2002 Mazda Protege Owner's Manual - Page 32

J39L(02MY).book Page 22 Thursday, November 1, 2001 10:49 AM 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. Small children, generally those who are four years old or younger and who weigh under 18 kg (40 lb), riding in your vehicle, must be protected by child-restraint systems made especially for children. 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 in the outboard seats, and towards the buckle on the right if the child is seated in the center seat. 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. 2-22 Form No. 8Q36-EA-01F