2008 Mazda RX-8 Owner's Manual - Page 15

Essential Safety Equipment Seats qSeat Recline Do not drive with the seatback unlocked: The seatback plays an important role in your protection in a vehicle. Leaving the seatback unlocked is dangerous as it can allow passengers to be ejected or thrown around and baggage to strike occupants in a sudden stop or collision, resulting in severe injury. After adjusting the seatback at any time, even when there are no other passengers, rock the seatback to make sure it is locked in place. To change the seatback angle, lean forward slightly while raising the lever. Then lean back to the desired position and release the lever. WARNING Do not drive with the seats reclined: Sitting in a reclined position while the vehicle is moving is dangerous because you don't get the full protection from seat belts. During sudden braking or a collision, you can slide under the lap belt and suffer serious internal injuries. For maximum protection, sit well back and upright. Always sit in a passenger seat properly with the seatback upright and feet on the floor: If your vehicle is equipped with front passenger seat weight sensors, sitting in the front passenger seat improperly out of position or with the seatback reclined too far while the vehicle is moving is dangerous as it can take off weight from the seat bottom and affect the weight determination of the front passenger sensing system. As a result the front passenger will not have the supplementary protection of the air bag and seat belt pretensioner, which could cause result in serious injury. Always sit upright against your seatback, with your feet on the floor. Make sure the lever returns to its original position and the seatback is locked in place by attempting to push it forward and backward. 2-3