2009 MAZDA MODEL B4000 CAB PLUS 4 TRUCK child seat

Installing child safety seats with combination lap and shoulder
belts (front outboard passenger seat only)
Check to make sure the child seat is properly secured before each use.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If all children cannot be seated and
restrained properly in a rear seating position, properly restrain the
largest child in the front seat.
When installing a child safety seat with combination lap/shoulder belts:
•Use the correct seat belt buckle for that seating position.
• 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.
• 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 vehicle seat back in upright position.
• Put the seat belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer to step 5 below.
Perform the following steps when installing the child seat with
combination lap/shoulder belts:
Note: Although the child seat illustrated is a forward facing child seat,
the steps are the same for installing a rear facing child seat.
1. Position the child safety seat in a seat with a combination lap
and shoulder belt.
WARNING: Rear facing child seats should NEVER be placed in
front of an active airbag.
2009 B-Series (mbs)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
104

Children and booster seats vary 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. The drawings below
also show how the lap belt should be low and snug across the child’s
hips.
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. Do not introduce any item thicker than this under the booster
seat. Check with the booster seat manufacturer’s instructions.
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 generally best to use a
booster seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat.
2009 B-Series(mbs)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
114

Move a child to a different seating location if the shoulder belt does not
stay positioned on the shoulder during use.
Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the booster seat.
WARNING:Never place, or allow a child to place, the shoulder
belt under a child’s arm or behind the back because it reduces
the protection for the upper part of the body and may increase the risk
of injury or death in a collision.
Child restraint and seat belt maintenance
Inspect the seat 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 seat 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 seat belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat
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 seat 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. Seat
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 seat
belt assembly under the above conditions could result in severe
personal injuries in the event of a collision.
Refer to Interior in theCleaning chapter.
2009 B-Series (mbs)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
115

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 Manual 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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Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
116