Installing Child-Restraint Systems; Essential Safety Equipment; Installing Child-Restraint - Page 42

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Essential Safety Equipment

Child-Restraint

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.

NOTE

Even if your vehicle is equipped with 

front passenger occupant classification 

sensor (page 2-57), 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 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.

Some child-restraint systems also employ 

specially designed LATCH attachments; 

refer to "Using LATCH Lower Anchor" 

(page 2-37).

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.

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