warning MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK 2004 (in English) Owner's Guide

2-22
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Proper Size of Child-Restraint System:
For effective protection in vehicle accidents and sudden stops, a child must be
properly restrained using a seat belt or child-restraint system depending on age and
size. If not, the child could be seriously injured or even killed in an accident.
Follow the Manufacturer’s Instructions and Always Keep the Child-Restraint System
Buckled Down:
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. 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.
Holding a Child While the Vehicle is Moving:
Holding a child in your arms while the vehicle is moving is extremely dangerous. No
matter how strong the person may be, he or she cannot hold onto a child in a sudden
stop or collision and it could result in serious injury or death to the child or other
occupants. Even in a moderate accident, the child may be exposed to air bag forces
that could result in serious injury or death to the child, or the child may be slammed
into the adult, injuring the adult. Always secure a child in a proper child-restraint
system.
Rear-Facing Child-Restraint System:
Rear-facing child-restraint systems on the front seat are particularly dangerous.
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, NEVER use a rear-facing
child-restraint system in the front seat with an air bag that could deploy even in a
moderate collision.
WARNING
Deploying air bag
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Seating Children in a Child-Restraint System on the Front Passenger Seat:
If your vehicle is equipped with front passenger seat weight sensors, a front passenger
air bag deactivation indicator light is also equipped (page 2-29). Even with the front
passenger seat weight sensors, if you must use the front passenger seat for children,
seating a child in a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat under the
following conditions increases the danger of the front passenger air bag deploying
and could result in serious injury or death to the child.
•The total seated weight of the child with the child-restraint system on the front
passenger seat is approximately 30 kg (66 lb) or more.
•Luggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint
system.
•A rear passenger or luggage push or pull down on the front passenger seatback.
•A rear passenger steps on the front passenger seat rails with the feet.
•Luggage or other items are placed on the seatback or hung on the head restraint.
•The seat is washed.
•Liquids are spilled on the seat.
•The front passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items
placed behind it.
•The front passenger seatback contacts the rear seat.
•Luggage or other items are placed between the front passenger seat and driver seat.
•Any accessories which might increase the total seated weight on the front
passenger seat are attached to the front passenger seat.
The designated positions with seat belts on the rear seats are the safest places for
children. Always use seat belts and child restraints.
Children and Seating Position with Side and Curtain Air Bags:
Allowing anyone to lean over or against the front door, the area of front seat, front
and rear window pillars and the roof edge along both sides which the side and curtain
air bags deploy even though using a child-restraint system is dangerous. If the vehicle
is equipped with side and curtain air bags, the impact of inflation could cause serious
injury or death to the 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. Do not allow a child to
lean over or against the doors, even if the child is seated in a child-restraint system.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
One Belt, One Passenger:
Using one seat belt for more than one person at a time is dangerous. A seat belt used
in this way can’t 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.
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.
NOTE
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially
designed LATCH child-restraint systems in the rear seat. When using these anchors to
secure a child-restraint system, refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint Systems" (page 2-32).
WARNING
CAUTION
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
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.
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 "LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems" (page 2-32).

Rear Seat Child-Restraint
System Installation
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 "LATCH Child-
Restraint Systems" (page 2-32).
1. Make sure the seatback is securely
latched by rocking the seatback.
2. 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.
Installing Child-Restraint
Systems
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.
WARNING
NOTE
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 not
employ seat belts which are in
automatic locking mode.
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2-27
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
For rear left seatFor rear right seat
5 Door
Anchor bracket
location
(Outboard position)
5 Door
Tether strap position
(Outboard position)
Tether strap
Cover
5 Door
Anchor bracket
location
(Center position)
For rear
center seat
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
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. Use the
tether and tether anchor only for a
child-restraint system.
Incorrect Positioning of the Tether
Strap:
Positioning the tether strap on top of
the head restraint is dangerous. In a
collision, the head restraint could
bend or break. This will cause the
strap to loosen. The child-restraint
system could move and injure the
child or someone else. Always
position the tether strap between the
head restraint and the seatback.
5 Door
Tether strap
position
(Center position)
Tether
strap
For rear
center seat
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

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.
Do not put rear-facing child-restraint
systems on the front passenger’s seat.
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
rear seat.
Don’t allow anyone to sleep against the
right front or rear doors if you have an
optional side and curtain air bag, 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:
Every Mazda side air bag will have
a "SRS-Air Bag" label on the
outboard shoulder of the front seats.
•To check if your vehicle has curtain
air bags:
Every Mazda curtain air bag will
have an "SRS-Air Bag" marking on
the front and rear window pillars
along the roof edge.
Fro n t Pa ss en ge r’s Seat Position:
As your vehicle has front air bags and
doubly so if your vehicle has side air
bags, a front-facing child-restraint
system should be put on the front 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.
Rear-Facing Child-Restraint System:
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, NEVER
use a rear-facing child-restraint
system in the front seat with an air
bag that could deploy even in a
moderate collision.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Front Passenger’s Seat Child-
Restraint System Installation
1. Slide the seat as far back as possible.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Push the child-restraint system firmly
into the vehicle seat. Be sure the belt
retracts as snugly as possible. Clicking
from the retractor will be heard during
retraction if the system is in automatic
locking mode. If the belt does not lock
the seat down tight, repeat the previous
step and also this one.Children and Seating Position with
Side and Curtain Air Bags:
Allowing anyone to lean over or
against the front door, the area of
front seat, front and rear window
pillars and the roof edge along both
sides which the side and curtain air
bags deploy even though using a
child-restraint system is dangerous. If
the vehicle is equipped with side and
curtain air bags, the impact of
inflation could cause serious injury
or death to the 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. Do not allow a
child to lean over or against the
doors, even if the child is seated in a
child-restraint system.
WARNING
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2-31
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Seating a Child in a Child-Restraint
System on the Front Passenger Seat
With the Front Passenger Air Bag
Deactivation Indicator Light Not
Illuminated:
Seating a child in a child-restraint
system installed on the front
passenger seat with the front
passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light not illuminated is
dangerous. If the front passenger air
bag deactivation indicator light does
not illuminate even when the total
seated weight is less than
approximately 30 kg (66 lb), this
means that the front passenger front
and side air bags, and seat belt
pretensioner are ready for
deployment. If an accident were to
deploy an air bag, a child sitting in
the front passenger seat could be
seriously injured or killed. If the front
passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light does not illuminate
after installing a child-restraint
system on the front passenger seat,
install the child-restraint system on
the rear seat and consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible. While it is always better to
install any child-restraint system on
the rear seat, it is essential to do so if
the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light does not
illuminate. For further details, refer
to "Front passenger seat weight
sensors (page 2-44)".
WARNING
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2-32
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially designed
LATCH child-restraint systems in the rear outboard seats. Both anchors must be used,
otherwise the seat will bounce around and put the child in danger. Some 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.
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems
Manufacturer’s Instructions for 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.
Attaching Two Child-Restraint Systems to the Same LATCH Lower Anchor:
Attaching two child-restraint systems to the same LATCH lower anchor is dangerous.
In a collision, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two child-restraint system
attachments and 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.
Unsecured 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. 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.
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems:
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.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Child-Restraint System
Installation Procedure (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 400 mm
(15.75 in) apart. LATCH compatible
child-restraint systems (with attachments
on belt webbing) can be used at this
seating position only if the child-restraint
system manufacturer’s instructions state
that the child-restraint system can be
installed to LATCH lower anchors that are
400 mm (15.75 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.
1. Make sure the seatback is securely
latched by rocking the seatback.
2. Expand the area between the seat bottom
and the seatback slightly to verify the
locations of the LATCH lower anchors.
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
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. Use the
tether and tether anchor only for a
child-restraint system.
Incorrect Positioning of the Tether
Strap:
Positioning the tether strap on top of
the head restraint is dangerous. In a
collision, the head restraint could
bend or break. This will cause the
strap to loosen. The child-restraint
system could move and injure the
child or someone else. Always
position the tether strap between the
head restraint and the seatback.
5 Door
Tether strap position
(Outboard position)
Tether strap
WARNING
For rear center seat
LATCH
lower anchorMarking
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