2004 Mazda RX-8 Owner's Manual - Page 28

J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 17 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM Essential Safety Equipment Child Restraint Child Restraint Precautions Mazda strongly urges the use of child-restraint systems for children small enough to use them. You are required by law to use a child-restraint system for children in the U.S. and Canada. Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements regarding the safety of children riding in your vehicle. Whatever child-restraint system you consider, please pick the appropriate one for the age and size of the child, obey the law and follow the instructions that come with the individual child-restraint system. A child who has outgrown child-restraint systems should sit in the rear and use seat belts, both lap and shoulder. If the shoulder belt crosses the neck or face, move the child closer to the center of the vehicle. Statistics confirm that the rear seat is the best place for all children up to 12 years of agethe more so with a supplemental restraint system (air bags). A rear-facing child-restraint system should NEVER be used in the front seat because it would be too close to the air bag. The front passenger's seat is also the least preferred seat for other child-restraint systems. WARNING Proper Size of Child-Restraint System: For effective protection in vehicle accidents and sudden stops, a child must be properly restrained using a seat belt or child-restraint system depending on age and size. If not, the child could be seriously injured or even killed in an accident. Follow the Manufacturer's Instructions and Always Keep the Child-Restraint System Buckled Down: An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Make sure the child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions. When not in use, remove it from the vehicle or fasten it with a seat belt, or latch it down to BOTH LATCH lower anchors for LATCH child-restraint systems. 2-17 Form No. 8R65-EA-03C