19
CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
Front seatsCorrect seat adjustment is important for:
- reliably and quickly reaching the controlsand switches,
- relaxed, fatigue-free body position,
- maximum protection from the seat belts.
Warning
For this reason, the front seats
should not be pushed too close to
the steering wheel or the instrument
panel.
Each occupant must correctly fas-
ten the seat belt belonging to the
seat. Children must be fastened with
a suitable restraint system - see page
111 .
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.
Always keep your feet in the foot-
well when the vehicle is moving - ne-
ver rest them on the instrument panel
or seats.
Never transport more occupants
than the maximum seating in the ve-
hicle.
1 - To move seat forward and back
Pull up the lever located below the seat and
move seat into the desired position. Then,
release lever and move seat further until
the lock engages.
The driver’s seat should be adjusted so that
the pedals can be fully depressed with the
legs slightly angled. Warning
For safety reasons the driver’s seat
must only be moved forward or back
when the vehicle is stationary!
2 - Adjusting seat height*
Move the lever repeatedly up and down in
the top position in order to raise the seat.
Move the lever repeatedly up and down in
the bottom position in order to lower the
seat. Warning
For safety reasons the height of the
driver’s seat must only be adjusted
when the vehicle is stationary!
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
94SAFETYBefore setting offThe driver is always fully responsible for
his occupants and for the operating
safety of the vehicle.
For your own safety and the safety of the
people travelling with you, please pay at-
tention to the following points before set-
ting off:
Ensure that the lighting and the turn sig-
nal system are functioning properly.
Inspect the tyre inflation pressure.
Ensure that all the windows offer a good
visibility to the outside.
Safely attach the items of luggage - see
page 27.
Ensure that no objects can obstruct the
pedal.
Adjust the mirror, the front seat and the
head restraint to match your body size.
Point out to your occupants that the head
restraints must be adjusted to match their
body size.
Protect the children in suitable child
seats with correctly fastened seat belts -
see page 111.
Adopt the correct seated position. Also
inform your occupants to adopt the correct
seated position.
Fasten the seat belt correctly. Also in-
form your occupants to properly fasten the
seat belts - see page 98.
What influences the driving safety?The driving safety is primarily deter-
mined by the style of driving and the
personal behaviour of all the occupants.
The driver is fully responsible for himself
and his occupants. If your driving safety is
effected, you place yourself and the oncom-
ing traffic at risk. Please refer to the follow-
ing guidelines.
Do not get distracted from concentrat-
ing on the traffic situation, e.g. by your oc-
cupants or mobile phone calls.
Never drive when your driving ability is
impaired, e.g. through medication, alcohol,
drugs.
Keep to the traffic regulations and the
permissible speed limit.
Adjust the driving speed at all times to
the road condition as well as to the traffic
and weather conditions.
Take regular breaks on long journeys -
at the latest every two hours.
Correct seated position for the driverCorrect seated position for the driver is
important for safe and relaxed driving.
For your own safety as well as to reduce
the risk of injury in the event of an accident,
we recommend the following setting.
Adjust the steering wheel so that the dis-
tance between the steering wheel and your
chest is at least 25 cm - see illustration.
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.Correct seated position
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.
111
SAFETY
Only light items of clothing should
be hung up on the clothes hooks in
the car. No heavy or sharp-edged
objects should be stowed in the
pockets of the items of clothing.
Avoid any excessive force acting
on the side panels of the seats, such
as a sudden knock, or pressing with
your foot etc., otherwise the system
may be damaged. In this case, the
side airbags would not deploy!
On no account may seat or protec-
tive covers be fitted over the driver
or front passenger seats fitted with
side airbags. As the airbag inflates
out of the backrest of the seat, the
protective function offered by the
side airbags would be restricted if
seat protective covers were used.
If the original seat cover or the stit-
ching in the module area of the side
airbag is damaged, the seat cover in
question should be replaced imme-
diately by a Škoda Dealer.
The protection offered by the air-
bag system is sufficient only for one
accident. If the airbag has been de-
ployed, the system should be rene-
wed.
If the occupants lean forward or
adopt an incorrect seated position
when driving, they are exposing
themselves to an increased risk of an
injury in the event of an accident.
A child seat in which the child
faces with its back in the direction of
travel, may only be used in the front
passenger seat if the front passen-
ger airbag (in certain countries also
on child seats in which the child
faces the direction of travel) has
been deactivated - refer to page 107.
Otherwise, there is a risk of the child
suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the airbag is deployed. In certain
countries, legal requirements neces-
sitate deactivating the side airbag. If
a child is nevertheless seated on the
front passenger seat, observe the le-
gal requirements for the use of child
seats.
Safety of childrenAccident statistics reveal that children
who sit at the rear are generally better
protected than when seated on the front
passenger seat. Children younger than
12 years should normally travel on the
rear seat of the car
1). They should be
protected by a child restraint system or
by the standard car seat belts, depend-
ing on age, body size and weight. For
safety reasons, the child restraint sys-
tem should be installed behind the front
passenger seat.
Warning
All vehicle occupants, in particu-
lar children, must fasten their seat
belt when the car is moving.
Never allow your child to stand in
the car or to kneel on the seats when
the car is moving. If an accident oc-
curs, your child will be thrown through
the car and may suffer fatal injuries.
1)Pay attention to any varying legal requirements.
112SAFETYWarning
If children lean forward when the
car is moving or adopt an incorrect
seated position, they are exposed to
a greater risk of injury in the event of
an accident. This is particularly true
of children who are transported on
the front passenger seat if the airbag
system is deployed in the event of an
accident. This can result in severe or
even fatal injuries.
Children under 1.50 m (5’) tall or
younger than 12 years must not use
normal seat belts without a child re-
straint system as this may otherwise
result in injuries to the stomach and
neck area. Warning
On no account should children -
even small babies! - travel sitting on
an occupant’s lap.
Do not leave your child in a child
seat unattended.
Certain outside climatic condi-
tions can cause life-threatening tem-
peratures in the vehicle.
When using the seat belt, also refer to
the section on „Seat belts“.
Classification of child seatsOnly child restraint systems which have an
official seal of approval and are suitable for
child, may be used.
The Standard ECE-R
1) 44 applies to child
restraint systems and divides these into 5
classes:
Class 0: 0-10 kg
Class 0+: up to 13 kg
Class 1: 9-18 kg
Class 2: 15-25 kg
Class 3: 22-36 kg
Child restraint systems tested in accor-
dance with ECE-R 44 Standard are clearly
marked with the ECE-R 44 test symbol
(large „E“ in a circle, with test number be-
low) on the seat.
1)Economic Commission of Europe Directive
114SAFETYClass 2For children up to about 7 years weighing
between 15 and 25 kg it is recommended
to use child seats in combination with the
three-point seat belts.Warning
The shoulder belt part must run ap-
proximately across the middle of the
shoulder - on no account across the
neck - and fit snugly against the top
part of the body. The lap belt must run
across the pelvis - and not across the
stomach.
Class 3For children of about 7 years weighing be-
tween 22 and 36 kg and with a height of
less than 1.50 m, it is recommended to use
seat cushions in combination with the three-
point seat belts.Warning
The shoulder belt part must run ap-
proximately across the middle of the
shoulder - on no account across the
neck - and fit snugly against the top
part of the body. The lap belt must run
across the pelvis - and not across the
stomach. Children taller than 1.50 m (5') can use the
standard seat belts fitted to the car without
a seat cushion.
Notes
We recommend using child restraint
systems from the Genuine Accessories
range of Škoda dealers. Such systems
have been developed and tested for use in
Škoda vehicles, and comply with the ECE-R
44 Standard.
Warning
Particular care is required if child
restraint systems are used which are
bolted on together with the belts fit-
ted in the vehicle. The belts must be
screwed into the hole over the com-
plete nominal length and tightened to
a torque of 40 Nm.
The seat belts must be inspected
to ensure they are correctly routed.
In addition, it is important to ensure
that the belt webbing cannot be dam-
aged by any sharp-edged fittings.
Only one child may be belted in us-
ing a child restraint system.
115
SAFETY
Attention should be paid to legal
regulations and the instructions of
the relevant manufacturer for the in-
stallation and use of child restraint
systems.Use of child seats on front passen-
ger seatFor safety reasons, we recommend install-
ing child restraint systems on the rear
seats, whenever possible. If a child seat is
nevertheless used on the front passenger
seat, it is important to observe the follow-
ing instruction in connection with the front
passenger airbag:
Warning
A child seat in which the child
faces with its back in the direction of
travel, may only be used in the front
passenger seat if the front passen-
ger airbag (in certain countries also
on child seats in which the child
faces the direction of travel) has
been deactivated - refer to page 107.
Otherwise, there is a risk of the child
suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the airbag is deployed.
In certain countries, legal require-
ments necessitate deactivating the
side airbag. If a child is nevertheless
seated on the front passenger seat,
observe the legal requirements for
the use of child seats.
This is also clearly stated on the sticker,
which is located on the centre column of
the front passenger side. The sticker is vis-
ible upon opening the front passenger door.
Another warning sticker is located on the
windscreen near the front passenger seat. Warning
If a child seat is used in which the
child is seated in the direction of
travel, the front passenger seat must
be moved fully back.
Child safety and side airbag*In addition to the driver and front passen-
ger airbags your Škoda car may also be
equipped with 2 side airbags which offer
enhanced protection to the occupants in the
event of a side impact.
To ensure that the occupants can benefit
from this additional protective function, the
side airbag must be inflated in fractions of
a second in the event of a collision (refer
also to page 109 of the Owner’s Manual).
When the airbag is deployed, a consider-
able force is generated which may result
in injuries being caused to occupants by the
airbag or by any objects which are within
the inflation range of the side airbag if the
occupant is not correctly seated.
This applies particularly to children if
they are not transported in accordance
with legal provisions.