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qUnfastening the Seat Belt
Depress the button on the buckle. If the
belt does not fully retract, pull it out and
check for kinks or twists. Then make sure
it remains untwisted as it retracts.
Button
NOTE
If a belt does not fully retract, inspect it for
kinks and twists. If it is still not retracting
properly, have it inspected at an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
To secure the outboard-third seat belts
when not in use, insert the belts in their
seat belt retainers.
qShoulder Belt Adjusterí
Adjust the height of the shoulder belt if
the seat belt touches your neck, or if it
crosses your arm instead of your shoulder.
To raise the shoulder belt adjuster, push
the adjuster up. To lower the shoulder belt
adjuster, pull the adjuster and slide it
down. Make sure the adjuster is locked.
To raise To lower
WARNING
Positioning the Shoulder Portion of the
Seat Belt:
Improper positioning of the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is dangerous.
Always make sure the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is positioned
across your shoulder and near your
neck, but never under your arm, on
your neck, or on your upper arm.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
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Form No.8V83-EA-06I
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qUnfastening the Lap Portion of
the Seat Belt
Insert a small object such as a key in the
anchor buckle (B) slot.
(A)
(B)
CAUTION
Always unfasten the lap portion of
the belt before folding the left-rear
seatback. Leaving the lap portion of
the belt fastened could cause
damage to the seat belt, buckle and
seatback.
NOTE
To encourage rear seat passengers to wear
their seat belts, we suggest leaving the center-
rear lap position of the belt fastened at all
times except when folding the rear seat
forward.
qFastening the Lap Portion of the
Seat Belt
Grasp tongue (A) and insert it into the
anchor buckle (B) until you hear a click. It
is now secure for passenger use.
NOTE
After returning the left-rear seatback to its
upright position, guide the shoulder portion of
the belt correctly through the seat belt guide
and fasten the lap portion of the belt.
qStowing and pulling out the
Center-Rear Position Seat Belt
The center-rear position seat belt can be
stowed using the following procedure.
CAUTION
When stowing the seat belt, make
sure the belt is locked securely into
the recess. If the seat belt is not
properly stowed, it might get caught
in the seats and be damaged.
To stow the seat belt, retract the belt, put
tongues (A) and (C) together and insert
each tongue into the respective ceiling
recess. Insert the tongues until you hear a
click.
(A)
(C) Ceiling recess
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Seat Belt Systems
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To pull out the seat belt, press the area
indicated in the figure upward with your
finger and slide the belt forward. Then
slowly pull out the seat belt from the
ceiling recess.
NOTE
Pulling out the seat belt all the way out will
switch it to automatic locking mode. If
automatic locking mode is not needed, retract
the seat belt fully to convert it back to
emergency locking mode.
Seat Belt Extender
If your seat belt is not long enough, even
when fully extended, a seat belt extender
may be available to you at no charge from
your Authorized Mazda Dealer.
This extender will be only for you and for
the particular vehicle and seat. Even if it
plugs into other seat belts, it may not hold
in the critical moment of a crash.
When ordering an extender, only order
one that provides the necessary additional
length to fasten the seat belt properly.
Please contact your Authorized Mazda
Dealer for more information.
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Seat Belt Systems
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Do not allow a child to lean over or against the side window of a vehicle with side
and curtain air bags:
It is dangerous to allow anyone to lean over or against the side window, the area of
the front passenger seat, the front and rear window pillars and the roof edge along
both sides from which the side and curtain air bags deploy, even if a child-restraint
system is used. 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 side window, even if the
child is seated in a child-restraint system.
Never use one seat belt on more than one person at a time:
Using one seat belt for more than one person at a time is dangerous. A seat belt
used in this way cannot spread the impact forces properly and the two passengers
could be crushed together and seriously injured or even killed. Never use one belt for
more than one person at a time and always operate the vehicle with each occupant
properly restrained.
CAUTION
A seat belt or child-restraint system can become very hot in a closed vehicle during
warm weather. To avoid burning yourself or a child, check them before you or your
child touches them.
NOTE
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially designed LATCH
child-restraint systems in the rear seats. When using these anchors to secure a child-restraint system,
refer to“LATCH Child-Restraint Systems”(page 2-45).
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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Installing Child-Restraint
Systems
Accident statistics reveal that a child is
safer in the rear seats. 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 second-row seats.
Even if your vehicle is equipped with
front passenger seat weight sensors (page
2-63), which automatically deactivates the
front passenger air bag, a rear seat is the
safest place for a child of any age or size.
Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to“LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems”(page 2-45).
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
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 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 2-45).
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.
1. When installing the child-restraint
system on the second-row seat, make
sure that the center-rear seat belt is
routed through the seat belt guide.
2. Make sure the seatback is securely
latched by pushing it back until it is
fully locked.
3. 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.
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Child Restraint
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4. 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.
5. 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.
6. If your child-restraint system requires
the use of a tether strap, refer to the
manufacturer's instructions to hook and
tighten the tether strap after raising the
head restraint.
Anchor bracket location
Tether strap position
Tether strap
Forward
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Child Restraint
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WARNING
Use the tether and tether anchor only
for a child-restraint system:
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.
Always route the tether strap between
the head restraint and the seatback:
Routing 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 which
may result in death or injury to the
child.
Always attach the tether strap to the
correct tether anchor position:
Attaching the tether strap to the
incorrect tether anchor position is
dangerous. In a collision, the tether
strap could come off and loosen the
child-restraint system. If the child-
restraint system moves it could result
in death or injury to the child.
qThird-Row Seats Child-Restraint
System Installation
The third-row 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 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 manufacturer's instructions on
the child-restraint system for belt
routing instructions.
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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.
NEVER put a rear-facing child-restraint
system on the front passenger seat, even
with a seat weight sensor equipped
vehicle.
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
side window 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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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