2002 Mazda Tribute Owner's Manual - Page 119

Seating and Safety Restraints WARNING: Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets unattended in your vehicle. WARNING: Placing a child, 12 years or younger, in the front seat is dangerous. The child could be hit by a deploying air bag and be seriously injured or even killed. A sleeping child is more likely to lean against the door and be hit by the side air bag in a moderate collision. Whenever possible, always secure a child, 12 years or younger, in the rear seat, with an appropriate child restraint system for the child's age and size. Never use a rear-facing child restraint system in the front seat with an air bag that could deploy. Child booster seats Children outgrow a typical convertible or toddler seat when they weigh 40 pounds and are around 4 years of age. Although the lap/shoulder belt will provide some protection, these children are still too small for lap/shoulder belts to fit properly, which could increase the risk of serious injury. To improve the fit of both the lap and shoulder belt on children who have outgrown child safety seats, Mazda recommends use of a belt-positioning booster. Booster seats position a child so that safety belts fit better. They lift the child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips and the knees bend comfortably. Booster seats also make the shoulder belt fit better and more comfortably for growing children. When children should use booster seats Children need to use booster seats from the time they outgrow the toddler seat until they are big enough for the vehicle seat and lap/shoulder belt to fit properly. Generally this is when they weigh about 80 lbs (about 8 to 12 years old). 119