2018 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK seats

▼Child-Restraint System Types
In this owner's manual, explanation of
child-restraint system
s is provided for the
following three types of popular
child-restraint system s: infant seat, child
seat, booster seat.
NOTE
Installation position is determined by
the type of child-restraint system.
Always read the manufacturer's
instructions and this owner's manual
carefully.
Due to variations in the design of
child-restraint systems, vehicle seats
and seat belts, all child-restraint systems
may not fit all seating positions. Before
purchasing a child-restraint system, it
should be tested in the specific vehicle
seating position (or positions) where it
is intended to be used. If a previously
purchased child-restraint system does
not fit, you may need to purchase a
different one that will.
Infant seat
An infant seat provides restraint by
bracing the infant's head, neck and back
against the seating surface.
Equal to Group 0 and 0
of the UNECE
44 regulation.
Child seat
A child seat restrains a child's body using
the harness.
Equal to Group 1 of the UNECE 44
regulation.
Booster seat
A booster seat is a child restraint
accessory designed to improve the fit of
the seat belt system around the child's
body.
Equal to Group 2 and 3 of the UNECE 44
regulation.
When using a backless booster seat, always
install the vehicle head restraint to the seat
where the backless booster seat is installed.
Backless booster seat
*1
*1
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
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Installing Child-RestraintSystems
Accident statistics reveal that a child is
safer in the rear seat . The front passenger's
seat is clearly the worst choice for any
child under 12, and with rear-facing
child-restraint systems it is clearly unsafe
due to air bags.

NOTE
Even if your vehicle is equipped with front
passenger occupant classification sensor
(page 2-61), which automatically
deactivates the front passenger air bag, a
rear seat is the safest place for a child of
any age or size.

Some child-restraint systems now come
with tethers and therefore must be
installed on the seats that take tethers to be
effective. In your Mazda, tethered
child-restraint systems can only be
accommodated in the three positions on
the rear seat.

Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to "Using LATCH Lower Anchor"
(page 2-40).
WA R N I N G
Tethered Child-Restraint Systems Work
Only on Tether-Equipped Rear Seats:
Installation of a tether equipped
child-restraint system in the front
passenger's seat defeats the safety design
of the system and will result in an increased
chance of serious injury if the
child-restraint system goes forward
without benefit of being tethered.
Place tether equipped child-restraint
systems where there are tether anchors.
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Child-Restraint
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▼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 an occupant
classification sensor or not.
This seat is also not set up for tethered
child-restraint system s, 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-re straint system on the
front seat is unavoidable, follow these
instructions when using a front-facing
child-restraint sy stem in the front
passenger's seat.
NOTE
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.
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.
WA R N I N G
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 th e 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 part icularly 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.
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Child-Restraint
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▼Using LATCH Lower Anchor
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment
of specially designed
LATCH child-restraint systems in the rear seats. Both anchors m ust 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.
WA R N I N G
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.
Never attach two child-restraint systems to the same LATCH lower anchor:
Attaching two child-restraint systems to the sa me LATCH lower anchor is dangerous. In a
collision, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two child-restraint system
attachments, and it may break, causing serious injury or death. If you use the seat position for
another child-restraint system when an outboard LATCH position is occupied, use the center
seat belts instead, and the tether if tether-equipped.
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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Installation on rear outboard seats
1. First, adjust the front seat to allowclearance 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. Remove the head restraint. However, when installing a backless booster seat,
always install the vehicle head restraint
to the seat where the backless booster
seat is installed.
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 cameequipped with a teth er, 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.
WA R N I N G
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.
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Child-Restraint
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Always remove the head restraint and set
the tether strap (except when installing a
backless booster seat):
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)
Tether strapForward
(5-Door)
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.
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.

Installation on rear center seat
The LATCH lower anchors at the center of
the rear seat are much further apart than
the sets of LATCH lower anchors for
child-restraint system installation at other
seating positions. Child-restraint systems
with rigid LATCH attachments cannot be
installed on the center seating position.
Some LATCH equipped child-restraint
systems can be placed in the center
position and will reach the nearest LATCH
lower anchors which are 443 mm (17.4 in)
apart. LATCH compatible child-restraint
systems (with attachments on belt
webbing) can be us
ed at this seating
position only if the c hild-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions state that the
child-restraint system can be installed to
LATCH lower anchors that are 443 mm
(17.4 in) apart. Do not attach two
child-restraint systems to the same
LATCH lower anchor. If your
child-restraint system has a tether, it must
also be used for your child's optimum
safety.

The procedure for installation on the rear
outboard seats is the same.
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Child-Restraint
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If your vehicle is also equipped with a front passenger occupant classification system,
refer to the Front Pas senger Occupant Classi fication System (page 2-61) for details.
If your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classification system, the front
passenger air bag deactivation i ndicator light illuminates for a specified time after the
ignition is switched ON.


Small children mu st be protected by a child-restraint system as stipulated by law in every
state and province. In certain s tates and provinces, larger children must use a child-restraint
system (page 2-20).

Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary fo r your child and follow the
installation directions in this Owner's Manual as well as the c hild-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions.
WA R N I N G
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 appr opriate air bags can be expected to inflate
only in the first accident, such as frontal, near frontal or side collisions or roll-over accidents
that are at least moderate. Vehicle occu pants 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 ba g in moderate collision to the front-passenger
side of the vehicle. Whenever possible, alwa ys secure a child 12 years and under on the rear
seats with an appropriate child-restraint system for the child's age and size.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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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 ba g will not deploy based on the fact that the
front passenger air bag deactivation indicator ligh t illuminates. The child-restraint system can
be hit by a deploying air bag and moved violen tly 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 fr ont 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 wi th seat belts worn properly.
Sit in the center of the seat and wear seat belts properly:
Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them, or sleeping up against
the door or hanging out the windows is extrem ely dangerous. The side and curtain air bags
inflate with great force and speed directly expanding
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, or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the front seatbacks. Give the side and
curtain air bags room to work by sitting in th e center of the seat while the vehicle is moving
with seat belts worn properly.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where driver and front passenger air bags
deploy:
Attaching an object to the driver and front passenger air bag modules or placing something
in front of them is dangerous. In an accide nt, an object could interfere with air bag
inflation
and injure the occupants.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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