2011 MAZDA MODEL MAZDASPEED 3 lock

Black plate (23,1)
WARNING
Always make sure the seat belts are
fully pulled out from under the
seatbacks:
A seat belt caught under a seatback
after the seatback is returned to its
upright position is dangerous. In a
collision or sudden stop, the seat belt
cannot provide adequate protection.
When returning the seatback to the
upright position, make sure there is no
red indication:
A rear seatback not fully returned
and locked in the upright position is
dangerous. Sudden stops or
maneuvering could cause a seatback
to flip forward suddenly resulting in
injury. If the red indicator is visible on
the back of the rear seatback knob,
the seatback is not locked in the
upright position.
Locked position
Unlocked position
Red indicator
qArmrestí
The rear armrest in the center of the rear
seatback can be used (no occupant in the
center seat) or placed upright.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
2-9íSome models. Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page23
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (25,1)
Folding down/up (5 Door)
The rear seats are equipped with foldable
head restraints.
To fold the head restraint, pull the strap
and fold the head restraint downward. To
return the head restraint to its upright
position, lift it upward.
WARNING
Always drive with the head restraints in
their upright positions when the rear
seats are occupied, and make sure they
are securely locked in place:
Driving with the head restraints
folded down is dangerous. With no
support behind your head, your neck
could be seriously injured in a
collision.
qActive Head Restraintsí
The front seats are equipped with active
head restraints.
In a rear-end collision, the active head
restraints use the force applied by the
occupant on the seatback to
instantaneously move the head restraints
in the forward direction, reducing
excessive rearward tilting of the head and
reducing the load on the neck. The active
head restraints are also highly effective at
reducing whip-lash injuries which
commonly occur in rear-end collisions at
low to mid-range vehicle speeds.
WARNING
ØAlways adjust the head restraints
properly as specified in this
section. Failure to do so can
reduce the effectiveness of the
active head restraint.
ØDo not attach any accessories such
as a TV screen to a front seatback
and/or a front head restraint. Also
do not place heavy items or thick
items, or both in the seatback
pocket. Doing so could reduce the
effectiveness of the active head
restraint in a rear-end collision.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
2-11íSome models. Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page25
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (28,1)
Seat Belt Precautions
Seat belts help to decrease the possibility of severe injury during accidents and sudden
stops. Mazda recommends that the driver and all passengers always wear seat belts.
All of the seat belt retractors are designed to keep the lap/shoulder belts out of the way
when not in use.
The driver's seat belt has no provisions for child-restraint systems and has only an
emergency locking mode. The driver may wear it comfortably, and it will lock during a
collision.
However, the front passenger's seat and all rear lap/shoulder belt retractors operate in two
modes: emergency locking mode, and for child-restraint systems, automatic locking mode.
While we recommend you put all children in the rear seats, if you must use the front
passenger seat for a child, slide the front passenger seat as far back as possible and make
sure any child-restraint system is secured properly.
2-14
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page28
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (30,1)
CAUTION
Belt retraction may become difficult if the belts and rings are soiled, so try to keep
them clean. For more details about cleaning the seat belts, refer to“Cleaning the
Lap/Shoulder Belt Webbing”(page 8-67).
qPregnant Women and Persons with Serious Medical Conditions
Pregnant women should always wear seat belts. Ask your doctor for specific
recommendations.
The lap belt should be worn SNUGLY AND AS LOW AS POSSIBLE OVER THE HIPS.
The shoulder belt should be worn across your shoulder properly, but never across the
stomach area.
Persons with serious medical conditions also should wear seat belts. Check with your
doctor for any special instructions regarding specific medical conditions.
qEmergency Locking Mode
In the emergency locking mode, the belt remains comfortable on the occupant and the
retractor will lock in position during a collision. When the seat belt is fastened, it will
always be in the emergency locking mode until it is switched to automatic locking mode by
pulling it all the way out to its full length. If the belt feels tight and hinders comfortable
movement while the vehicle is stopped or in motion, it may be in the automatic locking
mode because the belt has been pulled too far out. To return the belt to the more
comfortable emergency locking mode, wait until the vehicle has stopped in a safe, level
area, retract the belt fully to convert it back to emergency locking mode and then extend it
around you again.
If the belt is locked and cannot be pulled out, retract the belt once, and then try pulling it
out slowly. If this fails, pull the belt strongly one time and loosen, then pull it out again
slowly.
2-16
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page30
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (31,1)
qAutomatic Locking Mode
Always use the automatic locking mode to keep the child-restraint system from shifting to
an unsafe position in the event of an accident. To enable seat belt automatic locking mode,
pull it all the way out and connect it as instructed on the child-restraint system. It will
retract down to the child-restraint system and stay locked on it. See the section on child
restraint (page 2-26).
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
2-17
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page31
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (33,1)
qUnfastening the Seat Belt
Depress the button on the seat belt 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.
qFront Shoulder Belt Adjuster
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
2-19
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page33
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (43,1)
Do not allow a child or anyone 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. The impact of inflation from a side or curtain air bag could cause
serious injury or death to an out of position 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. Take special care not to 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 seat. When using these anchors to secure a child-restraint system,
refer to“LATCH Child-Restraint Systems”(page 2-38).
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
2-29
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page43
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (45,1)
Installing Child-Restraint
Systems
Accident statistics reveal that a child is
safer in the rear 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.
NOTE
Even if your vehicle is equipped with front
passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-56),
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 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 rear seat.
Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to“LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems”(page 2-38).
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 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.
qRear Seat 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 2-38).
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 use LATCH
system instead of seat belts or if the belt goes
across the child's chest, may recommend
against using automatic locking mode.
1. Make sure the seatback is securely
latched by pushing it back until it is
fully locked.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
2-31
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page45
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F