Supplementary Restraint System Components
▼Supplementary Restraint System Components
1. Front/Rear* seat belt pretensioners (page 2-24)
2. Side and curtain inflators and air bags
3. Side crash sensors
4. Driver/Front passenger inflators and air bags
5. Air bag/seat belt pretensioner system warning indication/warning light (page
7-55)
6. Driver knee inflator and air bag
7. Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
* (page 2-51)
8. Front air bag sensors
9. Front passenger air bag deactivation switch
*(page 2-51)
10.Roll-over sensor*, crash sensors, and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
11.Driver seat slide position sensor* (page 2-55)
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-54*Some models.
How the SRS Air Bags
Work
▼How the SRS Air Bags Work
Your Mazda is equipped with the
following types of SRS air bags. SRS air
bags are designed to work together
with the seat belts to help to reduce
injuries during an accident.
The SRS air bags are designed to
provide further protection for
passengers in addition to the seat belt
functions. Be sure to wear seat belts
properly.
▼Seat Belt Pretensioners
The pretensioners operate differently
depending on what types of air bags
are equipped. For more details about
seat belt pretensioner operation, refer
to the SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria
(page 2-58).
Front
The front seat belt pretensioners are
designed to deploy in moderate or
severe frontal, near frontal collisions.
In addition,the pretensioners operate
when a side collision or a roll-over
accident (with roll-over sensor) is
detected.
Rear Outboard
*
The rear outboard seat belt
pretensioners are designed to deploy
in moderate or severe frontal, near
frontal collisions.
▼Driver Air Bag
The driver's air bag is mounted in the
steering wheel.
When air bag crash sensors detect a
frontal impact of greater than
moderate force, the driver's air bag
inflates quickly helping to reduce injury
mainly to the driver's head or chest
caused by directly hitting the steering
wheel.
For more details about air bag
deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag
Deployment Criteria" (page 2-58).
(With Front Passenger Air Bag
Deactivation Switch)
The inflation of the driver's dual-stage
air bag is controlled in two energy
stages depending on the driver's seat
position. The driver's seat slide
position sensor is located under the
driver's seat. The sensor determines
whether the driver's seat is forward of
or behind a reference position and
sends the seat position to the
diagnostic module (SAS unit). The SAS
unit is designed to control the
deployment of the driver's air bag
depending on how close the driver's
seat is to the steering wheel.
During an impact of moderate severity,
the driver's air bag deploys with lesser
energy, whereas during more severe
impacts and when the driver's seat is
behind the reference position, it
deploys with more energy.
▼Front Passenger Air Bag
The front passenger air bag is mounted
in the front passenger instrument
panel.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
*Some models.2-55
The inflation mechanism for the front
passenger air bag is the same as the
driver's air bag.
For more details about air bag
deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag
Deployment Criteria" (page 2-58).
▼Driver Knee Air Bag
The knee air bag is equipped under the
instrument panel.
If the air bag crash sensors receive a
frontal impact of greater than
moderate force, the knee air bag
deploys immediately to reduce impact
to the driver's legs.
For more details about air bag
deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag
Deployment Criteria" (page 2-58).
▼Side Air Bags
The side air bags are mounted in the
outboard sides of the front seatbacks.
When the air bag crash sensors detect
a side impact of greater than moderate
force, the system inflates the side air
bag only on the side in which the
vehicle was hit. The side air bag inflates
quickly to reduce injury to the driver or
front passenger's chest caused by
directly hitting interior parts such as a
door or window.
For more details about air bag
deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag
Deployment Criteria" (page 2-58).
▼Curtain Air Bags
The curtain air bags are mounted in the
front and rear window pillars, and the
roof edge along both sides.
When the air bag crash sensors detect
a side impact of greater than moderate
force, the curtain air bag inflates
quickly and helps to reduce injury
mainly to the driver and front and rear
outboard passengers' heads caused by
directly hitting interior parts such as a
door or window.
For more details about air bag
deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag
Deployment Criteria" (page 2-58).
In a side impact:
Greater than moderate impact to one
side of the vehicle will cause the
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-56
curtain air bag on that side only to
inflate.
Only one side curtain air bag will
deploy on the side of the vehicle that
receives the force of an impact.
(With roll-over sensor)
In a roll-over:
In response to a vehicle roll-over, both
curtain air bags
inflate.
Both curtain air bags will deploy after
the roll-over accident is detected.
▼Warning Light/Beep
A system malfunction or operation
conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Air Bag/Seat Belt Pretensioner
System Warning Indication/Warning
Light on page 7-55.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-57
SRS equip-
mentTypes of collision
A severe frontal/near frontal
collisionA severe side col-
lisionA roll-over/near
roll-over
*2A rear collision
Front pas-
senger air
bagX
*1ŠŠ
Knee Air-
bagXŠŠ
Side air bagŠX
*1 (impact side
only)Š
Curtain air
bagŠX (impact side on-
ly)X (both sides)
X: The SRS air bag equipment deploys in a collision.
Š:The SRS air bag equipment does not deploy in a collision.
*1(With Front Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Switch)
The front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner are designed to deploy
depending on the status of the front passenger air bag deactivation switch.
*2(With roll-over sensor)
In a roll-over accident, the seat belt pretensioners and the curtain air bags deploy.
NOTE
In a frontal offset collision, the equipped air bags and pretensioners may all deploy
depending on the direction, angle, and rate of impact.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-59
not be detected as severe enough to
deploy the SRS air bag equipment.
Side impacts involving trees or poles
Side impacts with two-wheeled
vehicles
Roll-over (Without roll-over sensor)
Limitations to roll-over detection
(With roll-over sensor):
The following illustration is an example
of an accident that may not be
detected as a roll-over accident.
Therefore, the front seat belt
pretensioners and curtain air bags may
not deploy.
Pitch end over end
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-61