2007 SKODA OCTAVIA TOUR Owner's Manual

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.

99
SAFETY
General notes
The webbing of the seat belt must not
be jammed or twisted and must not
chafe against sharp edges.

On no account should two persons ( also
not children ) use the same seat belt.

The maximum protection offered by the
seat belts is only achieved if you are cor-
rectly seated - see page 19.

The webbing of the seat belt must not
run across fixed or fragile objects (specta-
cles, fountain-pens etc.) because this could
cause physical injuries.

Bulky, loose-fitting clothing (e.g. a win-
ter coat worn over a jacket) adversely af-
fects the correct seated position and proper
operation of the belts.

It is prohibited to use clamps or similar
objects to fix or set the position of a seat
belt to match the body’s proportions.

The lock tongue must only be inserted
into the seat belt buckle of the appropriate
seat - otherwise the seat belt cannot pro-
vide the necessary protection and the risk
of injury increases.

The webbing of the seat belt should be
kept clean. Proper operation of the inertia
reel can be affected by dirt (see also the
section headed „Care of car“).

The slot for inserting the lock tongue
must not be blocked by paper or such like
otherwise the lock tongue may not properly
lock in place.

Seat belts which have suffered damage
or have been subjected to excessive stress
during an accident and have therefore stre-
tched, have to be replaced - this is best do-
ne by a Škoda Dealer. In addition, the an-
chorage points of the seat belts should be
inspected.

The operation of seat belts fitted to cars
in certain export countries may differ from
the inertia-reel and lap belts described on
the pages which follow.
Three-point inertia-reel seat beltsInertia-reel seat belts provide full freedom
of movement for the occupants if they are
unreeled slowly.
The belts block, however, during a sudden
brake application.
The inertia reel also blocks the seat belts
when the car is accelerated, when driving
downhill and when cornering.
The backrests of the front seats must
not be tilted too far back otherwise the
seat belts may not provide maximum
protection.

100SAFETYFastening a three-point seat belt
Pull the tongue slowly and smoothly across
the chest and hips and push it into the lock
part fitted to the seat until the tongue en-
gages audibly (pull to check).
The shoulder part of the belt should run
approximately across the centre of the
shoulder as shown - on no account
against the neck - and be firmly in con-
tact with the body.
The lap part of the belt should always fit
tightly across the pelvis. If necessary,
pull the belt tight.Adjusting seat belt height
The routing of the front seat shoulder belts
can be set to fit the body properly with the
aid of the
belt height adjuster .

To adjust, push button with relay fitting
up or down so that the shoulder part of belt
runs approximately across the centre of the
shoulder as shown in the left-hand illustra-
tion - on no account against the neck .

After adjusting, pull the belt with a jerk
to ensure that the relay fitting is properly
engaged.
The height can also be corrected with the
seat adjustment - see page 19. Pregnant mothers should always wear
a seat belt.
In this case, the lap part of the belt should
be as low across the pelvis as possible
so that no pressure is exerted on the ab-
domen.
A seat belt, which is fitted too loosely,
can cause injuries.

101
SAFETY
Unfastening three-point seat belt
The belt is released by applying pressure
with your finger to the red button in the lock.
The lock tongue jumps out of the lock when
this is done as a result of the spring pres-
sure.
Pass the tongue toward the door by hand
so that the retractor can roll the belt up
properly. A plastic knob in the belt holds the
tongue in a convenient position.Three-point seat belt with the Inter-
lock system*On certain models, a three-point seat belt
with the Interlock system is used in place
of the lap belt.
If the rear seat backrest is not properly loc-
ked, the inertia reel blocks the belt which
can then not unreel.
Child safety lock for rear centre
three-point seat beltThe rear centre three-point seat belt can
be blocked (so-called child safety lock) for
attaching a child seat.
Switching on child safety lock

Attach the child safety seat with the
three-point seat belt as stated in the instruc-
tions of the manufacturer.

Wind up the shoulder part of the belt fully.
A characteristic “clicking” is typical for the
unwinding

After the belt has been locked in the seat
belt buckle, allow it to wind up loosely. The
child safety lock is now active. It is now no
longer possible to unwind the belt. Pull on
the seat belt to check that the child safety
lock is active.
Switching off child safety lock
The seat belt is unlocked by pushing the
button and can then wind up. After being
wound up completely, the belt webbing can
be unreeled again freely.
Lap belt*The centre place on the rear seat is fitted
with a two-point lap belt.
The lock part of the two-point lap belt is
operated in the same way as on the three-
point inertia reel belts.
If the lap belt is not in use, it should be fit-
ted to the lock for safety reasons

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.

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.