Mazda 2009 MX-5 Miata, Owner'S Manual

Page: 42 / 444

Black plate (42,1)
Do not sit too close to a door or lean against doors in vehicles with side air bags:
Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them is extremely
dangerous. A side air bag inflates with great force and speed directly out of the
outboard shoulder of the seat and expands along the door on the side the car is hit.
Serious injury could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door or leaning
against a window in the seats. Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging
out the driver-side window while driving could block the side air bag and eliminate
the advantages of supplemental protection. Give the side air bags room to work by
sitting in the center of the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn
properly.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where driver and passenger air bags
deploy:
Attaching an object to the driver and passenger air bag modules or placing
something in front of them is dangerous. In an accident, an object could interfere
with air bag inflation and injure the occupants.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where a side air bag deploys:
Attaching things to the seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the seat
in any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side air
bag, which inflates from the outboard side of the seats, impeding the added
protection of the side air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is
dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open releasing the gas.
Never use seat covers on the seats. Always keep the side air bag modules in your
seats free to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Do not place luggage or other objects under the seats:
Placing luggage or other objects under the seats is dangerous. The components
essential to the supplemental restraint system could be damaged, and in the event of
a side collision, the appropriate air bags may not deploy, which could result in death
or serious injury. To prevent damage to the components essential to the
supplemental restraint system, do not place luggage or other objects under the
seats.
Do not touch the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags
have inflated:
Touching the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags
have inflated is dangerous. Immediately after inflation, they are very hot. You could
get burned.
Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle:
Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo bar,
bull bar, push bar, or other similar devices), snowplow, or winches, is dangerous. The
air bag crash sensor system could be affected. This could cause air bags to inflate
unexpectedly, or it could prevent the air bags from inflating during an accident.
Occupants could be seriously injured.
2-30
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
MX-5_8Z78-EA-08K_Edition1 Page42
Thursday, October 23 2008 1:52 PM
Form No.8Z78-EA-08K