Essential Safety Equipment; Seat Belt Systems- Page 23

2–11

Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

  Do not operate a vehicle with a damaged seat belt:

  Using a damaged seat belt is dangerous. An accident could damage the belt webbing 
of the seat belt in use. A damaged seat belt cannot provide adequate protection in a 
collision. Have an Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect all seat belt systems in use during an 
accident before they are used again.
  

  Have your seat belts changed immediately if the pretensioner or load limiter has been 
expended:

  Always have an Authorized Mazda Dealer immediately inspect the seat belt pretensioners 
and air bags after any collision. Like the air bags, the seat belt pretensioners and load 
limiters will only function once and must be replaced after any collision that caused them 
to deploy. A seat belt with an expended pretensioner or load limiter is still better than 
wearing no seat belt at all; however, if the seat belt pretensioners and load limiters are 
not replaced, the risk of injury in a collision will increase.
  

  Positioning the Shoulder Portion of the Seat Belt:

  Improper positioning of the shoulder portion of the seat belt is dangerous. Always make 
sure the shoulder portion of the seat belt is positioned across your shoulder and near your 
neck, but never under your arm, on your neck, or on your upper arm.
  

  Positioning the Lap Portion of the Seat Belt:

  The lap portion of the seat belt worn too high is dangerous. In a collision, this would 
concentrate the impact force directly on the abdominal area, causing serious injury. Wear 
the lap portion of the belt snugly and as low as possible.

CAUTION

Belt retraction may become diffi

  cult if the belts and rings are soiled, so try to keep them 

clean. For more details about cleaning the seat belts, refer to "Seat Belt Maintenance" 
(page   6-65 ).  
  

Ring