2008 Mazda RX-8 Owner's Manual - Page 36

Essential Safety Equipment Child Restraint Installing Child-Restraint Systems Accident statistics reveal that a child is safer in the rear seat. The front passenger's seat is clearly the worst choice for any child under 12, and with rear-facing childrestraint systems it is clearly unsafe due to air bags. Some child-restraint systems now come with tethers and therefore must be installed on the seats that take tethers to be effective. In your Mazda, tethered child-restraint systems can only be accommodated in the two positions on the rear seat. Even if your vehicle is equipped with front passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-40), which automatically deactivates the front passenger air bag, a rear seat is the safest place for a child of any age or size. Some child-restraint systems also employ specially designed LATCH attachments; refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint Systems" (page 2-30). qRear Seat Child-Restraint System Installation Follow these instructions when using a child-restraint system, unless you are attaching a LATCH-equipped childrestraint system to the rear LATCH lower anchors. Refer to "LATCH ChildRestraint Systems" (page 2-30). NOTE Follow the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions carefully. If you are not sure whether you have a LATCH system or tether, check in the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions and follow them accordingly. Depending on the type of child-restraint system, it may not employ seat belts which are in automatic locking mode. 1. Secure the child-restraint system with the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt. See the manufacturer's instructions on the child-restraint system for belt routing instructions. 2. To get the retractor into the automatic locking mode, pull the shoulder belt portion of the seat belt until the entire length of the belt is out of the retractor. WARNING Tethered Child-Restraint Systems Work Only on Tether-Equipped Rear Seats: Installation of a tether equipped child-restraint system in the front passenger's seat defeats the safety design of the system and will result in an increased chance of serious injury if the child-restraint system goes forward without benefit of being tethered. Place tether equipped child-restraint systems where there are tether anchors. 2-24