Seats

Make sure the adjustable components of a seat are locked in place:

Adjustable seats and seatbacks that are not securely locked are dangerous. In a sudden stop or collision, the seat or seatback could move, causing injury. Make sure the adjustable components of the seat are locked in place by attempting to slide the seat forward and backward and rocking the seatback.

Never allow children to adjust a seat:

Allowing children to adjust a seat is dangerous as it could result in serious injury if a child's hands or feet become caught in the seat.

Do not drive with the seatback unlocked:

All of the seatbacks play 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.

Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is stopped:

Adjusting the driver's seat while the vehicle is moving is dangerous. The driver could lose control of the vehicle and have an accident.

Do not modify or replace the front seats:

Modifying or replacing the front seats such as replacing the upholstery or loosening any bolts is dangerous. The front seats contain air bag components essential to the supplementary restraint system. Such modifications could damage the supplementary restraint system and result in serious injury. Consult an Authorised Mazda Repairer if there is any need to remove or reinstall the front seats.

Do not drive with damaged front seats:

Driving with damaged front seats, such as seat cushions torn or damaged down to the urethane, is dangerous. A collision, even one not strong enough to inflate the air bags, could damage the front seats which contain essential air bag components. If there was a subsequent collision, an air bag may not deploy which could lead to injuries. Always have an Authorised Mazda Repairer inspect the front seats, front seat belt pretensioners and air bags after a collision.

Do not drive with either front seats reclined:

Sitting in a reclined position while the vehicle is moving is dangerous because you do not 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.

Do not place an object such as a cushion between the seatback and your back:

Putting an object such as a cushion between the seatback and your back is dangerous because you will be unable to maintain a safe driving posture and the seat belt cannot function at its full capacity in a collision, which could result in a serious accident, injury or death.

Do not place objects under the seat:

The object could get stuck and cause the seat to not be fixed securely, and result in an accident.

Do not stack cargo higher than the seatbacks:

Stacking luggage or other cargo higher than the seatbacks is dangerous. During sudden braking or a collision, objects can fly around and become projectiles that may hit and injure passengers.

Make sure luggage and cargo is secured before driving:

Not securing cargo while driving is dangerous as it could move or be crushed during sudden braking or a collision and cause injury.

Never allow a passenger to sit or stand on the folded seatback while the vehicle is moving:

Driving with a passenger on the folded seatback is dangerous. Allowing a child to sit up on the folded seatback while the vehicle is moving is particularly dangerous. In a sudden stop or even a minor collision, a child not in a proper seat or child-restraint system and seat belt could be thrown forward, back or even out of the vehicle resulting in serious injuries or death. The child in the baggage area could be thrown into other occupants and cause serious injury.

Always drive with the head restraints installed when seats are being used and make sure they are properly adjusted. In addition, always raise the head restraints on all rear seat when they are being used:

Driving with the head restraints adjusted too low or removed is dangerous. With no support behind your head, your neck could be seriously injured in a collision.