Get Essential Safety Equipment -> Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions Guide for Mazda Mx-5 SUV Fourth Generation (2016-2026)

Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions

The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include different types of air bags.

Please verify which kinds of air bags are equipped on your vehicle by locating the

“SRS AIRBAG” location indicators. These indicators are visible in the area where the air

bags are installed.

The air bags are installed in the following locations:



The steering wheel hub (driver air bag)

The passenger dashboard (passenger air bag)

The outboard sides of the seatbacks (side air bags)



The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide supplemental protection

in certain situations so seat belts are always important in the following ways:

Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during an accident.

Seat belt usage is necessary to:



Keep the occupant from being thrown into an inflating air bag.

Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag



inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.

Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal, near frontal or side collisions that are not



severe enough to activate the air bags.

Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.

Reduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident because the



air bags provide no protection to these parts of the body.

Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.



Refer to the Passenger Occupant Classification System (page 2-49) for details.

The passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates for a specified time after the

ignition is switched ON.

Type A

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Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

Type B

Small children must be protected by a child-restraint system as stipulated by law in every

state and province. In certain states and provinces, larger children must use a child-restraint

system (page 2-21).

Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary for your child and follow the

installation directions in this Owner's Manual as well as the child-restraint system

manufacturer's instructions.

Do not use a child-restraint system which employs an upper tether because there is no

appropriate means to anchor the tether.

WARNING

Seat belts must be worn in air bag equipped vehicles:

Depending only on the air bags for protection during an accident is dangerous. Alone, air

bags may not prevent serious injuries. The appropriate air bags can be expected to inꢀate

only in the ꢁrst accident, such as frontal, near frontal or side collisions that are at least

moderate. Vehicle occupants should always wear seat belts.

Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light is illuminated when

using a child-restraint system:

Seating a child in a child-restraint system that is installed on the passenger seat with the

passenger air bag deactivation indicator light not illuminated is extremely dangerous. In an

accident, an air bag could inꢀate and cause serious injuries or even death to the child seated

in the child-restraint system. Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator

light is illuminated.

Refer to Occupant Classiꢁcation System on page 2-49.

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Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

Do not sit too close to the driver and passenger air bags:

Sitting too close to the driver and passenger air bag modules or placing hands or feet on them

is extremely dangerous. The driver and passenger air bags inꢀate with great force and speed.

Serious injuries could occur if someone is too close. The driver should always hold onto only

the rim of the steering wheel. The passenger should keep both feet on the ꢀoor. Seat

occupants should adjust their seats as far back as possible and always sit upright against the

seatbacks with seat belts worn properly.

Do not sit too close to a door or lean against doors in vehicles with side air bags:

Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them is extremely

dangerous. A side air bag inꢀates with great force and speed directly out of the outboard

shoulder of the seat and expands along the 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 in the seats.

Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging out the driver-side window while

driving could block the side air bag and eliminate the advantages of supplemental

protection. Give the side air bags room to work by sitting in the center of the seat while the

vehicle is moving with seat belts worn properly.

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, or sleeping up against

the door or hanging out the windows is extremely dangerous. The side air bags inꢀate with

great force and speed directly expanding along the door on the side the car is hit. Serious

injury could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door. Give the side 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 passenger air bags deploy:

Attaching an object to the driver and passenger air bag modules or placing something in

front of them is dangerous. In an accident, an object could interfere with air bag inꢀation and

injure the occupants.

Do not attach objects on or around the area where a side air bag deploys:

Attaching objects to the 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

inꢀates from the outboard side of the 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 seats. Never use

seat covers on the seats. Always keep the side air bag modules in your seats free to deploy in

the event of a side collision.

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Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

Do not touch the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags have

inꢀated:

Touching the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags have

inꢀated is dangerous. Immediately after inꢀation, they are very hot. You could get burned.

Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle:

Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo bar, bull bar,

push bar, or other similar devices), snowplow, or winches, is dangerous. The air bag crash

sensor system could be aꢂected. This could cause air bags to inꢀate unexpectedly, or it could

prevent the air bags from inꢀating during an accident. Occupants could be seriously injured.

Do not modify the suspension:

Modifying the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle's height or the suspension is

modiꢁed, the vehicle will be unable to accurately detect a collision resulting in incorrect or

unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious injuries.

Do not modify a door or leave any damage unrepaired. Always have an Authorized Mazda

Dealer inspect a damaged door:

Modifying a door or leaving any damage unrepaired is dangerous. Each door has a side crash

sensor as a component of the supplemental restraint system. If holes are drilled in a door, a

door speaker is left removed, or a damaged door is left unrepaired, the sensor could be

adversely aꢂected causing it to not detect the pressure of an impact correctly during a side

collision. If a sensor does not detect a side impact correctly, the side air bags and the seat belt

pretensioner may not operate normally which could result in serious injury to occupants.

Do not modify the supplemental restraint system:

Modifying the components or wiring of the supplemental restraint system is dangerous. You

could accidentally activate it or make it inoperable. Do not make any modiꢁcations to the

supplemental restraint system. This includes installing trim, badges, or anything else over the

air bag modules. It also includes installing extra electrical equipment on or near system

components or wiring. An Authorized Mazda Dealer can provide the special care needed in

the removal and installation of seats. It is important to protect the air bag wiring and

connections to assure that the bags do not accidentally deploy, and that the passenger

occupant classiꢁcation system and the seats retain an undamaged air bag connection.

Do not place luggage or other objects under the seats:

Placing luggage or other objects under the 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 seats.

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Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

Do not operate a vehicle with damaged air bag/seat belt pretensioner system components:

Expended or damaged air bag/seat belt pretensioner system components must be replaced

after any collision which caused them to deploy or damage them. Only a trained Authorized

Mazda Dealer can fully evaluate these systems to see that they will work in any subsequent

accident. Driving with an expended or damaged air bag or pretensioner unit will not aꢂord

you the necessary protection in the event of any subsequent accident which could result in

serious injury or death.

Do not remove interior air bag parts:

Removing any components such as the seats, front dashboard, the steering wheel, containing

air bag parts or sensors is dangerous. These parts contain essential air bag components. The

air bag could accidentally activate and cause serious injuries. Always have an Authorized

Mazda Dealer remove these parts.

Properly dispose of the air bag system:

Improper disposal of an air bag or a vehicle with live air bags in it can be extremely

dangerous. Unless all safety procedures are followed, injury could result. Have an Authorized

Mazda Dealer safely dispose of the air bag system or scrap an air bag equipped vehicle.

NOTE



If it becomes necessary to have the components or wiring system for the supplementary

restraint system modified to accommodate a person with certain medical conditions in

accordance with a certified physician, contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer, refer to

“Customer Assistance (U.S.A.)” (page 8-2).



When an air bag deploys, a loud inflation noise can be heard and some smoke will be

released. Neither is likely to cause injury, however, the texture of the air bags may cause

light skin injuries on body parts not covered with clothing through friction.

Should you sell your Mazda, we urge you to tell the new owner of its air bag systems and



that familiarization with all instructions about them, from the Owner's Manual, is

important.

Vehicles with a passenger air bag have a warning label attached as shown in the



following.

2-40

Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

(Except Mexico)

This warning label is displayed in compliance with regulations.

(Mexico)

This warning label reminds you not to put a rear-facing child-restraint system on the

passenger seat at any time.

2-41

Essential Safety Equipment -> Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions for Your Mazda Mx-5 SUV Fourth Generation (2016-2026)

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