2011 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 child restraint

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LATCH Child-Restraint Systems
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially designed
LATCH child-restraint systems in the rear seat. Both anchors must be used, otherwise the
seat will bounce around and put the child in danger. Most LATCH child-restraint systems
must also be used in conjunction with a tether to be effective. If they have a tether you
must use it to better assure your child's safety.
WARNING
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the use of the child-restraint system:
An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Make
sure the child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-
restraint system manufacturer's instructions.
Make sure the child-restraint system is properly secured:
An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Follow
the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions on belt routing to secure the
seat just as you would with a child in it so that nobody is tempted to put a child in
an improperly secured seat later on. When not in use, remove it from the vehicle or
fasten it with a seat belt, or latch it down to BOTH LATCH lower anchors for LATCH
child-restraint systems.
Make sure there are no seat belts or foreign objects near or around the LATCH child-
restraint system:
Not following the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions when installing
the child-restraint system is dangerous. If seat belts or a foreign object prevent the
child-restraint system from being securely attached to the LATCH lower anchors and
the child-restraint system is installed improperly, the child-restraint system could
move in a sudden stop or collision causing serious injury or death to the child or
other occupants. When installing the child-restraint system, make sure there are no
seat belts or foreign objects near or around the LATCH lower anchors. Always follow
the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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qLATCH Child-Restraint System
Installation Procedure (Rear Seats)
1. Expand the open seams on the rear of
the seat bottom slightly to verify the
locations of the LATCH lower anchors.
NOTE
The markings above the LATCH lower anchors
indicate the locations of LATCH lower
anchors for the attachment of a child-restraint
system.
2. Secure the child-restraint system using
BOTH LATCH lower anchors,
following the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instruction. Pull on the
child-restraint to be sure both anchors
are engaged.
3. If your child-restraint system came
equipped with a tether, that means it is
very important to properly secure the
tether for child safety. Please carefully
follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions when
installing tethers.Anchor bracket location
Tether strap position
Tether strap
Anchor
bracket
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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 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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include 6 air bags.You can locate
the various air bags by the use of“SRS AIRBAG”location indicators.These indicators
are visible in the area where the air bags are installed.
The air bags are installed in the following locations:
lThe steering wheel hub (driver air bag)lThe front passenger dashboard (front passenger air bag)lThe outboard sides of the front seatbacks (side air bags)lThe front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides (curtain air bags)
These systems operate independently depending on the type of accident encountered. The
side and curtain air bags are not likely to deploy on both sides in the same accident because
a vehicle is not often hit from both sides. The side and curtain air bags and the frontal air
bag system will not normally deploy during the same type of accident unless a combination
of frontal and side impacts occur.
The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide supplemental protection
only in the front seats in certain situations and the rear outside passenger positions only in
same-side collisions, so seat belts are always important in the following ways:
Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during an accident.
Seat belt usage is necessary to:
lKeep the occupant from being thrown into an inflating air bag.lReduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.
lReduce the possibility of injuries in frontal or side collisions that are not severe enough
to activate the air bags.
lReduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.lReduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts of the body.
lHold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.
Small children must be protected by a child-restraint system as stipulated by law in every
state and province. In certain states and provinces, larger children must use a child-restraint
system (page 2-26).
Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary for your child and follow the
installation directions in this Owner's Manual as well as the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions.
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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WARNING
Seat belts must be worn in air bag equipped vehicles:
Depending only on the air bags for protection during an accident is dangerous.
Alone, air bags may not prevent serious injuries. The appropriate air bags can be
expected to inflate only in the first collision with frontal, near frontal or side forces
that are at least moderate. Vehicle occupants should always wear seat belts.
Children should not ride in the front passenger seat:
Placing a child, 12 years or under, in the front seat is dangerous. The child could be
hit by a deploying air bag and be seriously injured or even killed. Even if the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as possible. A sleeping child is more likely to lean against
the door and be hit by the side air bag in moderate collision to the front-passenger
side of the vehicle. Whenever possible, always secure a child 12 years and under on
the rear seat with an appropriate child-restraint system for the child's age and size.
Never use a rear-facing child-restraint system in the front seat with an air bag that
could deploy:
Rear-facing child-restraint systems on the front seat are particularly dangerous even
though you may feel assured that a front passenger air bag will not deploy based on
the fact that the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates. The
child-restraint system can be hit by a deploying air bag and moved violently
backward resulting in serious injury or death to the child.
Do not sit too close to the driver and front passenger air bags:
Sitting too close to the driver and front passenger air bag modules or placing hands
or feet on them is extremely dangerous. The driver and front passenger air bags
inflate with great force and speed. Serious injuries could occur if someone is too
close. The driver should always hold onto only the rim of the steering wheel. The
front seat passenger should keep both feet on the floor. Front seat occupants should
adjust their seats as far back as possible and always sit upright against the
seatbacks with seat belts worn properly.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates or is off under the following conditions:
Condition detected by
front passenger occupant
classification systemFront passenger air bag
deactivation indicator lightFront passenger front and
side air bagsFront passenger seat
belt pretensioner
system
Empty (Not occupied)
*1Off Deactivated Deactivated
Child or child-restraint
system
*2On Deactivated Deactivated
Adult
*3Off Ready Ready
*1 : If the front passenger seat belt is buckled, the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates,
however this does not indicate a malfunction.
*2 : If a larger child sits on the front passenger seat, the sensors might detect the child as being an adult depending
on the child's physique.
*3 : If a smaller adult sits on the front passenger seat, the sensors might detect the person as being a child
depending on the person's physique.
The curtain air bag is always ready to inflate and is not deactivated like the front passenger front and side air bags
and seat belt pretensioner systems.
If the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate when the
ignition is switched ON and does not illuminate as indicated in the above chart, do not
allow a child to sit in the front passenger seat; contact the Authorized Mazda Dealer as
soon as possible. The system may not work properly in an accident.
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Do not increase the total seated weight on the front passenger seat:
When an infant or small child sits on the front passenger seat, increasing the total
seated weight on the front passenger seat is dangerous. The front passenger seat
weight sensors will detect the increased total seated weight, which could result in the
unexpected deployment of the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt
pretensioner system in an accident and may cause serious injury. Increasing the total
seated weight on the front passenger seat could result in the front passenger front
and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system deployment in an accident under
the following conditions, for example:
ØLuggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint
system.
ØA rear passenger or luggage push or pull down on the front passenger seatback.
ØA rear passenger steps on the front passenger seat rails with their feet.
ØLuggage or other items are placed on the seatback or hung on the head restraint.
ØHeavy items are placed in the seatback map pocket.
ØThe seat is washed.
ØLiquids are spilled on the seat.
ØThe front passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items
placed behind it.
ØThe front passenger seatback contacts the rear seat.
ØLuggage or other items are placed between the front passenger seat and driver
seat.
ØAny accessories which might increase the total seated weight on the front
passenger seat are attached to the front passenger seat.
ØFeet or other items are placed on the seat belt slide bar.
The front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner systems will
deactivate if the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.
CAUTION
ØTo assure proper deployment of the front air bag and to prevent damage to the
sensors in the front seat bottoms:
ØDo not place sharp objects on the front seat bottoms or leave heavy luggage on
them.
ØDo not spill any liquids on the front seats or under the front seats.
ØTo allow the sensors to function properly, always perform the following:
ØAdjust the front seats as far back as possible and always sit upright against the
seatbacks with seat belts worn properly.
ØIf you place your child on the front passenger seat, secure the child-restraint
system properly and slide the front passenger seat as far back as possible (page
2-34).
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NOTElThe system requires about 10 seconds to alternate between turning the front passenger front and
side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system on or off.
lThe front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light may illuminate repeatedly if luggage or
other items are put on the front passenger seat, or if the temperature of the vehicle's interior
changes suddenly.
lThe front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light may illuminate for 10 seconds if the total
seated weight on the front passenger seat changes.
lThe air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light might illuminate if the front
passenger seat receives a severe impact.
lIf the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate after installing a
child-restraint system on the front passenger seat, first, re-install your child-restraint system
according to the procedure in this owner's manual. Then, if the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light still does not illuminate, install the child-restraint system on the rear
seat and consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
lIf the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates when an adult is seated in
the front passenger seat, have the passenger re-adjust their posture by sitting with their feet on the
floor, and then re-fastening the seat belt. If the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
still illuminates, move the passenger to the rear seat. If sitting in the rear seat is not possible, slide
the front passenger seat as far back as possible.
Driver and front passenger buckle switches
The buckle switches on the front seat belts detect whether or not the front seat belts are
securely fastened and further control the deployment of the air bags.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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