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Children and booster seats vary widely in size and shape. Choose a
booster that keeps the lap belt low and snug across the hips, never up
across the stomach, and lets you adjust the shoulder belt to cross the
chest and rest snugly near the center of the shoulder. The drawings
below compare the ideal fit (center) to a shoulder belt uncomfortably
close to the neck and a shoulder belt that could slip off the shoulder.
If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat, placing a rubberized mesh
sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster seat may improve this
condition.
The importance of shoulder belts
Using a booster without a shoulder belt increases the risk of a child’s
head hitting a hard surface in a collision. For this reason, you should
never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. It is best to use a booster
seat with combination lap/shoulder belts.WARNING: Follow all instructions provided by the
manufacturer of the booster seat.
WARNING: Never put the shoulder belt under a child’s arm or
behind the back because it eliminates the protection for the
upper part of the body and may increase the risk of injury or
death in a collision.
WARNING: Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a
child. They can slide around and increase the likelihood of
injury or death in a collision.
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SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions with the
safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the
safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden stop or
collision.
When installing a child safety seat:
•Review and follow the information
presented in the Airbag
Supplemental Restraint System
section in this chapter.
• Use the correct safety belt buckle
for that seating position (the
buckle closest to the direction the
tongue is coming from).
• Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the
buckle.
WARNING: Do not install a child seat in a center facing jump
seat.
• Keep the buckle release button pointing up and away from the safety
seat, with the tongue between the child seat and the release button,
to prevent accidental unbuckling.
• Place seat back in upright position.
• Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer to Automatic
locking mode (passenger side front seat).
• Top tether anchors can be used for children up to 60 pounds (27 kg)
in a child restraint, and to provide upper torso restraint for children
up to 80 pounds (36 kg) using an upper torso harness and a
belt-positioning booster.
Mazda recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top tether
strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position which is capable
of providing a tether anchorage. For more information on top tether
straps, refer to Attaching child safety seats with tether straps.
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WARNING: Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s
instructions included with the safety seat you put in your
vehicle. If you do not install and use the safety seat properly,
the child may be injured in a sudden stop or collision.
Installing child safety seats with combination lap and shoulder
belts (front outboard passenger seat only) 1. Position the child safety seat in a seat with a combination lap
and shoulder belt.
WARNING: If there is a tether on the child safety seat, attach
it to the tether anchor point. Refer to Attaching child safety
seats with tether straps in this chapter.
WARNING: Rear facing child seats should NEVER be placed in
front of an active airbag. 2. Pull down on the shoulder belt and then grasp the shoulder
belt and lap belt together.
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The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are in the following positions
(shown from top view):
•Bucket seats
• 60/40 seats
WARNING: Attach the tether strap only to the appropriate
tether anchor as shown. The tether strap may not work
properly if attached somewhere other than the correct tether
anchor.
WARNING: Never attach two child safety seat tethers to a
single tether anchor. In a crash, on anchor may not be strong
enough to hold two child safety seat attachments and may
break, causing serious injury or death. 1. Position the child safety seat on the front seat cushion.
2. Route the child safety seat tether strap over the back of the seat.
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3. Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position.
The tether anchor is located on the
rear lower portion of the passenger
seat.
4. Clip the tether strap to the anchor.
WARNING: If the tether strap
is clipped incorrectly, the child
safety seat may not be
retained properly in the event
of a collision.
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Center seating location 60/40 seats with folding armrest
When installing a child safety seat in the center position, route the tether
strap over the center arm rest and clip it to the center anchor.WARNING: If the tether strap is clipped incorrectly, the child
safety seat may not be retained properly in the event of a
collision.
5. Refer to the Installing child safety seats in combination lap and
shoulder belt seating positions section of this chapter for further
instructions to secure the child safety seat.
6. Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
WARNING: If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk
of a child being injured in a collision greatly increases.
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NOTICE TO UTILITY VEHICLE AND TRUCK OWNERS
Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in
the various driving conditions that
are encountered on streets,
highways and off-road. Utility
vehicles and trucks are not designed
for cornering at speeds as high as
passenger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed
to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions.WARNING: Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover
rate than other types of vehicles. To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death from a rollover or other crash you must:
• Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers;
• Drive at safe speeds for the conditions;
• Keep tires properly inflated;
• Never overload or improperly load your vehicle; and
• Make sure every passenger is properly restrained.
WARNING: In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat
belt. All occupants must wear seat belts and children/infants
must use appropriate restraints to minimize the risk of injury
or ejection.
Study your Owner’s Guide and any supplements for specific information
about equipment features, instructions for safe driving and additional
precautions to reduce the risk of an accident or serious injury.
VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS
4WD and AWD Systems (if equipped)
A vehicle equipped with AWD or 4WD (when selected) has the ability to
use all four wheels to power itself. This increases traction which may
enable you to safely drive over terrain and road conditions that a
conventional two-wheel drive vehicle cannot.
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Power is supplied to all four wheels
through a transfer case or power
transfer unit. 4WD vehicles allow
you to select different drive modes
as necessary. Information on
transfer case operation and shifting
procedures can be found in the
Drivingchapter. Information on
transfer case maintenance can be found in the Maintenance and
Specifications chapter. You should become thoroughly familiar with this
information before you operate your vehicle.
On some 4WD models, the initial shift from two-wheel drive to 4WD
while the vehicle is moving can cause a momentary clunk and ratcheting
sound. These sounds are normal as the front drivetrain comes up to
speed and is not cause for concern.
WARNING: Do not become overconfident in the ability of 4WD
and AWD vehicles. Although a 4WD or AWD vehicle may
accelerate better than two-wheel drive vehicle in low traction
situations, it won’t stop any faster than two-wheel drive
vehicles. Always drive at a safe speed.
How your vehicle differs from other vehicles
SUV and trucks can differ from
some other vehicles in a few
noticeable ways. Your vehicle may
be:
• Higher – to allow higher load
carrying capacity and to allow it
to travel over rough terrain
without getting hung up or
damaging underbody components.
• Shorter – to give it the capability
to approach inclines and drive
over the crest of a hill without
getting hung up or damaging
underbody components. All other
things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering inputs than a vehicle with a longer
wheelbase.
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