Seat belts
108
Seat beltsWhy seat belts?It is a proven fact that seat belt
s offer good protection in accidents
⇒fig. 113
. 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. 113
. 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 109.
It is important that you pay attention to
safety measures, particularly when trans-
porting children in the vehicle
⇒page 123, “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 110, “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. 113 Driver wearing seat belt
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Seat belts
110
•
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 104, “Correct seated position”.
•
The belt webbing must no
t 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 insert
ed 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 seat backrests of the front seats must not be tilted too far to the rear
otherwise the seatbelts can
lose their effectiveness.
•
The belt webbing must always be ke
pt clean. Soiled belt webbing may
impair proper operation of the inertia reel
⇒page 153, “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 regu
larly 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 be
lts 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 wh
ich 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 front seat and
the head restraint before fastening
your seat belt
⇒
page 60.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 116 Routing of webbing over the shoulders and the lap beltFig. 117 Routing of belt webbing for an expectant mother
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Seat belts
112
Taking seat belts off– Press the red button in the belt lock
⇒
fig. 119
. 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 seat belt with the Interlock System*A three-point safety belt with the Interlock System is used on some vehicles instead of a pelvic belt. If the backrest of the rear seats is not secured, the retractor blocks and the seat belt cannot be reeled down.
Rear middle three-point safety belt with safety lock for a child seat*In order to attach a child seat the rear
middle three-point safety belt with
the blocking, the so-called chil
d safety locks, can be used.
Switching child safety lock on – Attach the child safety seat with the three-point seat belt (self-
retracting) as stated in the manufacturer's instructions.
– Reel up the shoulder part of the
belt completely. When the belt is
reeled up, this can be detected by a “clicking” noise.
– After fixing the child seat in place, let the belt freely reel up. Now the
belt can no longer be reeled down.
– Check if the safety lock is activated by pulling on the belt. Switching child safety lock off – By pressing the button in the lock of
the safety belt, the blocking is
unblocked and afterwards the safety belt starts to reel up.
– After fully reeling up the belt, you can freely reel it down again.
Fig. 119 Releasing lock tongue from belt lock
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Airbag system
118
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. 125
. 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
the front passenger airbag and/or side
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 coun- tries also when the child is facing the direction of travel)
⇒page 120, “Deac-
tivating an airbag”. 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 nati
onal 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 surface of the front passenger airbag
module in the dash panel.
Fig. 125 Safe distance to steering wheel
WARNING (continued)
s2g8.b.book Page 118 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Airbag system
120
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
the front passenger airbag and/or side
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 coun- tries also when the child is facing the direction of travel)
⇒page 120, “Deac-
tivating an airbag”. 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 125, “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 123, “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. No
accessories, such as a can holder, should be attached to the doors.•
Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle.
Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged ob
jects in the pockets of the items of
clothing.•
Ensure that there are no excessive fo
rces, such as violent knocks, kicks
etc., impact on the backrests of th
e seats otherwise the system may be
damaged. The side airbags would no
t 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 authorised 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 se
ats 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.Deactivating an airbagDeactivating 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 or side* airbag using a diagnostic equipment (take out of commission). This is why you should have the deacti
vation 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 and/or
side airbag by means of this switch
⇒ page 121. 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 is seated with its back to
the direction of travel (in some countries
this must be in the direction of travel
due to other legal regulations applying)
⇒ page 123, “Important safety information re
garding the use of child safety seats”;
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
122
– Check whether the indicator light
lights up in th e lighting of
the interior of the vehicle (front) when the ignition is switched on ⇒
page 121, fig. 129
.
Switching on an airbag – Switch off the ignition. – Turn the slot of the airbag swit
ch using the key in the position
ON
⇒
page 121, fig. 128
- (horizontal position).
– Check whether the indicator light
does not light up in the
lighting of the interior of the vehicle (front) when the ignition is switched on
⇒
page 121, fig. 129
.
The airbag should only be switched
off under exceptional circumstances
⇒ page 120. Indicator light
(airbag switched off)
The indicator light is located at the fr
ont interior lighting of the vehicle
⇒page 121,
fig. 129
.
In cases where the front passenger airbag and also possibly the side airbag* are switched off
, the indicator light comes on about 4 seconds after the ignition is
switched on. There is a system fault present in the airbag switch off
⇒
if the indicator light
flashes.
Please have the car inspected i
mmediately by a sp
ecialist garage.
WARNING
•
The driver is responsible for whethe
r the airbag is switched on or
switched off.•
Only switch off the airbag when the ignition is switched off! Otherwise a
fault can occur in the system for the airbag deactivation.•
If the warning light
(airbag switched off) flashes:
− There is a risk of the front passenger
airbag not being activated in the
event of an accident. Therefore do not use any child safety seats on the front passenger seat. − If the front passenger seat is occupied
, there is a risk th
at the airbag is
deployed unexpectedly and thus the occupant of this seat may suffer possible injuries. − It is also important to have the system inspected without delay by a specialist garage.WARNING (continued)
s2g8.b.book Page 122 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Transporting children safely
123
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Transporting children safelyWhat 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 seat
s than on the fron
t passenger seat.
Children younger than 12 years of age should
normally travel on the rear seat of the
vehicle (take note of any na
tional 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 si
ze and weight. The child seat should be
mounted behind the front passen
ger seat for safety reasons.
The physical principle of an accident do
es, of course, also apply to children
⇒ page 109, “The physical principle of a fronta
l collision”. They differ from adults in
that their muscles and bone structure of ch
ildren 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. Use only child safety seats which are offici
ally approved and are suitable for chil-
dren and which comply with the ECE-R 44
standard, which classifies child safety
seats into 5 groups
⇒page 126, “Classification of child seats into groups”. Child
restraint systems which have been tested for conformity to ECE-R 44 standard have a non-detachable test seal (a large E within
a circle and below this the test number)
attached to the seat. We recommend that you use ch
ild safety seats from the Škoda genuine accessories.
These child seats were developed and also
tested for use in Škoda vehicles. They
fulfil the ECE-R 44 standard.
WARNING
Always comply with legal provisions and instructions from the relevant child safety seat manufacturer when in
stalling and using the child seat
⇒
in
“Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats”.
Note
Any varying national legal regulations take priority over the information provided in these instructions for use, or stated in this chapter.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.•
Chi ld re n le s s tha n 1. 5 0 m i n h e ig ht
or younger than 12
years must not use
a normal seat belt withou
t 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 126,
“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.•
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 even
t of an accident the child will be
thrown through the vehicle and may as a
result suffer fatal injuries, and also
injure other occupants.
s2g8.b.book Page 123 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Transporting children safely
124
•
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 airb
ag 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 110, “How are seat belts
correctly fastened?”. Pay particular atte
ntion to the information provided by
the manufacturer of the child safety se
at regarding correc
t routing of the
belt. Seat belts which are
not correctly adjusted ca
n 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 sh
arp-edged fittings.
•
It is essential to always switch off the front passenger airbag and possibly
the side 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) ⇒ page 120. If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passen
ger airbag is deploy
ed. In certain coun-
tries national legal provisions also re
quire that the side
airbags be deacti-
vated. 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 th
en you must pay attention to the following
warnings in connection with the use of th
e 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 seat
ed 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. 130
. The sticker is
visible upon opening the front passen
ger door. For some countries, the
sticker is also affixed to the sun visor of the front passenger.•
It is essential to always switch off the front passenger airbag or the side
passenger airbag* as well if you nevertheless wish to use a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the chil
d is seated with its back facing in
direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direc-
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 130 Sticker on the centre column of the body on the front passenger side.
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