following procedure:
Before following the procedure, ensure that the following conditions are
met:
• The parking brake is set.
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AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
Important supplemental restraint system (SRS) precautions
The supplemental restraint system is designed to work with the safety
belt to help protect the driver and right front passenger from certain
upper body injuries.WARNING: Air bags DO NOT
inflate slowly or gently and the
risk of injury from a deploying
air bag is greatest close to the
trim covering the air bag
module. Always wear your
safety belt.
WARNING: Airbags have been known to kill or injure a child in
front facing child restraints. When placing a child safety seat in
a front seating position including the center (if equipped), you
should turn off the passenger airbag switch after being certain
the child is properly restrained. If the child safety seat is in the
outboard seating position, slide the seat all the way back.
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WARNING: Do not install a
child seat in a center facing
jump seat.
WARNING: Rear facing child
seats should NEVER be placed
in the front seats unless the
passenger airbag switch is
turned off. SeePassenger
airbag ON/OFF switch in this
chapter.
WARNING: All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver,
should always properly wear their safety belts, even when an
air bag (SRS) is provided.
WARNING: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) recommends a minimum distance of at least 25 cm
(10 inches) between an occupant ’s chest and the driver air bag
module.
WARNING: Never place your arm or feet over the air bag
module as a deploying air bag can result in serious arm
fractures or other injuries.
WARNING: Never place a rear facing infant seat in the front
seat unless the passenger air bag is turned off.
Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the airbag:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
• Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright
position.
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WARNING: Never place a rearward facing child safety restraint
in front of an activated airbag. Airbags have been known to kill
or injure children in front facing child safety restraints.
Whenever placing a child safety seat in a front seating position
(including center if equipped), turn off the passenger side air
bag switch after being certain the child is properly restrained.
If using a forward facing child safety restraint in the front
outboard seat, slide the seat all the way back, and turn off the
passenger air bag. If using a rear facing child safety seat in the
front outboard seating position, make sure the passenger airbag
is turned off and slide the passenger seat all the way forward
until the safety seat rests on the dashboard. SeePassenger air
bag on/off switch in this chapter.
WARNING: Do not install a
child seat in a center facing
jump seat.
WARNING: An air bag can kill
or injure a child in a child
seat. Child seats should never
be placed in the front seats,
unless passenger air bag
switch is turned off. See
Passenger air bag on/off
switch in this chapter.
WARNING: Rear facing child seats should NEVER be placed in
the front seats unless the passenger airbag switch is turned off.
WARNING: Booster seats must be installed only in seating
positions equipped with a combination lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit
where they can be properly restrained.
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If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the SRS serviced
at your authorized Mazda dealership immediately.WARNING: Unless serviced, the system may not function
properly in the event of a collision.
Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles
(including safety belt pretensioners)
For disposal of safety belt pretensioners, air bags, or air bag equipped
vehicles, see your authorized Mazda dealership or qualified technician.
Air bags MUST BE disposed of by qualified personnel.
Passenger air bag ON/OFF switch WARNING: An airbag ON/OFF
switch has been installed in
this vehicle. Before driving,
always look at the face of the
switch to be sure the switch is
in the proper position in
accordance with these
instructions and warnings.
Failure to put the switch in a
proper position can increase
the risk of serious injury or
death in a collision.
Turning the passenger air bag off 1. Ignition OFF.
2. Insert the ignition key, turn the switch to OFF position and hold
in OFF position while removing
the key.
3. When the ignition switch is turned to the ON position the
OFF light illuminates briefly,
momentarily shuts off and then
turns back on. This indicates that the passenger air bag is
ON OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
ON OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
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deactivated. Do not use a second key to turn off the passenger
airbag, as the lock position might be changed without your knowing.
WARNING: You must turn the passenger air bag Off if you have
a rear facing child seat in the front seat of the pickup (the
center lapbelt on front split seats or the center facing rear
seats do not accommodate child seats). Statistics show that
children under 12 are more likely to suffer minor injuries in the
front passenger seats than adults. If you must have a child in
the front passenger seat, place the largest child in the front
seat, make sure that the child is belted, the vehicle seat is all
the way back, and the passenger airbag is turned OFF. The front
seat center lap belt and the center facing rear seats do not
accommodate child seats; therefore, you may not be able to put
a larger child in the front passenger seat if a child seat is
involved.
WARNING: If the OFF light fails to illuminate when the
passenger air bag switch is in the OFF position and the ignition
switch is in the ON position, have the passenger air bag switch
serviced at your authorized Mazda dealership.
WARNING: In order to avoid inadvertent activation of the
switch, always remove the ignition key from the passenger air
bag ON/OFF switch.
Turning the passenger air bag back on
The passenger air bag remains OFF until you turn it back ON. 1. Insert the ignition key and turn the switch to ON.
2. The OFF light will briefly illuminate when the ignition is
turned to ON. This indicates
that the passenger air bag is
operational.
ON OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
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effectiveness of the safety belts, because safety belts in modern vehicles
are designed to work as a safety system with the air bags.
Read all air bag Warning labels in the vehicle as well as the other
important air bag instructions and Warnings in this Owner’s Guide.
NHTSA gives permission to install airbag cut-off switches in the
following terms: 1. Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
• the vehicle has no rear seat;
• the vehicle has a rear seat too small to accommodate a rear-facing
infant seat; or
• the infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant ’s
physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front so that
the driver can constantly monitor the child ’s condition.
2. Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must ride in the front seat
because:
• the vehicle has no rear seat;
• although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear seat(s) whenever
possible, children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the front
because no space is available in the rear seat(s) of the vehicle; or
• the child has a medical condition which, according to the child ’s
physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can constantly monitor the child ’s condition.
3. Medical condition. A passenger has a medical condition which,
according to his or her physician:
• causes the passenger air bag to pose a special risk for the passenger;
and
• makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag in a crash
greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and
allowing the passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or
windshield in a crash.
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WARNING: This vehicle has special energy management safety
belts for the driver and right front passenger. These particular
belts are specifically designed to work with air bags to help
reduce the risk of injury in a collision. The energy management
safety belt is designed to give or release additional belt
webbing in some accidents to reduce concentration of force on
an occupant’s chest and reduce the risk of certain bone
fractures and injuries to underlying organs. In a crash, if the air
bag is turned OFF, this energy management safety belt might
permit the person wearing the belt to move forward enough to
incur a serious or fatal injury. The more severe the crash, and
the heavier the occupant, the greater the risk is. Be sure the air
bag is turned ON for any person who does not qualify under the
NHTSA deactivation criteria.
Transport Canada gives permission to install airbag cut-off
switches in the following terms: 1. Infant: An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
• my vehicle has no rear seat;
• the rear seat in my vehicle cannot accommodate a rear-facing infant
seat; or
• the infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant ’s
physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can monitor the infant’ s condition.
2. Child age 12 or under: A child age 12 or under must ride in the
front seat because:
• my vehicle has no rear seat;
• although children age 12 and under ride in the rear seat whenever
possible, children age 12 and under have no option but to sometimes
ride in the front seat because rear seat space is insufficient; or
• the child has a medical condition that, according to the child ’s
physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can monitor the child’ s condition.
3. Medical condition: A passenger has a medical condition that,
according to his or her physician:
• poses a special risk for the passenger if the air bag deploys; and
• makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag deployment
greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and
experiencing a crash without the protection offered by the air bag
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