2–14
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Do not use an improper extender:
Using a seat belt extender that is for
another person or a different vehicle
or seat is dangerous. The seat belt will
not provide adequate protection and
the user could be seriously injured in
an accident. Only use the extender
provided for you and for the particular
vehicle and seat. NEVER use the
extender in a different vehicle or seat.
If you sell your Mazda, do not leave
your seat belt extender in the vehicle. It
could be used accidentally by the new
owner of the vehicle. After removing
the seat belt extender, discard it. Never
use the seat belt extender in any other
vehicle you may own in the future.
Do not use an extender that is too long:
Using an extender that is too long is
dangerous. The seat belt will not fit
properly. In an accident, the seat belt
will not provide adequate protection
and you could be seriously injured.
Do not use the extender or choose
one shorter in length if the distance
between the extender's buckle and the
center of the user's body is less than 15
cm (6 in).
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 passenger) seat,
the SRS driver's (or passenger's) air bag
system will determine that the driver
(or passenger) is wearing the seat belt
even if the driver (or passenger) is not
wearing it. This condition could cause
the driver's (or 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
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.
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2–15
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 t\
he U.S. and Canada.
Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific 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 com\
e with the individual
child-restraint system.
A child who has outgrown child-restraint systems should use seat belts, b\
oth lap and
shoulder. If the shoulder belt crosses the neck or face, move the child closer t\
o the center of
the vehicle.
A rear-facing child-restraint system should NEVER be used on the passenger seat with the
air bag system activated.
(With Passenger Occupant Classification System)
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the passenger ai\
r bag, the
passenger occupant classification sensor work as a part of the supplemental restraint system.
This system deactivates the passenger front and side air bags and also t\
he passenger seat belt
pretensioner system when the passenger air bag deactivation indicator li\
ght illuminates.
When an infant or small child sits on the passenger seat, the system shu\
ts off the passenger
front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system, so make sure \
the passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light illuminates.
For more details, refer to "Passenger occupant classification sensor" (page 2-37).
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2–16
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
WARNING
Use the correct size child-restraint system:
For effective 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.
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.
Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light is illuminated
when using a child-restraint system:
Seating a child in a child-restraint system that is installed on the passenger seat with the
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light not illuminated is extremely dangerous. In
an accident, an air bag could inflate and cause serious injuries or even death to the child
seated in the child-restraint system. Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light is illuminated.
Refer to Passenger Occupant Classification System on page 2-37.
(Except Mexico)
Vehicles with a passenger air bag have a warning label attached as shown below. This
warning label is displayed in compliance with regulations.
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2–18
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Seating a child in a child-restraint system on the passenger seat is dangerous under
certain conditions (With Passenger Occupant Classification System):
Your vehicle is equipped with passenger occupant classification sensor. Even with the
passenger occupant classification sensor, if you must use the passenger seat to seat a
child, using a child-restraint system on the passenger seat under the following conditions
increases the danger of the passenger air bag deploying and could result in serious injury
or death to the child.
The passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate when seating a
child in the child-restraint system. Luggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint
system. The seat is washed. Liquids are spilled on the seat. The passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items placed
behind it. Luggage or other items are placed between the passenger seat and driver seat. An electric device is put on the passenger's seat. An additional electrical device, such as a seat warmer is installed to the surface of the
passenger seat.
Do not allow a child or anyone to lean over or against the side window of a vehicle with
side air bags:
It is dangerous to allow anyone to lean over or against the side window, the area of the
passenger seat from which the side air bags deploy, even if a child-restraint system is
used. The impact of inflation from a side air bag could cause serious injury or death to an
out of position child. Furthermore, leaning over or against the door could block the side
air bags and eliminate the advantages of supplemental protection. Because the side air
bag deploys from the outboard shoulder of the seat, do not allow the 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.
Always use a child-restraint system designed for use without a tether or the LATCH
lower anchor:
Using a child-restraint system that requires a tether or the LATCH lower anchor is
dangerous. Your Mazda does not have a child-restraint tether or the LATCH lower anchor.
The child-restraint system cannot be properly secured. In a collision, it could move and
injure other occupants as well as result in serious injuries or death to the child.
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2–22
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Passenger's Seat Child-Restraint
System Installation (With Passenger
Occupant Classification System)
1. Make sure the ignition is switched off.
2. Slide the seat as far back as possible.
3. Place the child-restraint system on the
seat without putting your weight on
the seat and 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.
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. A
clicking noise from the retractor will
be heard during retraction if the system
is in automatic locking mode. If the
belt does not lock the seat down tight,
repeat the previous step and also this
one.
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. Seat your child safely in the child-
restraint system and secure the child
according to the instructions from the
child-restraint system manufacturer.
7. Switch the ignition ON and make sure
the passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light illuminates after
installing a child-restraint system on
the passenger seat.
If the 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
2-37).
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2–23
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
WARNING
Do not seat a child in a child-restraint
system on the passenger seat if the
passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light does not illuminate (With
Passenger Occupant Classification
System):
Seating a child in a child-restraint
system installed on the passenger
seat with the passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light not
illuminated is dangerous. If this
indicator light does not illuminate,
this means that the 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 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 passenger seat consult
an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon
as possible.
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2–24
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include different types of air bags.
Please verify which kinds of air bags are equipped on your vehicle by locating the
“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:
The steering wheel hub (driver air bag) The passenger dashboard (passenger air bag) The outboard sides of the seatbacks (side air bags)
The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide suppl\
emental protection
in certain situations so seat belts are always important in the followin\
g ways:
Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection \
during an accident.
Seat belt usage is necessary to:
Keep the occupant from being thrown into an inflating air bag. Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not design\
ed for air bag
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact. Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal, near frontal or side coll\
isions that are not
severe enough to activate the air bags. Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle. Reduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an acci\
dent because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts of the body. Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle\
.
If your vehicle is also equipped with a passenger occupant classification system, refer
to the Passenger Occupant Classification System (page 2-37) for details.
If your vehicle is equipped with a passenger occupant classification system, the passenger
air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates for a specified time after the ignition is
switched ON.
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2–25
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Small children must be protected by a child-restraint system as stipulat\
ed by law in every
state and province. In certain states and provinces, larger children must use a child-restraint
system (page 2-15).
Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary for your ch\
ild and follow
the installation directions in this Owner's Manual as well as the child-\
restraint system
manufacturer's instructions.
Do not use a child-restraint system which employs an upper tether becaus\
e there is no
appropriate means to anchor the tether.
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 accident, such as frontal, near frontal or side collisions that are at least
moderate. Vehicle occupants should always wear seat belts.
Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light is illuminated
when using a child-restraint system (With Passenger Occupant Classification System):
Seating a child in a child-restraint system that is installed on the passenger seat with the
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light not illuminated is extremely dangerous. In
an accident, an air bag could inflate and cause serious injuries or even death to the child
seated in the child-restraint system. Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light is illuminated.
Refer to Occupant Classification System on page 2-37.
Do not sit too close to the driver and passenger air bags:
Sitting too close to the driver and passenger air bag modules or placing hands or feet on
them is extremely dangerous. The driver and 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 passenger should keep both feet on
the floor. Seat occupants should adjust their seats as far back as possible and always sit
upright against the seatbacks with seat belts worn properly.
Do not sit too close to a door or lean against doors in vehicles with side air bags:
Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them is extremely
dangerous. A side air bag inflates with great force and speed directly out of the outboard
shoulder of the seat and expands along the door on the side the car is hit. Serious injury
could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door or leaning against a window in the
seats. Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging out the driver-side window
while driving could block the side air bag and eliminate the advantages of supplemental
protection. Give the side air bags room to work by sitting in the center of the seat while
the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn properly.
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