2–1*Some models.
2Essential Safety Equipment
Important information about safety equipment, including seats, seat belt\
system, child-restraint systems and SRS air bags.
Seats ........................................................................\
.............................2-2
Seat Precautions ........................................................................\
....2-2
Seat ........................................................................\
........................2-4
Head Restraints ........................................................................\
.....2-6
Seat Belt Systems ........................................................................\
........2-7
Seat Belt Precautions ....................................................................2-7
Seat Belt ........................................................................\
..............2-10
Seat Belt Warning Systems .........................................................2-11
Seat Belt Pretensioner and Load Limiting Systems ....................2-12
Seat Belt Extender .......................................................................2-13
Child Restraint ........................................................................\
.........2-15
Child-Restraint Precautions ........................................................2-15
Child-Restraint System Installation ............................................2-20
Installing Child-Restraint Systems .............................................2-21
SRS Air Bags ........................................................................\
............2-24
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions ....................2-24
Supplemental Restraint System Components .............................2-29
How the SRS Air Bags Work ......................................................2-31
SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria ..............................................2-34
Limitations to SRS Air Bag ........................................................2-35
Passenger Occupant Classification System*................................2-37
Constant Monitoring ...................................................................2-42
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2–2
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
Seat Precautions
WARNING
Make sure the adjustable components of a seat are locked in place:
Adjustable seats and seatbacks that are not securely locked are dangerous. In a
sudden stop or collision, the seat or seatback could move, causing injury. Make sure the
adjustable components of the seat are locked in place by attempting to slide the seat
forward and backward and rocking the seatback.
Never allow children to adjust a seat:
Allowing children to adjust a seat is dangerous as it could result in serious injury if a
child's hands or feet become caught in the seat.
Do not drive with the seatback unlocked:
All of the seatbacks play an important role in your protection in a vehicle. Leaving the
seatback unlocked is dangerous as it can allow passengers to be ejected or thrown
around and baggage to strike occupants in a sudden stop or collision, resulting in severe
injury. After adjusting the seatback at any time, even when there are no other passengers,
rock the seatback to make sure it is locked in place.
Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is stopped:
Adjusting the driver's seat while the vehicle is moving is dangerous. The driver could lose
control of the vehicle and have an accident.
Do not modify or replace the seats:
Modifying or replacing the seats such as replacing the upholstery or loosening any
bolts is dangerous. The seats contain air bag components essential to the supplemental
restraint system. Such modifications could damage the supplemental restraint system
and result in serious injury. Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer if there is any need to
remove or reinstall the seats.
Do not drive with damaged seats:
Driving with damaged seats is dangerous. A collision, even one not strong enough
to inflate the air bags, could damage the seats which contain essential air bag
components. If there was a subsequent collision, an air bag may not deploy which could
lead to injuries. Always have an Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect the seats, seat belt
pretensioners and air bags after a collision.
Do not drive with either seats reclined:
Sitting in a reclined position while the vehicle is moving is dangerous because you do not
get the full protection from seat belts. During sudden braking or a collision, you can slide
under the lap belt and suffer serious internal injuries. For maximum protection, sit well
back and upright.
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2–7
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Seat Belt Precautions
Seat belts help to decrease the possibility of severe injury during acci\
dents and sudden
stops. Mazda recommends that the driver and passengers always wear seat \
belts.
(Except Mexico)
All of the seat belt retractors are designed to keep the lap/shoulder be\
lts 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 passenger's seat lap/shoulder belt retractor operates in two modes\
: emergency
locking mode, and for child-restraint systems, automatic locking mode. I\
f you must use the
passenger seat for a child, slide the passenger seat as far back as poss\
ible and make sure any
child-restraint system is secured properly.
(Mexico)
All the seats have lap/shoulder belts. These belts have retractors with inertia locks that keep
them out of the way when not in use. The locks allow the belts to remain comfortable on
users, but they will lock in position during a collision.
WARNING
Always wear your seat belt and make sure all occupants are properly restrained:
Not wearing a seat belt is extremely dangerous. During a collision, occupants not
wearing seat belts could hit someone or things inside the vehicle or even be thrown out of
the vehicle. They could be seriously injured or even killed. In the same collision, occupants
wearing seat belts would be much safer.
Do not wear twisted seat belts:
Twisted seat belts are dangerous. In a collision, the full width of the belt is not available to
absorb the impact. This puts more force on the bones beneath the belt, which could cause
serious injury or death. So, if your seat belt is twisted, you must straighten the seat belt to
remove any twists and to allow the full width of the belt to be used.
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.
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2–9
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
*Some models.
Pregnant 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. Che\
ck with your doctor
for any special instructions regarding specific medical conditions.
Emergency Locking Mode
When the seat belt is fastened, it will always be in the emergency locking mode.
In the emergency locking mode, the belt remains comfortable on the occupant and the\
retractor will lock in position during a collision.
If the belt is locked and cannot be pulled out, retract the belt once, a\
nd then try pulling it out
slowly. If this fails, pull the belt strongly one time and loosen, then pull i\
t out again slowly.
(Seat Belt with Automatic Locking Mode)
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 stoppe\
d or in motion, it
may be in the automatic locking mode because the belt has been pulled to\
o 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 emer\
gency locking mode and
then extend it around you again.
Automatic 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-restra\
int system. It will retract
down to the child-restraint system and stay locked on it. See the sectio\
n on child restraint
(page 2-15).
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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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2–17
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
(Mexico)
NEVER use a rearward facing child restraint on a seat protected by an ACTIVE AIRBAG in
front of it, DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the CHILD can occur.
Vehicles with a passenger air bag have a warning label attached as shown below.
The warning label reminds you not to put a rear-facing child-restraint system on the
passenger seat at any time.
Before installing child-restraint system on the passenger seat, move the passenger
seat as far back as possible:
In a collision, the force of a deploying air bag could cause serious injury or death to the
child.
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