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Installing Child-Restraint
Systems
Accident statistics reveal that a child is
safer in the rear seats (both second-row
seats and third-row center 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 specific
seating positions on the rear seats (both
second-row seats and third-row center
seat).
Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to“LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems”(page 2-53).
WARNING
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 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.
qSecond-Row Seats Child-
Restraint System Installationí
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 2-53).
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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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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 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. 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.
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.
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.
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Child Restraint
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Anchor bracket location
Tether strap position
Tether strap
Anchor
bracket
WARNING
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 Attachment of the Tether
Strap:
Attaching the tether strap on top of the
head restraint is dangerous. In a
collision, the tether strap could slide
off the head restraint, and loosen the
child-restraint system. The child-
restraint system could move and injure
the child or someone else. Always
attach the tether strap between the
head restraint and the seatback.
qThird-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).
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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Anchor bracket location
3. Hook the tether strap by following the
child-restraint system manufacturer's
instructions.
Tether strap position
Anchor
bracketTether
strap
WARNING
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.
qThird-Row Outboard Seats
Child-Restraint System
Installation
The third-row outboard seats cannot
accommodate LATCH-type child-restraint
systems or tethers, therefore these systems
must be installed on the other seat
positions such as the second-row or third-
row center seat. If this not possible,
LATCH-type child-restraint systems or
tethers should be installed using seat belts
depending on whether the child-restraint
manufacturer allows their use without
LATCH attachments and tether anchors.
Follow these manufacturer's instructions
when using 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.
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.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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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.
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.
qIf You Must Use the Front Seat
for Children
If you cannot put all children in the rear
seats, 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
second-row seats.
Don't allow anyone to sleep against the
right front or rear doors 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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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NOTE
To check if your front seats have side
air bags:
Every Mazda side air bag will have a
“SRS AIRBAG”tag on the outboard
shoulder of the front seats.
WARNING
Front Passenger'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:
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. 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
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.
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Child Restraint
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qFront 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.
NOTE
lInspect 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.
lFollow 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.
5. Make sure the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light illuminates
after installing a child-restraint system
on the front passenger seat.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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WARNING
Seating a Child in a Child-Restraint
System on the Front Passenger Seat
With the Front Passenger Air Bag
Deactivation Indicator Light Not
Illuminated:
Seating a child in a child-restraint
system installed on the front passenger
seat with the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light not
illuminated is dangerous. If this
indicator light does not illuminate
even when the total seated weight is
less than approximately 30 kg (66 lb),
this means that the front passenger
front and side air bags, and seat belt
pretensioner are ready for deployment.
If an accident were to deploy an air
bag, a child sitting in the front
passenger seat could be seriously
injured or killed. If the indicator light
does not illuminate after installing a
child-restraint system on the front
passenger seat, install the child-
restraint system on the rear seat and
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer
as soon as possible. While it is always
better to install any child-restraint
system on the rear seat, it is essential
to do so if the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light does not
illuminate (page 2-63).
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