Child Restraint
Child-Restraint Precautions
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.
(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the front passenger occupant classification sensor works as a part of the supplemental restraint system. This system deactivates the front passenger front and side 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 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.
For more details, refer to "Front passenger occupant classification sensor" (Search).
Use the correct size 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 any 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 attach it to BOTH ISOFIX/LATCH*1 lower anchors for ISOFIX/LATCH*1 child-restraint systems and the corresponding tether anchor.
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ISOFIX (Mexico)/LATCH (Except Mexico)
Always secure a child in a proper child-restraint system:
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 an adult, causing injury to both child and adult.
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 bag will not deploy based on the fact that the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates. 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.
(Except Mexico)
Vehicles with a front passenger air bag have the following warning label. The warning label reminds you not to put a rear-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat at any time.
(Mexico)
NEVER use a rearward facing child restraint on a seat protected by an ACTIVE AIRBAG in front of it, DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the CHILD can occur.
Vehicles with a front passenger air bag have the following warning label. The warning label reminds you not to put a rear-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat at any time.
Do not install a front-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat unless it is unavoidable:
In a collision, the force of a deploying air bag could cause serious injury or death to the child. If installing a front-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat is unavoidable, move the front passenger seat as far back as possible and adjust the seat bottom (height adjustable seat bottom) to the highest position at which the seat belt fastening the child-restraint system is securely tightened.
Seating a child in a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat is dangerous under certain conditions (With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System):
Your vehicle is equipped with front passenger occupant classification sensor. Even with the front passenger occupant classification sensor, if you must use the front passenger seat to seat a child, using 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.
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The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate when seating a child in the child-restraint system.
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Luggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint system.
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A rear passenger or luggage pushing or pulling down on the front passenger seatback.
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Luggage or other items are placed on the seatback or hung on the head restraint.
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The seat is washed.
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Liquids are spilled on the seat.
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The front passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items placed behind it.
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The front passenger seatback contacts the rear seat.
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Luggage or other items are placed between the front passenger seat and driver seat.
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An electric device is put on the front passenger's seat.
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An additional electrical device, such as a seat warmer is installed to the surface of 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.
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.
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.
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.
Your Mazda is equipped with ISOFIX/LATCH*1 lower anchors for attachment of specially designed ISOFIX/LATCH*1 child-restraint systems on the second-row seats. When using these anchors to secure a child-restraint system, refer to "(Mexico) Using ISOFIX Lower Anchor (Second-Row Seats)/(Except Mexico) Using LATCH Lower Anchor (Second-Row Seats)" (Search).
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ISOFIX (Mexico)/LATCH (Except Mexico)
Installing Child-Restraint Systems
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.
Even if your vehicle is equipped with front passenger occupant classification sensor (Search), 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 four positions on the rear seat.
Some child-restraint systems also employ specially designed ISOFIX/LATCH*1 attachments; refer to " (Mexico) Using ISOFIX Lower Anchor (Second-Row Seats)/(Except Mexico) Using LATCH Lower Anchor (Second-Row Seats)" (Search).
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ISOFIX (Mexico)/LATCH (Except Mexico)
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.
Using Automatic Locking Mode (Except Mexico)
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 “Using LATCH Lower Anchor” (Search).
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 use LATCH system instead of seat belts or if the belt goes across the child's chest, may recommend against using automatic locking mode.
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(Second-row seat)
Adjust the second-row seat position using the following procedure.
Fold the second-row seatback forward.
Raise the second-row seatback until a click sound is heard and it is locked in place.
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If the second-row seat is reclined, return it to the upright position.
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Make sure the seatback is securely latched by pushing it back until it is fully locked.
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(Second-row seat)
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 (Search).
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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.
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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.
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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 the automatic locking mode. If the belt does not lock the seat down tight, repeat this step.
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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.
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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.
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) (Second-row 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 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 (Second-row 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 Head Restraints (Search).
Always route the tether straps to the sides of the head restraint (Third-row 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.
