2007 SKODA OCTAVIA airbag

Passive Safety153
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Safety
Passive Safety
Basic information
Driving the safe way
Passive safety measures reduce the risk of injury in accident situa-
tions.
In this section you will find important inform ation, tips and notes on the subject of
passive safety in your vehicle. We ha ve combined everything here which you
should be familiar with, for example, regarding seat belts, airbags, child seats and
safety of children. It is therefore importan t, in particular, to comply with the notes
and warnings in this section for your own interest and in the interest of those trav-
elling with you.
WARNING
•This chapter contains important information on how to use the vehicle
for the driver and his occupants. You will find further information on safety,
which concerns you and those travelling with you, in the following 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 equipment
The safety equipment is part of the occupant 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 equipmen t can reduce the risk of injuries. The
following list contains part of th e safety equipment in your vehicle:
•Three-point seat belts for all the seats,
•belt force limiter for front and outer rear seats*,
•belt tensioner for front and outer rear seats*,
•seat belt height adjuster for front seats,
•front airbag for the driver and the front seat passenger*,
•Side airbags*,
•head airbags*,
•anchoring points for child seat using the “ISOFIX” system,
•anchoring points for child seat using the “Top Tether” system,
•head restraint adjustable for height,
•adjustable steering column.
The specified safety equipment works toge ther, in order to optimally protect you
and those travelling with you in accident situations. 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 equipmen t is not correctly adjusted or used.
Fo r t h i s re a s o n y o u w i l l b e p ro v i d e d w i th i n fo rm a ti o n o n w hy t h i s e q u i p m e nt i s v e r y
important, how it protects you and the o ccupants, what should be observed when
using the equipment and how you and the pe ople travelling with you can make full
use of the existing safety equipment. This Owner's Manual contains important
warning notes, which you and those travelli ng with you should pay attention to in
order to reduce a risk of injury.
Safety concerns everybody!
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Passive Safety155
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Correct seated position
Correct seated position for the driver
Correct seated position for the driver is important for safe and
relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident, we
recommend the following setting:
•Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance between the steering wheel and
your chest is at least 25 cm ⇒fig. 155 .
•Position the driver seat in the forward/back direction so that you are able to
press the pedals with your legs at a slight angle .
•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 ⇒ fig. 156.
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 160, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
Manual driver seat adjustment ⇒page 67, “Adjusting the front seats”.
Electrical driver seat adjustment ⇒ page 68, “Adjusting front seats electrically*”.
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 driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering
wheel ⇒fig. 155 . Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the
airbag system will not be able to properly 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 to o 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.
Fig. 155 The correct
distance of the driver
from the steering wheel
Fig. 156 The correct
head restraint adjust-
ment for the driver
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Passive Safety
156
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 155, fig. 156 .
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒ page 160, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
In exceptional cases the front pass enger airbag can be deactivated ⇒page 171,
“Deactivating an airbag”.
Manual front passenger adjustment ⇒page 67, “Adjusting the front seats”.
Electrical front passenger seat adjustment ⇒page 68, “Adjusting front seats electri-
cally*”.
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 fata l 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!
Correct seated position for the occupants on the rear seats
Occupants on the rear seats must si t 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 acci-
dent, the occupants on the rear seats must observe the following:
•Adjust the head restraints so that the to p edge of the head restraints are at the
same level as the upper part of your head ⇒ page 155, fig. 156.
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 160, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
•If you are transporting ⇒page 173, “Transporting children safely” children 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 occupants.
•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 accident. 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 injury
is increased due to incorrec t routing of the seat belt.
WARNING (continued)
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Passive Safety157
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Examples of an incorrect 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 positi ons considerably reduce the protective
functions of the seat belts and therefore increase the risk of injury due to an incor-
rect routing of the seat belt. The driver is fully responsible for himself and the occu-
pants, in particular for the children. Do not permit an occupant to adopt an incor-
rect 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 comple te, however we would like you to get inter-
ested 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,
•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 position while the car is moving. Also advise your occu-
pants to adopt the correct seated position and not to change this seated
position while the car is moving.
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Seat belts
158
Seat belts
Why seat belts?
It is a proven fact that seat belt s offer good protection in accidents ⇒fig. 157 . Thus
wearing a seat belt is a legal requirement in most countries.
Seat belts which have been correctly fastened and adjusted hold the occupants of
the car in the correc t seated position ⇒fig. 157 . The belts reduce the kinetic energy
(energy of motion) to a considerable extent. They also prevent uncontrolled move-
ments 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 159. It is important that you pay attention to
safety measures, particularly when trans-
porting children in the vehicle ⇒ page 173, “What you should know about trans-
porting children!”.
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 160, “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 pr operly on the next pages.
Note
Please comply with any differing legal requirements when using the seat belts.
Fig. 157 Driver wearing
seat belt
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Seat belts
162
Taking seat belts off
– Press the red button in the belt lock ⇒fig. 163 . 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 standa rd 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 position ⇒page 73.
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 protecti on afforded by the airbag system.
The three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a frontal colli-
sion of a certain severity. Th e 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 mech anical system and the belt is tensioned.
Belt tensioners are not activated in the ev ent of minor frontal collisions, side and
rear-end collisions, in the ca se of a rollover and also not in accidents in which no
major forces are produced from the front.
WARNING
•Any work on the system including 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 acci-
dent. If the belt tensioners have been deployed, it is then necessary to
replace the entire system.
•The Owner's Manual must also be ha nded over to the new owner if the
vehicle is sold.
Note
•Smoke is generated when the belt tensione rs are deployed. This is not an indi-
cation of a fire in the vehicle.
•It is essential to pay attention to relevant safety regulations if the vehicle or indi-
vidual 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.
•When disposing of vehicle or parts of the system, it is important to comply with
the national legal requirements.
Fig. 163 Releasing lock
tongue from belt lock
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Airbag system163
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Airbag system
Description of the airbag system
General information on the airbag system
The front airbag system is complementary to the three-point seat belts and offers
additional protection for the head and chest area of the driver and passenger in the
event of a frontal collision.
In the case of a violent side crash, the si de* and head* airbags reduce the risk of
injuries to the occupants on the part of the body facing the side of the accident
⇒ .
The airbag system is only functional af ter the ignition has been switched on.
The operational readiness of the airbag system is monitored electronically. The
airbag warning light comes on for a few seconds each time the ignition is switched
on.
The airbag system (according to vehicl e equipment) essentially consists of:
•an electronic control unit,
•front airbag for the driver and the front seat passenger*,
•Side airbags*,
•head airbags*,
•an airbag warning light in the instrument cluster,
•a front passenger airbag switch* ⇒page 172,
•an indicator light for a switched off front seat passenger airbag* in the middle
of the dash panel ⇒page 172.
A fault in the airbag system exists if:
•the airbag indicator light do es not light up when the ignition is switched on,
•the warning light does not go out after about 4 seconds after the ignition is
switched on,
•the airbag indicator light goes out and comes on again after the ignition is
switched on,
•the airbag indicator light comes on or flickers when driving,
•an airbag indicator light showing a swit ched-off front passenger airbag* in the
middle of the dash panel flashes.
WARNING
•To enable the occupants of a car to be protected with the greatest
possible effect when the airbag is deployed, the front seats must be
⇒ page 155, “Correct seated position” co rrectly adjusted to match the body
size of the occupant.
•If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or
adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased
risk of injury in the event of an accident.
•Have the airbag system checked immedi ately by a specialist garage if a
fault exists. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activated in the
event of an accident.
•No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
•It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.
•The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one
accident. The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been
deployed.
•The airbag system needs no main tenance during its working life.
•If you sell your car, please hand over the complete vehicle documenta-
tion to the new owener. Please note that the documents relating to the
possibility of deactivating the front passenger airbag are also part of the
vehicle documents!
•If the vehicle or individual parts of the airbag system are scrapped, it is
essential to observe the relevant safety precautions. Škoda Service Partners
are familiar with these regulations.
•When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important
to comply with the national legal requirements.
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Airbag system
164
When are the airbags deployed?
The airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver airbag and the front
passenger airbag* are deployed in the event of a frontal collision of major severity.
In the case of a violent side crash , the side airbag* on the side of the car at which
the collision occurs, is deployed together with the head airbag*.
In certain accident situations it is possible that both the front as well as the side
airbags and the relevant head airbag are deployed at the same time.
The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side collisions, in the
case of rear-end collisi ons and vehicle rollover.
Deployment factors
It is not possible to state globally which deployment conditions apply to the airbag
system in every situation as the circumstances which exist in the case of accidents
vary greatly. An important role in this case , for example, is played by factors such as
the type of object against which the vehicle impacts (hard, soft), the angle of impact,
the vehicle speed etc.
A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration which occurs
during a collision. The control unit analyses the nature of the collision and activates
the relevant restraint system. If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is meas-
ured during the collision remains below the prescribed reference values specified
in the control unit, the airbags are not deployed although the vehicle may well
suffer severe damage to the bodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The airbags are not deployed if:
•ignition off,
•a minor frontal collision,
•a minor side collision,
•a rear-end collision,
•rollover.
Note
•A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is
perfectly normal and is not an indi cation of a fire in the vehicle.
•The dash panel must be replaced afte r the front passenger airbag has been
deployed.
•In the event of an accident in which the airbags are deployed:
− The interior lighting comes on (if the swit ch for the interior light is in the door
contact position),
− The hazard warning light is switched on,
− All the doors are unlocked,
− the fuel supply to the engine is interrupted.
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 164 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM