
Seat belts185
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Important safety information regarding
the use of seat belts
The correct use of the seat belts considerably reduces the
risk of injury!
WARNING
•The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point
or twisted, or chafe against any sharp edges.
•It is important that the belt webb ing is properly routed if the seat
belts are to offer their maximum protection ⇒page 186, “How are
seat belts correctly fastened?”.
•No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat
belt together.
•The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only
achieved if you are correctly seated ⇒page 179, “Correct seated
position”.
•The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects
(e.g. spectacles, ball-point pens, keys etc.) as this may be a cause
of injuries.
•Bulky, loose clothing (e.g. a winter coat over a jacket) does not
allow you to be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of
the seat belts.
•It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat
belts (e.g. for shortening the belts for smaller persons).
•The lock tongue should only be inserted into the lock which is
the correct one for your seat. Wrong use of the safety belt will
reduce its capacity to protect and the risk of injury increases.
•The backrests of the front seats must not be tilted too far to the
rear otherwise the seatbelts can lose their effectiveness.
•The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt
webbing may impair proper operation of the inertia reel ⇒page 240,
“Seat belts”.
•The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked by paper or
similar objects otherwise the belt tongue will not lock in place prop-
erly.
•Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condi-
tion. If you find seat belts which have damage to the seat belt
webbing, seat belt connections, to the inertia reels or to the lock,
the relevant safety belt must be replaced by a specialist garage.
•The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do
not make an attempt to repair the seat belts yourself.
•Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an
accident and were therefore stretched, must be replaced - this is
best done by a specialist garage. The anchorage points of the belts
must also be inspected. The anchorage points for the belts should
also be checked.
•In certain countries it is possible to use seat belts which differ
in terms of their operation from the seat belts which are described
on the pages which follow.
WARNING (continued)
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Seat belts
186
How are seat belts correctly fastened?
Fastening a three-point seat belt
Fasten your seat belt before starting!
– Correctly adjust the front seat and the head restraint before
fastening your seat belt ⇒page 82.
– Slowly pull the belt webbing at the tongue of the lock over your chest and pelvis ⇒ .
– Insert the tongue of the lock into the seat belt buckle belonging to the seat until it is heard to lock in place.
– Pull on the belt to check that it has also reliably engaged in the lock.
Each three-point seat belt is equipped with an inertia reel. This inertia reel
offers you complete freedom of movement if the belt is unreeled slowly. If
the brakes are applied suddenly, the inertia reel will block. It also blocks
the belts when the car accelerates, when driving uphill and when
cornering.
Expectant mothers must also wear the seat belt ⇒.
WARNING
•The shoulder part of the seat belt must never run across your
neck but must run approximately over the middle of the shoulder
and fit snugly against the chest. The lap part of the belt must run
across the hip and must never be routed across the stomach. It
must always fit snugly ⇒fig. 157. Adjust the belt webbing as
required.
•The lap part of the belt should be positioned as low as possible
at the pelvis of an expectant mother in order to avoid exerting any
pressure on the lower abdomen.
•Always ensure that the webbing of the seat belts is properly
routed. Seat belts which are not correctly adjusted can themselves
cause injuries even in minor accidents.
Fig. 157 Routing of
webbing over the
shoulders and the lap
belt
Fig. 158 Routing of
belt webbing for an
expectant mother
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Seat belts187
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•A seat belt which is hanging too loose can result in injuries as
your body is moved forward by the kinetic energy produced in an
accident and is then suddenly held firm by the belt.
•Only insert the lock tongue into the lock which is the correct one
for your seat. This will affect the protection which the belt offers
and increase the risk of an injury.
Seat belt height adjuster
The seat belt height adjuster makes it possible for you to adapt
the routing of the three-point seat belt in the area of the shoulder
to match your body size.
– Move the height adjuster in the desired direction up or down ⇒fig. 159 . – Then pull firmly on the belt to ensure that the seat belt height
adjuster has correctly locked in place.
WARNING
Adjust the height of the belt in such a way that the shoulder part of
the belt is positioned approximately across the middle of your
shoulder - on no account across your neck.
Note
It is also possible to adapt the routing of the belt webbing at the front seats
by adjusting the height of the seat.
Taking seat belts off
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 159 Front seat:
Seat belt height
adjuster
Fig. 160 Releasing
lock tongue from belt
lock
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Seat belts
188
– Press the red button in the belt lock ⇒fig. 160. The spring
force causes the tongue of the lock to jump out.
– Guide the belt back with your hand to enable the inertia reel to wind up the belt webbing more easily.
A plastic knob in the belt webbing holds the belt tongue in a position which
is easy to get hold of.
Three-point safety belt for the middle rear seat
Your car is equipped as standard with the three-point seat belt in the
middle rear seat. It is used in the same way as the three-point seat belts
on the left and right (at front and rear).
WARNING
The three-point safety belt for the rear middle seat can only fulfil its
function reliably when the backrests are correctly locked into posi-
tion ⇒page 90.
Belt tensioners
Safety for the driver and passengers wearing their seat belts, is
enhanced by the belt tensioners fitted to the inertia reels of the front and
rear side three-point seat belts, in addition to the protection afforded by
the airbag system. The three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a
frontal collision of a certain severity. The belt tensioners can also be
deployed if the seat belts are not fastened.
The belt tensioner is deployed in the event of a frontal collision of major
severity. A powder charge is ignited in the inertia reels during deployment.
The belt webbing is pulled into the inertia reels by a mechanical system
and the belt is tensioned.
Belt tensioners are not activated in the event of minor frontal collisions,
side and rear-end collisions, in the case of a rollover and also not in acci-
dents in which no major forces are produced from the front.
WARNING
•The service life of seat belts and belt tensioners is 15 years from
the date of manufacture of the vehicle. It is then necessary to have
the seat belts replaced by a specialist garage.
•Any work on the system includi ng removal and installation of
system components because of other repair work, must only be
carried out by a specialist garage.
•The protective function of the system is only adequate for a
single accident. If the belt tensioners have been deployed, it is then
necessary to replace the entire system.
•The Owner's Manual must also be handed over to the new
owner if the vehicle is sold.
Note
•Smoke is generated when the belt tensioners are deployed. This is not
an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
•It is essential to pay attention to relevant safety regulations if the
vehicle or individual parts of the system are scrapped. Specialist garages
are familiar with these regulations and will be able to provide you with
detailed information in this respect.
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Airbag system
192
− The hazard warning light is switched on,
− All the doors are unlocked,
− The fuel supply to the engine is interrupted.
Front airbags
Description of the front airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belt!
The front airbag for the driver is housed in the steering wheel ⇒fig. 161 .
The front airbag for the front passenger* is housed in the dash panel
above the storage compartment ⇒fig. 162 . The installation positions are
each marked with the “AIRBAG” logo.
The front airbag system, in combination with three-point safety belts,
offers additional protection for the head and chest area of the driver and
front passenger in the event of a frontal collision of major severity ⇒ in
“Important safety information regarding the front airbag system” on
page 194.
The airbag is not a substitute for the seat belt, but is part of the complete
passive vehicle safety concept. Please note that an airbag can only
offer you optimal protection in combination with a seat belt which is
fastened. .
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the seat belts
is to also hold the driver and front passenger in a correct seated position
in the event of a frontal collision so as to enable the front airbags to offer
the maximum protection.
Fig. 161 Driver airbag
in the steering wheel
Fig. 162 Front
passenger airbag in the
dash panel
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Transporting children safely
210
Attaching child seat using the “ISOFIX”
system
There are two fixing eyes* between the backrest and the seat of
the front passenger for fixing the “ISOFIX” system child seat in
place. The locking eyes on the rear outside rear seats are located
below the upholstery. The places are marked with -ISOFIX-.
Install child seat
– Open the zip fasteners between the seat and the backrest of the rear outside seat.
– Insert the mounting funnels onto the locking eyes between the backrest and seat cushion ⇒fig. 178.
– Push the notched arms of the child seat over the mounting funnels into the locking eyes, until it is heard to lock ⇒fig. 179 .
– Pull on both sides of the child seat!
One can mount a child safety seat using the “ISOFIX” system quickly,
easily and reliably. Please pay close attention to instructions from the
manufacturer of the child safety seat when installing and removing the
seat.
Child seats fitted with the “ISOFIX” clamping system can only be mounted
and fixed in a vehicle fitted with an “ISOFIX system” when these child
seats have been released for this type of vehicle according to the ECE-R
44 standard.
You can obtain child seats with the “ISOFIX” attachment system from
specialist garages who will also installed it as well.
Complete installation instructions are enclosed with the child safety seat.
WARNING
•The locking eyes have just been developed for child safety
seats which use the “ISOFIX” system. You should therefore never
Fig. 178 Locking eyes
(ISOFIX system)
Fig. 179 The ISOFIX
child seat is pushed
into the mounting
funnels
AAAB
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Transporting children safely 211
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
attach other child safety seats, seat belts or objects to the locking
eyes - hazard!
•Ask a Škoda dealer whether a child seat which you bought for
another vehicle is recommended for use in a Škoda before using an
“ISOFIX” system.
•Certain child seats which use the “ISOFIX” system can be
attached with standard three-point seat belts. Please pay close
attention to instructions from the manufacturer of the child safety
seat when installing and removing the seat.
Note
Child seats which use the “ISOFIX” system are currently available for chil-
dren weighing from 9 up to 18 kg. This corresponds to an age range of
from 9 months to 4 years.
WARNING (continued)
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Intelligent Technology213
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Driving Tips
Intelligent Technology
Electronic stability programme (ESP)*
General
General
The ESP aids you maintain control of your vehicle in situations in border-
line driving situations such as when negotiating a curve too fast. The risk
of skidding is reduced and your car thus offers greater driving stability
depending on the conditions of the road surface. This occurs at all speeds.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability
programme:
•Electronic Differential Lock (EDL),
•Traction control system (TCS),
•Driver-steering recommendation,
•Antilock brake system (ABS),
•Brake Assist,
•Uphill-Start off-Assist.
Operating principle
The ESP switches on automatically when the engine is started and then
conducts a self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the indi-
vidual systems. It also processes additional measurement data which are
supplied by highly sensitive sensors: the rotational velocity of the vehicle
about its vertical axis, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle, the braking
pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the
steering angle and the speed of the vehicle and is constantly compared
with the actual behaviour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such as the
car beginning to skid, the ESP will automatically brake the appropriate
wheel.
The car is stabilised again by the forces which take effect when the wheel
is braked. Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the
outer front wheel of a vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency for the
rear of the vehicle to break away) while occurs this is on the inner rear
wheel of a vehicle which tends to understeer (tendency to shift out of the
curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied by noises.
Fig. 180 ESP switch
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