2018 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK low

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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
2-31
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21

▼Anchor Bracket
Anchor brackets for securing
child-restraint systems are equipped in the
vehicle. Locate each anchor position using
the illustration.
To install a child-restraint system, remove
the head restraint. Always follow the
instruction manual accompanying the
child-restraint system.

Anchor bracket location
Use the indicated anchor bracket locations
when installing a child-restraint system
equipped with a tether.
Anchor bracket For right
For left
For center
(4-Door)
(5-Door)
For left
For centerFor rightSome models.
WA R N I N G
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 remove the head restraint and set
the tether strap:
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)
Anchor bracket
Tether strap
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
2-32
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21

Tether strapForward
(5-Door)
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 syst
em to the rear LATCH
lower anchors. Refer to “Using LATCH
Lower Anchor” (page 2-40).
NOTE
Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instru ctions 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. 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 Restra ints 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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
*Some models.2-33
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21

▼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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
2-36
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21

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 inflation 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 (except when
installing a backless booster seat):
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 S eat Child-Restraint
System Installation (With Front
Passenger Occupant Classification
System)
1. Make sure the ignition is switched off.
2. Slide the seat as far back as possible.
3. 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.
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.
6. 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 lo cking mode. If the
belt does not lock the seat down tight,
repeat the previous step and also this
one.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
2-37
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21

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.
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.
7. Seat your child safely in the
child-restraint system and secure the
child according to the instructions
from the child-restraint system
manufacturer.
8. Switch the ignition ON and make surethe 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 th e child-restraint
system (page 2-61).
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
2-38
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21

▼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
2-40
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21

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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
2-41
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21