Mazda 2009 MX-5 Miata, Owner'S Manual

Page: 40 / 444

Black plate (40,1)
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include up to 4 air bags.
Please
verify the air bags equipped on your vehicle by locating the
“
SRS AIRBAG
”
location
indicators.
These indicators are visible in the area where the air bags are installed.
The air bags are installed in the following locations:
l
The steering wheel hub (driver air bag)
l
The passenger dashboard (passenger air bag)
l
The outboard sides of the seatbacks (side air bags)
í
The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide supplemental protection
in certain situations, so seat belts are always important in the following ways:
Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during an accident.
Seat belt usage is necessary to:
l
Keep the occupant from being thrown into an inflating air bag.
l
Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.
l
Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal, near frontal, side collisions that are not
severe enough to activate the air bags.
l
Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.
l
Reduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts of the body.
l
Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.
For some models, a passenger air bag deactivation switch is provided. This switch should
be used to deactivate the passenger front and side air bags and also the passenger seat belt
pretensioner system if a child-restraint system is installed on the passenger seat. Make sure
the passenger air bag deactivation switch is in the ON position except when a child-
restraint system is installed on the passenger seat. Refer to Passenger Air Bag Deactivation
Switch on page 2-39.
Your vehicle is also equipped with a driver and passenger occupant classification
system. For details, refer to the driver and passenger occupant classification system
(page 2-43).
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by the deployment of the passenger air bag in the
unlikely event of an accident, there are two methods to deactivate the passenger air bag as
follows, however, the surest way to prevent the passenger air bag from deploying is to use
the ignition key to turn it off rather than rely on the passenger seat weight sensors, which
will also detect other loads or objects on and around the passenger seat.
Small children must be protected by a child-restraint system as stipulated by law in every
state and province. In certain states and provinces, larger children must use a child-restraint
system (page 2-17).
2-28
Essential Safety Equipment
í
Some models.
SRS Air Bags
MX-5_8Z78-EA-08K_Edition1 Page40
Thursday, October 23 2008 1:52 PM
Form No.8Z78-EA-08K