2004 Mazda MPV Owner's Manual - Page 52

Essential Safety Equipment Child Restraint WARNING Seating Children in a Child-Restraint System on the Front Passenger Seat: If your vehicle is equipped with front passenger seat weight sensors, a front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light is also equipped (page 2-51). Even with the front passenger seat weight sensors, if you must use the front passenger seat for children, seating a child in a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat under the following conditions increases the danger of the front passenger air bag deploying and could result in serious injury or death to the child. • The total seated weight of the child with the child-restraint system on the front passenger seat is approximately 30 kg (66 lb) or more. • Luggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint system. • A rear passenger or luggage push or pull down on the front passenger seatback. • A rear passenger steps on the front passenger seat rails with the feet. • Luggage or other items are placed on the seatback or hung on the assist grip, head restraint or armrest. • The seat is washed. • Liquids are spilled on the seat. • The front passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items placed behind it. • The front passenger seatback contacts the second-row seat. • Luggage or other items are placed between the front passenger seat and front passenger seat side table. • Any accessories such as increasing the total seated weight on the front passenger seat are attached to the front passenger seat. The designated positions with seat belts on the rear seats are the safest places for children. Always use seat belts and child restraints. Children and Seating Position with Side Air Bag: Allowing anyone to lean over or against the front door is dangerous. If the vehicle is equipped with side air bags, the impact of an inflating side air bag could cause serious injury or death to the person. Children are more likely to sleep in the vehicle; when they do, they are more at risk in the front passenger's seat that has a side air bag because they may slump over into the path of the seatback-mounted air bag. Furthermore, leaning over or against the doors could block the side air bag and eliminate the advantages of supplemental protection. With the front air bag and the additional side air bag that comes out of the front seat, the rear seat is always a better location for children who are prone to sleeping. If a child can't be seated in the rear, do not allow the child to lean over or against the front door, even if the child is seated in a child-restraint system. 2-43