2008 Mazda RX-8 Owner's Manual - Page 47

Essential Safety Equipment SRS Air Bags Sit in the center of the seat and wear seat belts properly: Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them is extremely dangerous. The side air bags inflate with great force and speed directly out of the outboard side of the front seat and expand along the front door on the side the car is hit. Serious injury could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door or leaning against a window, or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the front seatbacks. Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging out the windows in the vehicle could block the side and curtain air bags and eliminate the advantages of supplemental protection. Give the side and curtain air bags room to work by sitting in the center of the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn properly. Do not attach objects on or around the area where driver and front passenger air bags deploy: Attaching an object to the driver and front passenger air bag modules or placing something in front of them is dangerous. In an accident, an object could interfere with air bag inflation and injure the occupants. Do not attach objects on or around the area where a side air bag deploys: Attaching things to the front seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the seat in any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side air bag, which inflates from the outboard side of the front seats, impeding the added protection of the side air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open releasing the gas. Do not hang net bags, map pouches or backpacks with side straps on the front seats. Never use seat covers on the front seats. Always keep the side air bag modules in your front seats free to deploy in the event of a side collision. Do not attach objects on or around the area where a curtain air bag deploys: Attaching objects to the areas where the curtain air bag activates such as on the windshield glass, side door glass, front and rear window pillars and along the roof edge and assist grips is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the curtain air bag, which inflates from the front and rear window pillars and along the roof edge, impeding the added protection of the curtain air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open releasing the gas. Do not place hangers or any other objects on the assist grips. When hanging clothes, hang them on the coat hook directly. Always keep the curtain air bag modules free to deploy in the event of a side collision. Do not place luggage or other objects under the front seats: Placing luggage or other objects under the front seats is dangerous. The components essential to the supplemental restraint system could be damaged, and in the event of a side collision, the appropriate air bags may not deploy, which could result in death or serious injury. To prevent damage to the components essential to the supplemental restraint system, do not place luggage or other objects under the front seats. 2-35