2004 SKODA OCTAVIA TOUR warning

93
SAFETY
Driving the safe wayPassive safety measures reduce the risk
of injury in accident situations.
In this section you will find important infor-
mation, tips and notes on the subject of
passive safety in your vehicle.
We have combined everything here which
you should be familiar with, for example,
regarding seat belts, airbags, child seats
and safety of children.
For this reason, please comply in particu-
lar with the notes and warnings in this sec-
tion - for your own interest and in the inter-
est of all those travelling with you.Warning

This chapter contains important
information on how to use the vehi-
cle for the driver and his occupants.
You will find further information on
safety, which concerns you and
those travelling with you, in the fol-
lowing chapters of this Owner’s
Manual.

The complete on-board literature
should always be in the vehicle. This
applies in particular, if you rent out
or sell the vehicle.
Safety equipmentThe safety equipment is part of the oc-
cupant protection and it can reduce the
risk of injuries in accident situations.
Do not put at risk your safety and the safety
of those travelling with you.
In the event of an accident, the safety
equipment can reduce the risk of injuries.
The following list contains part of the safety
equipment in your vehicle:

Three-point seat belts for all the seats*,

belt force limiter for front seats*,

belt tensioner for front seats,

seat belt height adjuster for front seats,

front airbags*,

side airbags*,

anchoring points for child seats using the
„ISOFIX system“,

head restraints adjustable for height,

adjustable steering column. The specified safety equipment works to-
gether, in order to optimally protect you and
those travelling with you in accident situa-
tions.
The safety equipment does not protect you
or the people travelling with you, if you or
your occupants adopt an incorrect seated
position or the equipment is not correctly
adjusted or used.
For this reason you will be provided with
the information on why this equipment is
very important, and how it protects you and
the occupants. You will also be informed on
what should be observed when using the
equipment and how you and the people
travelling with you can make full use of the
existing safety equipment.
This Owner’s Manual contains important
warning notes, to which you and those trav-
elling with you should pay attention, in or-
der to reduce a risk of injury.
Safety concerns everybody!
Basic information

95
SAFETY

Adjust the backrest so that you are able
to reach the highest point of the steering
wheel with your arms at a slight angle.

Adjust the head restraint so that the top
edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head - see
illustration.

Fasten the seat belt correctly - see page
100.
Driver seat adjustment - see page 19. Warning


The front seats and the head re-
straints must always be adjusted to
match the body size of the seat oc-
cupant. The seat belts must always
be correctly fastened in order to pro-
vide an optimal protection for you
and your occupants.


The driver must maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel -
see illustration on page 94.
If you do not maintain this minimum
distance, the airbag system will not
be able to protect you - hazard!

When driving, hold the steering
wheel with both hands firmly on the
outer edge in the 9 o’clock and 3
o’clock position.
Never hold the steering wheel firmly
in the 12 o’clock position or in an-
other way (e.g. in the middle of the
steering wheel or at the inner steer-
ing wheel edge).

When driving, the backrests must
not be angled too far back, otherwise
this will affect proper operation of the
seat belts and of the airbag system -
risk of injury!
Correct seated position for the
front passengerThe front passenger must maintain a
distance of at least 25 cm from the dash
panel so that the airbag offers the great-
est possible safety when an airbag is
deployed.
For the safety of the front passenger and
to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
an accident, we recommend the following
setting:

Adjust the front passenger seat as far
as possible to the rear.

Adjust the head restraint so that the top
edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head - see
illustration on page 95.

Fasten the seat belt correctly - see page
100.
In exceptional cases the front passenger
airbag can be deactivated - see page 107.
Front passenger seat adjustment - see
page 19.

96SAFETYWarning

The front seats and the head re-
straints must always be adjusted to
match the body size of the seat oc-
cupant. The seat belts must always
be correctly fastened in order to pro-
vide an optimal protection for you
and your occupants.

The front passenger must main-
tain a distance of at least 25 cm from
the dash panel so that the airbag of-
fers the greatest possible safety
when an airbag is deployed.

Always keep your feet in the foot-
well when the car is being driven -
never put your feet on the instrument
panel, out of the window or on the
surfaces of the seats! If it is neces-
sary to apply the brake, or in the
event of an accident, you will be ex-
posed to an increased risk of injury!

When driving, the backrests must
not be angled too far back, otherwise
this will affect proper operation of the
seat belts and of the airbag system -
risk of injury!
Correct seated position for the oc-
cupants on the rear seatsOccupants on the rear seats must sit up-
right, keep the feet in the footwell and
must have their seat belts correctly fas-
tened.
To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a
sudden braking manoeuvre or an accident,
the occupants on the rear seats must ob-
serve the following.

Adjust the head restraint so that the top
edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head - see
illustration on page 95.

Fasten the seat belt correctly - see page
100.

If you are transporting children in the ve-
hicle, please use a suitable child restraint
system - see pages 111 - 116. Warning


The head restraints must always
be adjusted to match the body size,
in order to offer an optimal protec-
tion for you and your occupants.

Always keep your feet in the foot-
well when the car is being driven -
never put your feet out of the window
or on the surfaces of the seats. If it
is necessary to apply the brake, or in
the event of an accident, you will be
exposed to an increased risk of in-
jury. If an airbag is deployed, you may
suffer fatal injuries when adopting an
incorrect seated position!

If the occupants on the rear seats
are not sitting upright, the risk of in-
jury is increased due to incorrect
routing of the seat belt.

97
SAFETY
Examples of an incorrect seated
positionAn incorrect seated position can lead to
severe injuries or death for the occu-
pants.
Seat belts offer their optimum protection
only if the seat belts are properly routed
Incorrect seated positions considerably
reduce the protective functions of the seat
belts and therefore increase the risk of in-
jury due to an incorrect routing of the seat
belt.
The driver is fully responsible for himself
and his occupants, in particular for the chil-
dren. Do not permit an occupant to adopt
an incorrect seated position when the car
is moving.
The following list contains the examples of
seated positions, which are dangerous for
the occupants.
This list is not complete, however we would
like you to get interested in this subject.While the car is moving never:


stand up in the car,

stand up on the seats,

kneel onto the seats,

tilt the backrest fully to the back,

lean against the dash panel,

lie on the rear seats,

sit to the side,

lean out of the window,

put the feet out of the window,

put the feet on the dash panel,

put the feet on the seat upholstery,

occupy the footwell,

have the seat belt not fastened,

occupy the luggage compartment. Warning


If the occupant adopts an incor-
rect seated position, he is exposed
to life-threatening injuries, in case he
is hit by a deployed airbag.

Before setting off, please adopt
the correct seated position and do
not change this seated position while
the car is moving.
Before setting off, please adopt the
correct seated position and do not
change this seated position while the
car is moving.

98SAFETYSeat beltsWhy seat belts?It has been clearly demonstrated that
seat belts offer good protection in the
event of an accident. That is why the use
of seat belts is a legal requirement in
most countries.Warning

Fasten your seat belts each time
before setting off - even when driv-
ing in town! This also applies to pas-
sengers in the rear.

Expectant mothers should also
wear a seat belt at all times.

Apart from their normal protective
function, the seat belts are also de-
signed to hold the driver and front
passenger in position in the event of
an accident to allow the airbag to
offer maximum protection.
Transporting children safely - see page
111 - 11 6 . In the event of a frontal collision, car occu-
pants who are not wearing a seat belt are
thrown forward and strike parts of the inte-
rior of the car, such as the steering wheel,
instrument panel, windscreen, in an uncon-
trolled way.
The widespread opinion that you can sup-
port your body with your hands in a minor
collision, is incorrect. The forces to which
the body is subjected even in accidents
which occur at low speed, can no longer
be properly absorbed.It is also important that occupants of the
rear seat wear their seat belts otherwise
they will be thrown through the car in an
uncontrolled way in an accident. A passen-
ger at the rear who is not wearing a seat
belt is therefore a risk not only for himself,
but also for the front seat occupants.

102SAFETYThe lap belt should always fit tightly
across the pelvis. If necessary, pull the
belt tight.
To lengthen belt, hold the tongue at right
angles to belt webbing and pull belt web-
bing through to the required length - see
illustration.
The belt is easier to adjust if tongue and
cap are pressed together in the longitudi-
nal direction.
To shorten belt , it is only necessary to pull
the free end of the belt.
The surplus belt length is taken up by mov-
ing the plastic slide.
Seat belt tensioner*Safety for the belted driver and front pas-
senger is enhanced by the belt tensioners
at the inertia reels of the front three-point
seat belts.
The system is activated by sensors in the
event of a frontal collision of considerable
severity. A powder charge is ignited when
the seat belt tensioners are activated. This
causes the inertia reels to be rotated in the
opposite direction of unreeling so that the
seat belts are tensioned.
The belt tensioners are not activated in
minor frontal collisions, in side or rear-end
impacts, in a rollover or in accidents where
there is no significant impact to the front of
the car.
Warning
The operating life of the seat belts
and belt tensioners is 15 years from
the date of manufacture of the vehi-
cle. After this time the seat belts and
seat belt tensioners have to be re-
newed in a Škoda Dealership.

103
SAFETY
Warning


Any work on the belt tightener sys-
tem or within the immediate area, in-
cluding removal and installation of
system components because of other
repair work, must only be carried out
by a Škoda dealer.

The protection provided by the
system is adequate only for one ac-
cident. If the belt tensioners have
been activated, the entire system has
to be replaced.

If the car is sold, the buyer should
be provided with the complete vehi-
cle wallet.
Notes

Smoke is released when the belt tensio-
ners are activated. This smoke does not
indicate a fire in the car.

If the car or individual components of the
system are scrapped, it is essential to pay
attention to the relevant safety regulations.
Škoda Dealers are acquainted with these
regulations and can provide you with more
detailed information in this connection.
Airbag system*Front airbagThe front airbag system is only operational
after switching on the ignition.
Models with airbag system for driver and
passenger are recognizable from the
„AIRBAG“ inscriptions on the padded boss
of the steering wheel and on the passen-
ger side of the instrument panel.
In addition to the three-point seat belts
with belt tensioners, the Airbag System
offers further protection for the driver’s and
passenger’s head and chest in a serious
frontal collision.
Apart from its normal protective function,
the seat belt also has the task of keeping
the driver or passenger in such a position
so that the airbag can offer maximum pro-
tection in the case of a frontal collision.
For this reason, the seat belts should al-
ways be used not only because this is re-
quired by law, but also for safety reasons!
The Airbag System is not activated in the
event of:

side collisions

rear collisions

rolling-over

minor frontal collisions. The system essentially consists of:


the electronic control and monitoring unit
(control unit),

one or two airbags (airbag with gas gen-
erator) for the:
- driver (in steering wheel),
- front passenger (in instrument panel)

a warning lamp in the instrument panel -
see page 56.

a warning light in the interior lighting of
the car (front)* - see page 108.

Switch for front passenger airbags* - see
page 107.
The operational readiness of the airbag
system is monitored electronically.
The airbag warning lamp comes on for a
few seconds (self-diagnosis) each time the
ignition is switched on.
Note
The airbag system does not require any
maintenance over its entire operating pe-
riod.

104SAFETYA fault exists in the system if

the warning lamp does not come when
the ignition is switched on,

the warning lamp does not go out a few
seconds after switching on the ignition,

the warning lamp goes out and comes
on again after switching on the ignition,

the warning lamp comes on or flickers
during the journey.
Warning
A grey white, non-harmful gas, which
is released when the airbag is in-
flated. This is perfectly normal and
is not an indication of a fire in the
vehicle.
In the event of an accident in which
the airbags are deployed:

The interior lighting comes on (if
the switch for the interior light is in
the door contact position).

The hazard warning light is
switched on.

All the doors are unlocked. Function of front airbag
The airbag system is so designed that it will
be deployed during a serious frontal collision.The effective area of the system is shown
in the illustration.
If the system is deployed, the airbags fill
with propellant gas and inflate in front of
the driver and front passenger.
The airbag is inflated in a split second and
at a high speed in order to offer the addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
The forward movement of the front seat
occupants is cushioned as they plunge into
the fully inflated airbag (see right-hand il-
lustration), and the risk of injury to head and
upper body is reduced. Special openings in the airbag allow a con-
trolled exit of gas when subjected to the
pressure of the occupants to cushion the
head and upper body. After an accident, the
airbag rapidly deflates again so that forward
vision is again possible.
If a person is incorrectly seated, the con-
siderable forces active when the airbag is
deployed may result in an increased risk
of injury.