Child Restraint
Child-Restraint System Installation
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.
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 (except third-row seat). 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.
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 install child-restraint system (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 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).
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.
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.
Fold the second-row seatback forward.
Raise the second-row seatback until a click sound is heard and it is locked in place.
