SRS Air Bags

Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) Precautions

Supplementary Restraint System Components

Driver/Front passenger inflators and air bags

Crash sensors, and diagnostic module (SAS unit)

Seat belt pretensioners (Search)

Front air bag sensors

Side crash sensors

Air bag/seat belt pretensioner system warning light (Search)

Side and curtain inflators and air bags

How the SRS Air Bags Work

Your Mazda is equipped with the following types of SRS air bags. SRS air bags are designed to work together with the seat belts to help to reduce injuries during an accident.

The SRS air bags are designed to provide further protection for passengers in addition to the seat belt functions. Be sure to wear seat belts properly.

Seat Belt Pretensioners

The pretensioners operate differently depending on what types of air bags are equipped. For more details about seat belt pretensioner operation, refer to the SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria (Search).

Front

The front seat belt pretensioners are designed to deploy in moderate or severe frontal, near frontal collisions. In addition, during a side collision, the pretensioner operates on the side in which the collision occurs.

Second-row Outboard

The second-row outboard seat belt pretensioners are designed to deploy in moderate or severe frontal, near frontal collisions.

Driver Air Bag

The driver's air bag is mounted in the steering wheel.

When air bag crash sensors detect a frontal impact of greater than moderate force, the driver's air bag inflates quickly helping to reduce injury mainly to the driver's head or chest caused by directly hitting the steering wheel.

For more details about air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria" (Search).

Front Passenger Air Bag

The front passenger air bag is mounted in the front passenger instrument panel.

The inflation mechanism for the front passenger air bag is the same as the driver's air bag.

For more details about air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria" (Search).

Side Air Bags

The side air bags are mounted in the outboard sides of the front seatbacks.

When the air bag crash sensors detect a side impact of greater than moderate force, the system inflates the side air bag only on the side in which the vehicle was hit. The side air bag inflates quickly to reduce injury to the driver or front passenger's chest caused by directly hitting interior parts such as a door or window.

For more details about air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria" (Search).

Curtain Air Bags

The curtain air bags are mounted in the front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides.

When the air bag crash sensors detect a side impact of greater than moderate force, the curtain air bag inflates quickly and helps to reduce injury mainly to the rear outboard passenger's head caused by directly hitting interior parts such as a door or window.

For more details about air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria" (Search).

Warning Light/Beep

A system malfunction or operation conditions are indicated by a warning.

Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights (Search).

Refer to Warning Sound is Activated (Search).

SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria

This chart indicates the applicable SRS equipment that will deploy depending on the type of collision.

(The illustrations are the representative cases of collisions.)

SRS equipment	Types of collision
	A severe frontal/near frontal collision	A severe side collision	A rear collision



Front seat belt pretensioner	X (both sides)	X (impact side only)	No air bag and seat belt pretensioner will be activated in a rear collision.
Second-row outboard seat belt pretensioner	X (both sides)
Driver air bag	X
Front passenger air bag	X
Side air bag		X (impact side only)
Curtain air bag		X (impact side only)

X : The SRS air bag equipment is designed to deploy in a collision.

In a frontal offset collision, the equipped air bags and pretensioners may all deploy depending on the direction, angle, and rate of impact.

Close Note

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Limitations to SRS Air Bag

In severe collisions such as those described previously in "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria", the applicable SRS air bag equipment will deploy. However, in some accidents, the equipment may not deploy depending on the type of collision and its severity.

Limitations to front/near front collision detection:

The following illustrations are examples of front/near front collisions that may not be detected as severe enough to deploy the SRS air bag equipment.

Limitations to side collision detection:

The following illustrations are examples of side collisions that may not be detected as severe enough to deploy the SRS air bag equipment.

Constant Monitoring

The following components of the air bag systems are monitored by a diagnostic system:

Front air bag sensors
Crash sensors, and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
Side crash sensors
Air bag modules
Seat belt pretensioners
Air bag/Seat belt pretensioner system warning light
Related wiring

The diagnostic module continuously monitors the system's readiness. This begins when the ignition is switched ON and continues while the vehicle is being driven.