Mazda 3 2020 Owner's Manual page 44

Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Positioning the Shoulder Portion of
the Seat Belt:
Improper positioning of the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is dangerous.
Always make sure the shoulder portion
of the seat belt is positioned across
your shoulder and near your neck, but
never under your arm, on your neck, or
on your upper arm.
Positioning the Lap Portion of the Seat
Belt:
The lap portion of the seat belt worn
too high is dangerous. In a collision,
this would concentrate the impact
force directly on the abdominal area,
causing serious injury. Wear the lap
portion of the belt snugly and as low as
possible.
Instructions for Use of Seat Belt
Assemblies:
Seatbelts are designed to bear upon
the bony structure of the body, and
should be worn low across the front of
the pelvis or the pelvis, chest and
shoulders, as applicable; wearing the
lap section of the belt across the
abdominal area must be avoided.
Seatbelts should be adjusted as firmly
as possible, consistent with comfort, to
provide the protection for which they
have been designed. A slack belt will
greatly reduce the protection afforded
to the wearer.
Care should be taken to avoid
contamination of the webbing with
polishes, oils and chemicals, and
particularly battery acid. Cleaning may
safely be carried out using mild soap
and water. The belt should be replaced
if webbing becomes frayed,
contaminated or damaged.
2-24
It is essential to replace the entire
assembly after it has been worn in a
severe impact even if damage to the
assembly is not obvious.
Belts should not be worn with straps
twisted.
Each belt assembly must only be used
by one occupant; it is dangerous to put
a belt around a child being carried on
the occupant's lap.
No modifications or additions should
be made by the user which will either
prevent the seat belt adjusting devices
from operating to remove slack, or
prevent the seat belt assembly from
being adjusted to remove slack.
CAUTION
Belt retraction may become difficult if
the belts and rings are soiled, so try to
keep them clean. For more details
about cleaning the seat belts, refer to
"Seat Belt Maintenance" (page
6-63).
1. Ring