Child-restraint Systems
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.
(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the front passenger seat weight 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.
For more details, refer to "Front passenger occupant classification system" (Search).
Warnings and Cautions for Using the Anchor Bracket
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).
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.
(Mexico)
If the top tether strap does not reach the anchor bracket, purchase and use an extension strap provided by the CRS manufacturer.
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Tether strap
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Anchor bracket
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Forward
Always install the head restraint and adjust it to the appropriate position after removing the child-restraint system (except when installing a backless booster 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 (Search).
Warnings and Cautions for Using the Front Seat for Children
Always move the front passenger seat as far back as possible if installing a front-facing child-restraint system on it is unavoidable.
As your vehicle has front air bags and doubly so because your vehicle has side air bags, a front-facing child-restraint system should be put on the front passenger 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.
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 in a moderate collision, 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, you should not use a rear-facing child-restraint system in the front seat.
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 (Search).
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.
Using the ISOFIX Lower Anchor (Mexico)/LATCH Lower Anchor (Except Mexico)
Your Mazda is equipped with ISOFIX/LATCH*1 lower anchors for attachment of specially designed ISOFIX/LATCH*1 child-restraint systems in the rear seats. Both anchors must be used, otherwise the seat will bounce around and put the child in danger. Most ISOFIX/LATCH*1 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.
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ISOFIX (Mexico)/LATCH (Except Mexico)
Warnings and Cautions for Using the ISOFIX Lower Anchor (Mexico)/LATCH Lower Anchor (Except Mexico)
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the use of the 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.
Never attach two child-restraint systems to the same ISOFIX/LATCH*1 lower anchor.
Attaching two child-restraint systems to the same ISOFIX/LATCH*1 lower anchor is dangerous. In a collision, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two child-restraint system attachments, and it may break, causing serious injury or death. If you use the seat position for another child-restraint system when an outboard ISOFIX/LATCH*1 position is occupied, use the center seat belts instead, and the tether if tether-equipped.
Make sure the child-restraint system is properly secured.
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 attach it to BOTH ISOFIX/LATCH*1 lower anchors for ISOFIX/LATCH*1 child-restraint systems.
Make sure there are no seat belts or foreign objects near or around the ISOFIX/LATCH*1 child-restraint system.
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 ISOFIX/LATCH*1 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 ISOFIX/LATCH*1 lower anchors. Always follow the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions.
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ISOFIX (Mexico)/LATCH (Except Mexico)
