allows your Personal Safety Systemto tailor the airbag deployment and
safety belt pretensioner activation depending upon safety belt usage.
Refer to Safety belt usage sensors later in this chapter.
Front outboard safety belt pretensioners
The safety belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the safety belts firmly against the occupant’s body
during frontal collisions, and in side collisions and rollovers when the
vehicle is equipped with the Safety Canopy system. This maximizes the
effectiveness of the safety belts. In frontal collisions, the safety belt
pretensioners can be activated alone or, if the collision is of sufficient
severity, together with the front airbags.
Front outboard safety belt energy management retractors
The front safety belt energy management retractors allow webbing to be
pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled manner in
response to the occupant’s forward momentum. This helps reduce the
risk of force-related injuries to the occupant’s chest by limiting the load
on the occupant. Refer to Energy management retractors section in
this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety System is operational
The Personal Safety System uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to the Warning lights and chimes section in theInstrument Cluster
chapter. Routine maintenance of the Personal Safety System is not
required.
The Restraints Control Module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, front
passenger sensing system, and the driver seat position sensor. In
addition, the RCM also monitors the restraints warning light in the
instrument cluster. A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or
more of the following.
• The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
• The warning light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
• A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and warning light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
Safety System serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
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Safety belt maintenance
Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged.
NOTE:If unsure about the proper procedures, bring your vehicle to an
authorized Mazda dealership for inspection. Inspect the safety belts to
make sure there are no nicks, tears or cuts, replacing if necessary. Check
the automatic locking retractor on the passenger outboard seating
position. All safety belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front
safety belt buckle assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if
equipped), shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt
guide on seatback (if equipped), child safety seat tether bracket
assemblies (if equipped), and attaching hardware, should be inspected
after a collision. Mazda recommends that all safety belt assemblies used
in vehicles involved in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision
was minor and an authorized Mazda technician finds that the belts do
not show damage and continue to operate properly, they do not need to
be replaced. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a collision should
also be inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is
noted.
The energy absorbing functions may have been activated in a collision so
the restraints should be examined; if the front airbags have deployed, the
pretensioners have also deployed and must be replaced — regardless of
whether there was an occupant in the passenger seat or not.
WARNING: Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the
safety belt assembly under the above conditions could result in
severe personal injuries in the event of a collision.
Refer to Interior in theCleaning chapter.
Safety belt warning light and indicator chime
The safety belt warning light illuminates in the instrument cluster and a
chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.
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Conditions of operation
If...Then...
The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position... The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding... The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position... The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.
BeltMinder
The BeltMinder feature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt
warning function. This feature provides additional reminders by
intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning
light in the instrument cluster when the driver’s and front passenger’s
safety belt is unbuckled.
The BeltMinder feature uses information from the front passenger
sensing system to determine if a front seat passenger is present and
therefore potentially in need of a warning. To avoid activating the
BeltMinder feature for objects placed in the front passenger seat,
warnings will only be given to large front seat occupants as determined
by the front passenger sensing system.
Both the driver’s and passenger’s safety belt usages are monitored and
either may activate the BeltMinder feature. The warnings are the same
for the driver and the front passenger. If the BeltMinder warnings have
expired (warnings for approximately 5 minutes) for one occupant (driver
or front passenger), the other occupant can still activate the BeltMinder
feature.
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If...Then...
The driver’s and front
passenger’s safety belts are
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position or less than 1-2 minutes
have elapsed since the ignition
switch has been turned ON...The BeltMinderfeature will not
activate.
The driver’s or front passenger’s
safety belt is not buckled when
the vehicle has reached at least
3 mph (5 km/h) and 1-2 minutes
have elapsed since the ignition
switch has been turned to ON...The BeltMinder feature is activated -
the safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds for 6 seconds every 30 seconds,
repeating for approximately 5 minutes or
until the safety belts are buckled.
The driver’s or front passenger’s
safety belt becomes unbuckled
for approximately 1 minute while
the vehicle is traveling at least
3 mph (5 km/h) and more than
1-2 minutes have elapsed since
the ignition switch has been
turned to ON...The BeltMinder feature is activated -
the safety belt warning light illuminates
and the warning chime sounds for
6 seconds every 30 seconds, repeating for
approximately 5 minutes or until the safety
belts are buckled.
The following are reasons most often given for not wearing safety belts
(All statistics based on U.S. data):
Reasons given... Consider...
Crashes are rare events 36,700 crashes occur every day.
The more we drive, the more we are
exposed torareevents, even for
good drivers. 1 in 4 of us will be
seriously injured in a crash during
our lifetime.
I’m not going far 3of4fatal crashes occur within
25miles of home.
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Reasons given...Consider...
Belts are uncomfortable Safety belts are designed to enhance
comfort. If you are uncomfortable -
try different positions for the safety
belt upper anchorage and seatback
which should be as upright as
possible; this can improve comfort.
I was in a hurry Prime time for an accident.Safety
Belt Warning Chime reminds us to
take a few seconds to buckle up.
Safety 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 airbag Airbags 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.
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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
If at any time the driver/front passenger quickly buckles then unbuckles
the safety belt for that seating position, the BeltMinder is disabled for
the current ignition cycle. The BeltMinder feature will enable during the
same ignition cycle if the occupant buckles and remains buckled for
approximately 30 seconds. Confirmation is not given for the one time
disable.
Deactivating/activating the BeltMinder feature
The driver and front passenger BeltMinder are
deactivated/activated independently. When deactivating/activating
one seating position, do not buckle the other position as this will
terminate the process.
Read Steps1-4thoroughly before proceeding with the
deactivation/activation programming procedure.
Note: The driver and front passenger BeltMinder features must be
disabled/enabled separately. Both cannot be disable/enabled during the
same key cycle.
The driver and front passenger BeltMinder features can be
deactivated/activated by performing the following procedure:
Before following the procedure, make sure that:
• The parking brake is set
• The gearshift is in P (Park) (automatic transmission)
• The ignition switch is in the OFF position
• The driver and front passenger safety belts are unbuckled
WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, do not
deactivate/activate the BeltMinder feature while driving the
vehicle.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the RUN (or ON) position. (DO NOT START THE ENGINE)
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off. (Approximately 1 minute)
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•Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
3. For the seating position being disabled, at a moderate speed, buckle then unbuckle the safety belt 9 times, ending in the unbuckled state.
(Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.)
• After Step 3, the safety belt warning light will be turned on for three
seconds.
4. Within 10 seconds of the light turning on, at a moderate speed, buckle then unbuckle the safety belt.
• This will disable the BeltMinder feature for that seating position if it
is currently enabled. As confirmation, the safety belt warning light will
flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds.
• This will enable the BeltMinder feature for that seating position if it
is currently disabled. As confirmation, the safety belt warning light will
flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds, followed by 3 seconds with the
light off, then followed by the safety belt warning light flashing 4 times
per second for 3 seconds again.
AIRBAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
The airbag supplemental restraint system is designed to work in
conjunction with the safety belts to help protect the driver and front
outboard passenger from certain upper body injuries. The term
“supplemental restraint” means the airbags are intended as a supplement
to the safety belts. Airbags alone cannot protect as well as airbags plus
safety belts in impacts for which the airbags are designed to deploy, and
airbags do not offer any protection in crashes for which they do not
deploy.
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The airbag supplemental restraint system consists of:
•driver and passenger dual stage airbag modules (which include the
inflators and airbags).
• one or more impact and safing sensors.
• the same indicator light, RCM (restraints control module) and
diagnostic unit used for the Personal safety system.
• Front passenger sensing system
• Passenger airbag off indicator light.
The airbag supplemental restraints are an integral part of the Personal
Safety System. They are designed to be deployed in cases where the
Personal Safety System has determined the occupant conditions and
crash severity are appropriate to activate these devices. Refer to the
Personal Safety System section in this chapter.
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: Airbags DO NOT
inflate slowly or gently and the
risk of injury from a deploying
airbag is greatest close to the
trim covering the airbag
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 make sure that the passenger airbag is off. If the child
safety seat is in the outboard seating position, slide the seat all
the way back.
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