
Child-restraint Systems
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
the 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 come with the
individual child-restraint system.
A child who has outgrown
child-restraint systems should sit in the
rear and use seat belts, both lap and
shoulder. If the shoulder belt crosses
the neck or face, move the child closer
to the center of the vehicle in the
outboard seats, and towards the
buckle on the right if the child is seated
on the center seat.
Statistics confirm that the rear seat is
the best place for all children up to 12
years of age, and more so with a
supplemental restraint system (air
bags).
A rear-facing child-restraint system
should NEVER be used on the front
seat with the air bag system activated.
The front passenger's seat is also the
least preferred seat for other
child-restraint systems.
To reduce the chance of injuries
caused by deployment of the front
passenger air bag , the front passenger
seat weight sensors occupant
classification sensor works as a part of
the supplemental restraint system. This
system deactivates the front passenger
front and side air bags and knee air
bags, and also the front passenger seat
belt pretensioner system when the
front passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light illuminates.
When an infant or small child sits on
the front passenger seat, the system
shuts off the front passenger front and
side air bags and knee air bags, and
seat belt pretensioner system, so make
sure the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light illuminates.
Even if the front passenger air bag is
shut off, Mazda strongly recommends
that children be properly restrained
and child-restraint systems of all kinds
are properly secured on the rear seats
which are the best place for children.
Equipment to Protect Occupants/Pedestrians
Child-restraint Systems
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The designated positions with seat
belts on the rear seats are the safest
places for children. Always use seat
belts and child restraints.
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.
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.
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.
Equipment to Protect Occupants/Pedestrians
Child-restraint Systems
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Types of Child-restraint Systems
Child-Restraint System Types
In this owner's manual, explanation of child-restraint systems is provided for the
following three types of popular child-restraint systems: 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 chil d-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.
Child seat
A child seat restrains a child's body using the harness.
Equipment to Protect Occupants/Pedestrians
Child-restraint Systems
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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.
1. Full booster seat
2. Backless booster seat
When using a backless booster seat, always install the vehicle head restraint to the
seat where the backless booster seat is installed.
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 3-16), 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.
Some child-restraint systems also
employ specially designed LATCH
attachments; refer to " How to Use the
LATCH Lower Anchor"(page 3-66).
Equipment to Protect Occupants/Pedestrians
Child-restraint Systems
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Anchor Bracket Overview
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, if the
seat is equipped with a head restraint,
remove it. 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.
Second-row seats
1. For right
2. For center
3. For left
Third-row seats
1. For right
2. For center
*
3. For left
Warnings and Cautionsfor Using the Anchor Bracket
WARNING
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.
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.
Always remove the head restraint and
install child-restraint system (except
when installing a backless booster
seat) (Except third-row outboard
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.
If the top tether strap does not reach
the anchor bracket, purchase and use
an extension strap provided by the CRS
manufacturer.
Equipment to Protect Occupants/Pedestrians
Child-restraint Systems
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Second-row outboard seat
Second-row/Third-row center seats
1. Tether strap
2. Anchor bracket
3. Forward
Always install the head restraint and
adjust it to the appropriate position
after removing the child-restraint
system (Except third-row outboard
seat).
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 How to Use the Head
Restraints on page 3-48.
Only use a tether anchor designed for
the second-row seats.
Using a third-row seat tether anchor
on the second-row seat is dangerous.
The child-restraint system cannot be
installed correctly which may result in
death or injury to the child in a
collision.
1. Tether strap
2. Second-row outboard/center seat
3. Third-row seat
Always route the tether straps to the
sides of the head restraint (Third-row
outboard seat).
Routing the tether straps on top of the
head restraint is dangerous. In a
collision the tether straps 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.
Equipment to Protect Occupants/Pedestrians
Child-restraint Systems
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7. Push the child-restraint systemfirmly 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.
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.
8. 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.
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 systems, 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 second-row 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-restraint system on the front seat
is unavoidable, follow these
instructions when using a front-facing
child-restraint system 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:
Equipment to Protect Occupants/Pedestrians
Child-restraint Systems
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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 How to Use the Head
Restraints on page 3-48.
Do not allow a child or anyone to
lean over to or against the side
window of a vehicle with side and
curtain air bags.It is dangerous to allow anyone to lean
over to 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 to or
against the door could block the side
and curtain air bags and eliminate the
advantages of supplemental
protection. Because the front seats are
equipped with front air bags, the rear
seat is always a better location for
children. Take special care not to allow
a child to lean over to or against the
side window, even if the child is seated
in a child-restraint system.
Equipment to Protect Occupants/Pedestrians
Child-restraint Systems
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