2–14
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 speci ¿ c
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 speci ¿ c 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, and then try pulling it out
slowly. If this fails, pull the belt strongly one time and loosen, then pull it 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 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.
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-restraint system. It will retract
down to the child-restraint system and stay locked on it. See the section on child restraint
(page 2-20 ).
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2–15
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Seat Belt
Fastening the Seat Belt
Seat belt
buckleSeat belt tongue
Position the lap belt as low as possible,
not on the abdominal area, then adjust the
shoulder belt so that it ¿ ts snugly against
your body.
Keep low on
hip bone
Too highTake up slack
Unfastening 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
N O T E
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.
Front Shoulder Belt Adjuster
To raise To lower
Make sure the adjuster is locked.
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2–24
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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.
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.
N O T E
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially designed
LATCH child-restraint systems in the rear seats. When using these anchors to secure a
child-restraint system, refer to "Using LATCH Lower Anchor" (page 2-34 ).
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2–27
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
*Some models.
Always remove the head restraint and
install child-restraint system:
Installing a child-restraint system
without removing the head restraint is
dangerous. The child-restraint system
cannot be installed correctly which
may result in death or injury to the
child in a collision.
Tether strap
Forward
Tether strap
Forward
Always install the head restraint and
adjust it to the appropriate position
after removing the child-restraint
system:
Driving with the head restraint
removed is dangerous as impact to the
occupant's head cannot be prevented
during emergency braking or in a
collision, which could result in a serious
accident, injury or death.
Refer to Head Restraints on page
2-10 .
Using Automatic Locking Mode *
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 “Using LATCH Lower
Anchor” (page 2-34 ).
N O T E
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.
2. Remove the head restraint.
Refer to Head Restraints on page
2-10 .
3. 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.
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2–28
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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 ¿ rmly
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 the automatic locking mode. If the
belt does not lock the seat down tight,
repeat this step.
N O T E
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. If your child-restraint system requires
the use of a tether strap, refer to the
manufacturer's instructions to hook and
tighten the tether strap.
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2–31
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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.
Always remove the head restraint and
install child-restraint system:
Installing a child-restraint system
without removing the head restraint is
dangerous. The child-restraint system
cannot be installed correctly which
may result in death or injury to the
child in a collision.
Always install the head restraint and
adjust it to the appropriate position
after removing the child-restraint
system:
Driving with the head restraint
removed is dangerous as impact to the
occupant's head cannot be prevented
during emergency braking or in a
collision, which could result in a serious
accident, injury or death.
Refer to Head Restraints on page
2-10 .
Front Passenger's Seat Child-Restraint
System Installation (With Front
Passenger Occupant Classi ¿ cation
System)
1. Make sure the ignition is switched off.
2. Slide the seat as far back as possible.
3. Remove the head restraint.
4. Place the child-restraint system on the
seat without putting your weight on
the seat and fasten the seat belt. See
the manufacturer's instructions on the
child-restraint system for belt routing
instructions.
5. 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.
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