Mazda Mazda3 2019 Owner's Manual page 73

How the SRS Air Bags
Work
▼ 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 (page
2-62).
Front
The front seat belt pretensioners are
designed to deploy in moderate or severe
frontal, near frontal collisions.
In addition,the pretensioners operate when
a side collision or a roll-over accident is
detected.
Rear Outboard
The rear 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" (page 2-62).
The inflation of the driver's dual-stage air
bag is controlled in two energy stages
depending on the driver's seat position.
The driver's seat slide position sensor is
located under the driver's seat. The sensor
determines whether the driver's seat is
forward of or behind a reference position
and sends the seat position to the
diagnostic module (SAS unit). The SAS
unit is designed to control the deployment
of the driver's air bag depending on how
close the driver's seat is to the steering
wheel.
During an impact of moderate severity, the
driver's air bag deploys with lesser energy,
whereas during more severe impacts and
when the driver's seat is behind the
reference position, it deploys with more
energy.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-59