Black plate (39,1)
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.
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.
Even if your vehicle is equipped with
front passenger seat weight sensors (page
2-46), 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 also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to
“
LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems
”
(page 2-34).
WARNING
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.
q
Rear Outboard 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 2-34).
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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
2-27
Mazdaspeed6_8U01-EA-05H_Edition1 Page39
Thursday, July 7 2005 1:1 PM
Form No.8U01-EA-05H