2014 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK light

2–21
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Do not leave a seat belt extender
connected to the buckle:
Leaving a seat belt extender connected
to the buckle without using the seat
belt is dangerous. When the seat
belt extender is connected to the
driver's seat belt buckle (or front
passenger) seat, the SRS driver's (or
front passenger's) air bag system will
determine that the driver (or front
passenger) is wearing the seat belt
even if the driver (or front passenger)
is not wearing it. This condition could
cause the driver's (or front passenger's)
air bag to not activate correctly and
result in death or serious injury in the
event of collision. Always wear the seat
belt with the seat belt extender.

Do not use the seat belt extender when
installing a child-restraint system on the
front or rear passenger seat:
Using a seat belt extender to fasten
a child-restraint system on any seat
is dangerous. Always follow the
child-restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions and never use
a seat belt extender.
NOTE
When not in use, remove the seat belt
extender and store it in the vehicle. If the
seat belt extender is left connected, the
seat belt extender might get damaged
as it will not retract with the rest of the
seat belt and can easily fall out of the
door when not in use and be damaged. In
addition, the seat belt warning light will
not illuminate and function properly.
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

2–22
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
Child-Restraint Precautions
Mazda strongly urges the use of child-restraint systems for children small enough to use
them.
You are required by law to use a child-restraint system for children in the U.S. and Canada.
Check your local and state or provincial laws for specifi c requirements regarding the safety
of children riding in your vehicle.
Whatever child-restraint system you consider, please pick the appropriate one for the age
and size of the child, obey the law and follow the instructions that come with the individual
child-restraint system.
A child who has outgrown child-restraint systems should sit in the rear and use seat belts,
both lap and shoulder. If the shoulder belt crosses the neck or face, move the child closer
to the center of the vehicle in the outboard seats, and towards the buckle on the right if the
child is seated on the center seat.
Statistics confi rm that the rear seat is the best place for all children up to 12 years of age,
and more so with a supplemental restraint system (air bags).
A rear-facing child-restraint system should NEVER be used on the front seat with the air
bag system activated. The front passenger's seat is also the least preferred seat for other
child-restraint systems.
(With Front Passenger Occupant Classifi cation System)
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the
front passenger seat weight sensors work as a part of the supplemental restraint system. This
system deactivates the front passenger front and side air bags and also the front passenger
seat belt pretensioner system when the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates.
When an infant or small child sits on the front passenger seat, the system shuts off the front
passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system, so make sure the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.
Even if the front passenger air bag is shut off, Mazda strongly recommends that children be
properly restrained and child-restraint systems of all kinds are properly secured on the rear
seats which are the best place for children.
For more details, refer to "Front passenger seat weight sensors" (page 2-56 ).
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

2–23
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
WARNING
Use the correct size child-restraint system:
For eff ective protection in vehicle accidents and sudden stops, a child must be properly
restrained using a seat belt or child-restraint system depending on age and size. If not, the
child could be seriously injured or even killed in an accident.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions and always keep the child-restraint system
buckled down:
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 any
child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions. 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 and the corresponding tether anchor.

Always secure a child in a proper child-restraint system:
Holding a child in your arms while the vehicle is moving is extremely dangerous. No
matter how strong the person may be, he or she cannot hold onto a child in a sudden
stop or collision and it could result in serious injury or death to the child or other
occupants. Even in a moderate accident, the child may be exposed to air bag forces that
could result in serious injury or death to the child, or the child may be slammed into an
adult, causing injury to both child and adult.

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.
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

2–25
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
Seating a child in a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat is dangerous
under certain conditions (With Front Passenger Occupant Classifi cation System) :
Your vehicle is equipped with front passenger seat weight sensors. Even with the front
passenger seat weight sensors, if you must use the front passenger seat to seat a child,
using a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat under the following conditions
increases the danger of the front passenger air bag deploying and could result in serious
injury or death to the child.
 


¾ The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate when
seating a child in the child-restraint system.
 


¾ Luggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint
system.
 


¾ A rear passenger or luggage pushing or pulling down on the front passenger
seatback.
 


¾ A rear passenger puts their feet on the front seat rails.



¾ Luggage or other items are placed on the seatback or hung on the head restraint.



¾ Heavy items are placed in the seatback map pocket.



¾ The seat is washed.



¾ Liquids are spilled on the seat.



¾ The front passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items
placed behind it.
 


¾ The front passenger seatback contacts the rear seat.



¾ Luggage or other items are placed between the front passenger seat and driver seat.



¾ Any accessories, which might increase the total seated weight on the front passenger
seat, are attached to the front passenger seat.
The designated positions with seat belts on the rear seats are the safest places for
children. Always use seat belts and child restraints.

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 infl ation 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.

/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

2–33
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
If You Must Use the Front Seat for
Children
If you cannot put all children in the rear
seat, 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 whether
your vehicle is equipped with a seat
weight sensor or not.
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
rear seat.
Do not allow anyone to sleep against the
side window since your vehicle has side
and curtain air bags, 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.
NOTE
 


y To check if your front seats have side
air bags:
  Mazda vehicles equipped with side air
bag will have a "SRS AIRBAG" tag on
the outboard shoulder of the front seats.
 


y To check if your vehicle has curtain air
bags:
  Mazda vehicles equipped with curtain
air bag will have an "SRS AIRBAG"
marking on the window pillars along
the roof edge.
WARNING
Always move the front passenger seat
as far back as possible if installing a
front-facing child-restraint system on it
is unavoidable:
As your vehicle has front air bags and
doubly so because your vehicle has
side air bags, a front-facing child-
restraint system should be put on the
front passenger seat only when it is
unavoidable.
Even if the front passenger air
bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates, always move the seat as
far back as possible, because the force
of a deploying air bag could cause
serious injury or death to the child.

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 in a moderate collision, 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.
Even though you may feel assured
that the front passenger air bag will
not deploy based on the fact that the
front passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light illuminates, you should
not use a rear-facing child-restraint
system in the front seat.

/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

2–35
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
NOTE
 


y 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.
 


y 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.
6. Seat your child safely in the child-
restraint system and secure the child
according to the instructions from the
child-restraint system manufacturer.
7. Make sure the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light illuminates
after installing a child-restraint system
on the front passenger seat.
If the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light does not
illuminate, remove the child-restraint
system, switch the ignition to OFF, and
then re-install the child-restraint system
(page 2-56 ).
WARNING
Do not seat a child in a child-restraint
system on the front passenger seat if the
front passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light does not illuminate (With
Front Passenger Occupant Classifi cation
System):
While it is always better to install any
child-restraint system on the rear seat,
it is imperative that a child-restraint
system ONLY be used on the front
passenger seat if the deactivation
indicator light illuminates when the
child is seated in the child-restraint
system (page 2-56 ). Seating a child
in a child-restraint system installed
on the front passenger seat with the
front passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light not illuminated is
dangerous. If this indicator light does
not illuminate, this means that the
front passenger front and side air
bags, and seat belt pretensioner are
ready for deployment. If an accident
were to deploy an air bag, a child in
a child-restraint system sitting in the
front passenger seat could be seriously
injured or killed. If the indicator light
does not illuminate after seating a
child in a child-restraint system on
the front passenger seat, seat a child
in a child-restraint system on the rear
seat and consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer as soon as possible.
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

2–37
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
Installation on rear outboard seats
1. First, adjust the front seat to allow
clearance between the child-restraint
system and the front seat (page 2-5 ).
2. Make sure the seatback is securely
latched by pushing it back until it is
fully locked.
3. Expand the area between the seat
bottom and the seatback slightly to
verify the locations of the LATCH
lower anchors.
NOTE
The markings above the LATCH lower
anchors indicate the locations of the
LATCH lower anchors for the attachment
of a child-restraint system.
4. Raise the head restraint to the top
locked position.
Refer to Head Restraints on page 2-10 .
5. 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. 6. 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.
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.
Anchor bracket
Tether strap(4-Door)
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

2–41
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
If your vehicle is also equipped with a front passenger occupant classifi cation system,
refer to the Front Passenger Occupant Classifi cation System (page 2-56 ) for details.
If your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classifi cation system, the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates for a specifi ed time after the
ignition is switched ON.
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 2-22 ).
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.
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
infl ate only in the fi rst accident, such as frontal, near frontal or side collisions or roll-over
accidents 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. 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 seats with an appropriate child-restraint system for the child's age and
size.

/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD