2008 SKODA FABIA child seat

Passive Safety124
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!
Correct seated position for the 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 acci-dent, 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 123, fig. 129.
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 128, “How are seat belts correctly fastened?”.
•If you are transporting ⇒page 142, “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 the head airbag* is deployed and when adopting an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to an increased risk of injury and in the event of an accident you may suffer fatal injuries!
•If the occupants on the rear seats are not sitting upright, the risk of injury is increased due to incorrect routing of the seat belt.
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 positions 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 his 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 complete, 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,
WARNING (continued)WARNING (continued)
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Seat belts126
Seat belts
Why seat belts?
It is a proven fact that seat belts offer good protection in accidents ⇒fig. 130. 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 correct seated position ⇒fig. 130. 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 127.
It is important that you pay attention to safety measures, particularly when trans-porting children in the vehicle ⇒page 142, “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 128, “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. 130 Driver wearing seat belt
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Seat belts128
•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 122, “Correct seated position”.
•The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. spec-tacles, 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 seat-belts can lose their effectiveness.
•The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt webbing may impair proper operation of the inertia reel ⇒page 175, “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 properly.
•Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condition. 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.
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 122, “Correct seated position”.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 133 Routing of webbing over the shoulders and the lap belt
Fig. 134 Routing of belt webbing for an expectant mother
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Airbag system135
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Important safety information regarding the front airbag system
Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
WARNING
•Never transport children on the front seat of a vehicle without using a proper restraint system. If airbags are deployed in the event of an accident, the child might suffer severe or even fatal injuries!
•For the driver and front passenger it is important to maintain a distance of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel ⇒fig. 140. Not main-taining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard! The front seats and the head restraints must always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occu-pant.
•It is essential to always switch off ⇒page 139, “Deactivating an airbag” the front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. In certain countries national legal provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger
seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
•There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned between the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag.
•The steering wheel and the surface of the airbag module in the dash panel on the passenger side must not be stuck onto, covered or modified in any other way. These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth or a cloth moistened with water. No objects such as cup holders, mobile phone mounts, etc. may be attached to the covers of the airbag modules or be located within the immediate area.
•No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system. Any work on the airbag system including installing and removing system components because of other repair work (e.g. removing the steering wheel) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
•Never carry out changes on the front bumper or on the body.
•Never place any objects on the dash panel on the front passenger side.
Fig. 140 Safe distance to steering wheel
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system137
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Important safety information on the side airbag
Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
WARNING
•It is essential to always switch off ⇒page 139, “Deactivating an airbag” the front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. In certain countries national legal provisions also require that the side passenger airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
•Your head should never be positioned in the deployment area of the side airbag. You might suffer severe injuries in the event of an accident. This applies in particular to children who are transported without using a suit-able child safety seat ⇒page 144, “Child safety and side airbag*”.
•If children adopt an incorrect seated position when travelling, they may be exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. This can result in serious injuries ⇒page 142, “What you should know about trans-porting children!”.
•There must not be any further persons, animals as well as objects posi-tioned between the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. There must also be no accessories such as cup holders, attached to the doors to enable the side airbags to activate properly.
•Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of clothing.
•Ensure that there are no excessive forces, such as violent knocks, kicks etc., impact on the backrests of the seats otherwise the system may be damaged. The side airbags would not be deployed in such a case!
•Any seat or protective covers which you fit to the driver or front passenger seats must only be of the type expressly authorized by Škoda Auto. In view of the fact that the airbag inflates out of the backrest of the seat, use of non-approved seat or protective covers would considerably impair the protective function of the side airbag.
•Any damage to the original seat covers in the area of the side airbag module must be repaired without delay by your specialist garage.
•The airbag modules in the front seats must not display any damage, cracks or deep scratches. It is not permissible to use force in order to open the modules.
•Any work on the side airbag system including removing and installing system components because of other repair work (e.g. removing seats) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system139
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protection in the event of an accident. A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety information on the head airbag
Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
WARNING
•It is essential to always switch off ⇒page 139 the front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. In certain countries national legal provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
•There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the head airbags which might prevent the airbags from inflating properly.
•Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of clothing. In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up items of clothing.
•There must not be any other persons (e.g. children) or animals between the car occupant and the deployment area of the head airbag. In addition, none of the occupants should lean their head out of the window when driving, or extend their arms and hands out of the window.
•The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the deployment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as ball-point pens etc. are attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if the head airbag is deployed.
•Installing impermissible accessories in the area of the head airbags may considerably impair the protection offered by the head airbag in the event of it being deployed. When the deployed head airbag is inflated, parts of the accessories fitted may in certain circumstances be thrown into the interior of the car and cause injuries to the occupants ⇒page 200.
•Any work on the head airbag system including installing and removing system components because of other repair work (e.g. removing headliner) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
Deactivating an airbag
Deactivating airbags
If any airbags have been deactivated, switch them on again as soon
as possible so that they are able to again provide their proper protec-
tion.
There is the technical means installed within your vehicle to switch off the front, side* or head airbag* (take out of commission).
This is why you should have the deactivation of the airbags carried out by a specialist garage.
On vehicles equipped with the switch for deactivation of the airbags, you can deac-tivate the front passenger airbag or passenger side airbag by means of this switch ⇒page 140.
Deactivation of airbags is envisaged only for particular instances, such as if:
•you must in exceptional cases use a child seat on the front passenger seat where the child has its back to the direction of travel of the vehicle (in some coun-tries this must be in the direction of travel due to other legal regulations applying) ⇒page 142, “Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats”
•you are not able to maintain the distance of at least 25 cm between middle of steering wheel and chest, despite the driver seat being correctly adjusted,
WARNING (continued)
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Transporting children safely142
Transporting children safely
What you should know about transporting children!
An introduction to the subject
Accident statistics have revealed that children are generally more
safely transported on the rear seats than on the front passenger seat.
Children younger than 12 years of age should normally travel on the rear seat of the vehicle (take note of any national legal provisions which differ from this). They should be secured there by means of a child restraint system or by using the existing seat belts depending on their age, body size and weight. The child seat should be mounted behind the front passenger seat for safety reasons.
The physical principle of an accident does, of course, also apply to children ⇒page 127, “The physical principle of a frontal collision”. They differ from adults in that their muscles and bone structure of children are not yet fully developed. Thus children are exposed to increased risk of injury.
Children should be transported by using special child safety seats in order to reduce this risk of injury.
Only use child safety seats which are officially approved, suitable for children and which comply with the ECE-R 44 standard, which classifies child safety seats into 5 groups ⇒page 145, “Classification of child seats into groups”. Child restraint systems which have been tested for conformity with ECE-R 44 have a non-detach-able test seal (a large E within a circle and below this the test number) attached to the seat.
We recommend that you use child safety seats from the Škoda genuine accessories. These child seats were developed and also tested for use in Škoda vehicles. They fulfil the standard ECE-R 44.
WARNING
Always comply with national legal provisions and instructions from the rele-vant child safety seat manufacturer when installing and using a child seat
⇒ in “Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats”.
Note
National legal provisions, which deviate from the information contained in these operating instructions, take precedence over the information contained in the operating instructions.
Important safety information regarding the use of child safety
seats
Correct use of child safety seats considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
WARNING
•All the occupants of the car - in particular children - must wear a seat belt when the car is moving!
•Children less than 1.50 m in height or younger than 12 years must not use a normal seat belt without a child restraint system otherwise this may result in injuries to the stomach and neck areas. Comply with the national legal requirements.
•One should never carry children, and also not babies! - on one's lap.
•You can transport a child safely in a suitable child safety seat ⇒page 145, “Child seat”!
•Only one child may be fastened with a seat belt into a child safety seat.
•Never leave the child sitting unattended in the seat.
•Certain outside climatic conditions can cause life-threatening tempera-tures in the vehicle.
WARNING (continued)
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Transporting children safely143
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•Never allow your child to be transported in a vehicle without the use of a suitable restraint system.
•Children should also never stand up in a vehicle or kneel on the seats when the vehicle is moving. In the event of an accident the child will be thrown through the vehicle and may as a result suffer fatal injuries, and also injure other occupants.
•Children are exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-dent if they lean forward or adopt an incorrect seated position when the vehicle is moving. This particularly applies to children who are transported on the front passenger seat if the airbag system deploys in the event of an accident. This can result in severe or even fatal injuries.
•It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts are to offer their maximum protection ⇒page 128, “How are seat belts correctly fastened?”. Pay particular attention to the information provided by the manufacturer of the child safety seat regarding correct routing of the belt. Seat belts which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause inju-ries even in minor accidents.
•Safety belts must be checked to ensure that they are running properly. One should also ensure that the belt is not damaged by sharp-edged fittings.
•It is essential to always switch off ⇒page 139 the front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. In certain countries national legal provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
Use of child safety seats on the front passenger seat
Child safety seats should always be attached to the rear seats.
We recommend, for safety reasons, that you always mount a child restraint systems on the rear seats whenever possible. If you still decide, however, to use a child safety seat on the front passenger seat then you must pay attention to the following warnings in connection with the use of the airbag system on the front passenger seat.
WARNING
•Warning - particular hazard! Never use a child safety seat on the front passenger seat in which the child is seated with its back facing the direction of travel. This child safety seat is positioned in the deployment area of the front passenger airbag. The airbag may cause the child severe, or even fatal injuries, in the event of it being deployed.
•This is also clearly stated on the sticker which is located on the centre column of the body on the front passenger side ⇒fig. 147. The sticker is visible upon opening the front passenger door. For some countries, the sticker is also affixed to the sun visor of the front passenger.
•It is essential to always switch off ⇒page 139, “Deactivating an airbag” the front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel).
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 147 Sticker on the centre column of the body on the front passenger side.
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