2006 SKODA ROOMSTER Owner's Manual

Passive Safety
144
must always be correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal
protection for you and your occupants.
•The driver must maintain a distan ce of at least 25 cm to the
steering wheel ⇒page 143, fig. 116 . Not maintaining this minimum
distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to prop-
erly 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 another
way (e.g. in the middle of the steering wheel or at the inner steering
wheel edge). In such cases, injuries to the arms, the hands and the
head can occur when the driver airbag is deployed.
•The backrests must not be angled too far back when driving
otherwise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of
the airbag system - risk of injury!
•Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects
may get behind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre.
You would then no longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or
accelerate.
Correct seated position for the front passenger
The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least
25 cm from the dash panel so that the airbag offers the
greatest 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 ⇒page 143, fig. 117 .
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 150, “How are seat belts
correctly fastened?”.
In exceptional cases the front passenger airbag can be deactivated
⇒ page 163, “Deactivating an airbag”.
Adjusting the passenger seat ⇒page 69, “Adjusting the front seats”.
WARNING
•The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted
to match the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts
must always be correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal
protection for you and your occupants.
•The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm
to the dash panel. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean
that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you -
hazard!
•Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being
driven - never place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the
window or on the surfaces of the seats. You will be exposed to
increased risk of injury if it becomes necessary to apply the brake
or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is deployed, you may
suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated position!
•The backrests must not be angled too far back when driving
otherwise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of
the airbag system - risk of injury!
WARNING (continued)
NKO 20 A05.book Page 144 Wednesday, June 21, 2006 1:42 PM

Passive Safety145
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Correct seated position for th e occupants on the rear
seats
Occupants on the rear seats must sit upright, keep the feet
in the footwell and must have their seat belts correctly
fastened.
To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or
an accident, the occupants on the rear seats must observe the following.
•Adjust the head restraints so that the top edge of the head restraints
are at the same level as the upper part of your head ⇒page 143, fig. 117 .
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 150, “How are seat belts
correctly fastened?”.
•If you are transporting ⇒page 166, “Transporting children safely” chil-
dren in the vehicle, please use a suitable child restraint system.
WARNING
•The head restraints must always be adjusted to match the body
size, in order to offer an optimal protection for you and your occu-
pants.
•Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being
driven - never put your feet out of the window or on the surfaces of
the seats. You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it
becomes necessary to apply the brake or in the event of an acci-
dent. If the head airbag* is deployed and when adopting an incor-
rect seated position, you are exposing yourself to an increased risk
of injury and in the event of an accident you may suffer fatal inju-
ries!
•If the occupants on the rear seats are not sitting upright, the risk
of injury is increased due to in correct routing of the seat belt.
•The backrests must not be angled too far back when driving
otherwise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of
the airbag system - risk of injury!
Examples of an inco rrect seated position
An incorrect seated position can lead to severe injuries or
death for the occupants.
Seat belts offer their optimum protection only if the webbing of the seat
belts is properly routed. Incorrect seated positions considerably reduce
the protective functions of the seat belts and therefore increase the risk of
injury due to an incorrect routing of the seat belt. The driver is fully respon-
sible for himself and his occupants, in particular for the children. 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.
Therefore, while the car is moving never:
•stand up in the vehicle,
•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,
•only sit on the front area of the seat,
•sit to the side,
WARNING (continued)
NKO 20 A05.book Page 145 Wednesday, June 21, 2006 1:42 PM

Passive Safety
146
•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 incorrect 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 positi on while the car is moving. Also
advise your occupants to adopt the correct seated position and not
to change this seated position while the car is moving.
NKO 20 A05.book Page 146 Wednesday, June 21, 2006 1:42 PM

Seat belts147
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Seat belts
Why seat belts?
It is a proven fact that seat belts offer good protection in accidents
⇒fig. 118 . Thus wearing a seat belt is a legal requirement in most coun-
tries.
Seat belts which have been correctly fastened and adjusted hold the
occupants of the car in the correct seated position ⇒fig. 118 . The belts
reduce the kinetic energy (energy of motion) to a considerable extent.
They also prevent uncontrolled movements which, in turn, may well result
in severe injuries.
The occupants of a vehicle who have fastened and correctly adjusted their
seat belt, profit to a major extent from the fact that the kinetic energy is
optimally absorbed by the belts. The structure of the front end of the
vehicle and other passive safety measures, such as the airbag system, also contribute to reducing the kinetic energy. The energy produced is
thus absorbed and there is less risk of injury.
Accident statistics prove that seat belts which are fastened and properly
adjusted reduce the risk of an injury and enhance the chance of survival
in a major accident
⇒page 148.
It is important that you pay attention to safety measures, particularly when
transporting children in the vehicle ⇒page 166, “Transporting children
safely”.
WARNING
•Fasten your seat belt each time before setting off, also when
driving in town! This also applies to the people seated at the rear -
risk of injury!
•Expectant women must also always wear a seat belt. This is the
only way of ensuring optimal protection for the unborn child
⇒ page 150, “Fastening three-point seat belts”.
•It is important for the belt webbing to be properly routed if the
seat belts are to offer the maximum protection. You can see a
description of how safety belts should be fitted properly on the next
pages.
Note
Please comply with any differing legal requirements when using the seat
belts.
Fig. 118 Driver
wearing seat belt
NKO 20 A05.book Page 147 Wednesday, June 21, 2006 1:42 PM

Seat belts
148
The physical principle of a frontal
collision
The physical principle of a frontal accident can be explained quite simply: Motion energy, so-called kinetic energy, is produced as soon as the
vehicle is moving, both for the vehicle and its occupants. The magnitude
of this kinetic energy depends essentially on the speed at which the
vehicle is travelling and on the weight of the vehicle and the occupants.
The greater the speed and weight increase, the greater the amount of
energy which has to be absorbed in the event of an accident.
The speed of the vehicle is, nevertheless, the most important factor.
Doubling the speed of the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour
increases the kinetic energy four times.
The common opinion that it is possible to support your body in a minor
accident with your hands, is incorrect. Even in a collision at only a low
speed, the forces acting on the body are such that it is no longer possible
to support your body.
Even if you only drive at a speed within the range from 30 km/hour to 50
km/hour, the forces which are produced on your body in the event of an
accident can easily exceed 10.000 N (Newton). This equals a weight of
one tonne (1 000 kg).
In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the car not wearing a seat
belt, are thrown forward and strike in an uncontrolled way parts of the inte-
rior of the car, such as steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen,
⇒fig. 119 .
The occupants of a vehicle who have not fastened their seat belts may
even be thrown out of the vehicle. This can result in fatal injuries.
It is also important that rear seat occupants fasten their seat belts as they
will otherwise be thrown through the vehicle in an uncontrolled manner in
the event of an accident A rear seat passenger who has not fastened the
seat belt is a danger not only to himself but also for those seated at the
front ⇒fig. 120 .
Fig. 119 The driver is
thrown forward if not
wearing a belt
Fig. 120 The rear seat
occupant is thrown
forward if not wearing a
belt
NKO 20 A05.book Page 148 Wednesday, June 21, 2006 1:42 PM

Seat belts149
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 150, “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 143, “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 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 204, “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)
NKO 20 A05.book Page 149 Wednesday, June 21, 2006 1:42 PM

Seat belts
150
How are seat belts correctly fastened?
Fastening three-point seat belts
Fasten your seat belt before starting!
– Correctly adjust the seat and the head restraint before
fastening your seat belt ⇒page 143, “Correct seated posi-
tion”.
– 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 downhill 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. 121 . 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. 121 Routing of
webbing over the
shoulders and the lap
belt
Fig. 122 Routing of
belt webbing for an
expectant mother
NKO 20 A05.book Page 150 Wednesday, June 21, 2006 1:42 PM

Seat belts151
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 adju ster on the front seats
The seat belt height adjuster makes it possible for you to adapt
the routing of the front three-point seat belt in the area of the
shoulder to match your body size.
– To adjust the belt height press the height adjuster and move it
up or down ⇒fig. 123 . – 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 on the front seats
by adjusting the height of the seat*.
Taking seat belts off
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 123 Front seat:
Seat belt height
adjuster
Fig. 124 Releasing
lock tongue from belt
lock
NKO 20 A05.book Page 151 Wednesday, June 21, 2006 1:42 PM