Mazda CX-9 Owners Manual: 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.

Front Seat Belt Pretensioners

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. The pretensioners operate differently depending on what types of air bags are equipped.

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.

(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System) The driver's dual-stage air bag controls air bag inflation in two energy stages. During an impact of moderate severity, the driver's air bag deploys with lesser energy, whereas during more severe impacts, it deploys with more energy.

Front Passenger Air Bag

The front passenger air bag is mounted in the front passenger dashboard.

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".

(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System) In addition, the front passenger air bag is designed to only deploy when the front passenger occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on the front passenger's seat. For details, refer to the front passenger occupant classification system.

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".

(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System) In addition, the front passenger side air bag is designed to only deploy when the front passenger occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on the front passenger's seat. For details, refer to the front passenger occupant classification system.

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".

In a side impact: Greater than moderate impact to one side of the vehicle will cause the curtain air bag on that side only to inflate.

(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System) In a roll-over: In response to a vehicle roll-over, both curtain air bags inflate.

Warning Light/Beep

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

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.)

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

*1 (With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System) The front passenger front and side air bags and the seat belt pretensioner are designed to deploy when the front passenger occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on the front passenger's seat.

*2 In a side collision, the seat belt pretensioners and the side/curtain air bags deploy.

*3 (With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System) In a roll-over accident, the seat belt pretensioners and the curtain air bags deploy.

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