Mazda 2: Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) Precautions

Mazda2 Owners Manual

The front and side supplementary restraint systems (SRS) include up to 6 air bags. Please verify which kinds of air bags are 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:

• The steering wheel hub (driver air bag)
• The front passenger instrument panel (front passenger air bag)
• The outboard sides of the front seatbacks (side air bags) *
• The front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides (curtain air bags) *

The air bag supplementary restraint systems are designed to provide supplementary 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:

• Keep the occupant from being thrown into an infl ating air bag.
• Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag infl ation, such as roll-over or rear impact.
• Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal, near frontal or side collisions that are not severe enough to activate the air bags.
• Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.
• 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.
• Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.

A child who is too small to use a seat belt must be properly secured using a child-restraint system (page 2-22 ).

Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary for your child and follow the installation directions in this Owner's Manual as well as the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions.

WARNING

Seat belts must be worn in air bag equipped vehicles: Depending only on the air bags for protection during an accident is dangerous. Alone, air bags may not prevent serious injuries. The appropriate air bags can be expected to infl ate only in the fi rst accident, such as frontal, near frontal or side collisions that are at least moderate. Vehicle occupants should always wear seat belts.

Even in a moderate collision, the child-restraint system can be hit by a deploying air bag and moved violently backward resulting in serious injury or death to the child. If your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger air bag deactivation switch, always set the switch to the OFF position when installing a rear-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat.

Do not sit too close to the driver and front passenger air bags: Sitting too close to the driver and front passenger air bag modules or placing hands or feet on them is extremely dangerous. The driver and front passenger air bags infl ate with great force and speed. Serious injuries could occur if someone is too close. The driver should always hold onto only the rim of the steering wheel. The front seat passenger should keep both feet on the fl oor. Front seat occupants should adjust their seats as far back as possible and always sit upright against the seatbacks with seat belts worn properly.

Sit in the centre of the seat and wear seat belts properly: Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them, or sleeping up against the door or hanging out the windows is extremely dangerous. The side and curtain air bags infl ate with great force and speed directly expanding 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, or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the front seatbacks. Give the side and curtain air bags room to work by sitting in the centre of the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn properly.

Do not touch the components of the supplementary restraint system after the air bags have infl ated: Touching the components of the supplementary restraint system after the air bags have infl ated is dangerous. Immediately after infl ation, 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 infl ate unexpectedly, or it could prevent the air bags from infl ating during an accident. Front occupants could be seriously injured.

Do not place luggage or other objects under the front seats: Placing luggage or other objects under the front seats is dangerous. The components essential to the supplementary 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 supplementary restraint system, do not place luggage or other objects under the front seats.

Do not operate a vehicle with damaged air bag/seat belt pretensioner system components: Expended or damaged air bag/seat belt pretensioner system components must be replaced after any collision which caused them to deploy or damage them. Only a trained expert repairer, we recommend an Authorised Mazda Repairer can fully evaluate these systems to see that they will work in any subsequent accident. Driving with an expended or damaged air bag or pretensioner unit will not afford you the necessary protection in the event of any subsequent accident which could result in serious injury or death.

Properly dispose of the air bag system: Improper disposal of an air bag or a vehicle with live air bags in it can be extremely dangerous. Unless all safety procedures are followed, injury could result. Have an expert repairer, we recommend an Authorised Mazda Repairer safely dispose of the air bag system or scrap an air bag equipped vehicle.

NOTE

• When an air bag deploys, a loud infl ation noise can be heard and some smoke will be released. Neither is likely to cause injury, however, the texture of the air bags may cause light skin injuries on body parts not covered with clothing through friction.
• Should you sell your Mazda, we urge you to tell the new owner of its air bag systems and that familiarization with all instructions about them, from the Owner's Manual, is important.
• This highly-visible label warns against the use of a rear-facing child-restraint system on the front passenger seat.