Passive Safety
163
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
SafetyPassive SafetyBasic informationDriving 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 front passenger,
•
Driver's knee airbag*,
•
front side airbags,
•
rear 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!
s2dk.1.book Page 163 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM
Passive Safety
164
Before setting off The driver is always fully respon
sible 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
attention to the following points before setting off.•
Ensure that the lighting and the turn signal 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
⇒page 86, “Loading the luggage compart-
ment”.•
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 se
ats with correctly fastened seat belts
⇒ page 185, “Transporting children safely”.•
Adopt the correct seated position
⇒page 164, “Correct seated position”. Also
inform your occupants to adop
t the correct seated position.
•
Fasten the seat belt correctly. Also inform your occupants to properly fasten the
seat belts
⇒page 170, “How are seat belts correctly fastened?”.
What influences the driving safety? The driving safety is primarily dete
rmined 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 oncomi
ng traffic at risk. Please refer to the
following guidelines.•
Do not get distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, e.g. by your
occupants 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 positionCorrect seated position for the driver Correct seated position for the dr
iver is important for safe and
relaxed driving.
Fig. 160 The correct distance of the driver from the steering wheel
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Passive Safety
166
Manual front passenger adjustment
⇒page 78, “Adjusting the front seats”.
Electrical front passenger seat adjustment
⇒page 79, “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 th
e 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 se
at 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 165, fig. 161
.
•
Fasten the seat belt correctly
⇒page 170, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
•
If you are transporting
⇒page 185, “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.
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 on
ly if the webbing of the seat belts is
properly routed. Incorrect seated positio
ns considerably reduce the protective
functions of the seat belts and therefore incr
ease 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,
s2dk.1.book Page 166 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM
Seat belts
168
Seat beltsWhy seat belts?It is a proven fact that seat belt
s offer good protection in accidents
⇒fig. 162
. 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. 162
. 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 169.
It is important that you pay attention to
safety measures, particularly when trans-
porting children in the vehicle
⇒page 185, “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 170, “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. 162 Driver wearing seat belt
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Seat belts
170
•
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 164, “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 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 217, “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 82.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 165 Routing of webbing over the shoulders and the lap beltFig. 166 Routing of belt webbing for an expectant mother
s2dk.1.book Page 170 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM
Airbag system
177
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are deployed together. If the airbags are deployed, the airbags are filled with a propellant gas and inflated in front of the driver and front passenger
⇒fig. 171
. The airbags inflate in fractions
of a second and at a high speed in order to
be able to offer that additional protec-
tion in the event of an accident. The forward movement of the driver and of the front passenger is cushioned when they make
contact with the fully inflated airbag
and the risk of injury to head and chest is thus reduced. The specially developed airbag allows the gas
to flow out of the inflated airbag in a
controlled manner (depending on the load
of the particular car occupant) in order
to cushion head and chest areas. The airbag
then deflates subsequently to such an
extent, after an accident, to again provide a clear view forward. 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. The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to injuries if the sitting position or seated position is not correct
⇒
in “Important safety
information regarding the front airbag system” on page 177.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. 172
. 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 182, “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 al
so 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 requir
e that the side or head passenger
airbags be deactivated. When transpor
ting 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 includ
ing 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.
Fig. 172 Safe distance to steering wheel
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Airbag system
180
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 182, “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 ch
ild 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 requir
e that the side or head passenger
airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropri
ate national regula
tions 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 187, “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 185, “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 de
ployment 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.•
The airbag control unit operates to
gether with the pressure sensors,
which are attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example addi- tional installation of loudspeakers).
Resulting damages can have a negative
affect on the operation of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
•
In the event of a side collision, the side airbags will not function properly,
if the sensors cannot measure the increasing air pressure inside the doors, because the air can escape through lar
ge, non-sealed openings in the door
panel.
− Never drive with removed inner door panels. − Never drive, if parts of the inner
door panel have been removed and
the remaining openings have not been properly sealed. − Never drive, if the loudspeakers in the doors have been removed, only if the loudspeaker openings have been properly sealed. − Always make sure that the openings
are covered or filled, if additional
loudspeakers or other equipment part
s are installed in the inner door
panels. − Always work with an authorised Škoda dealer or have it carried out by a competent specia
list workshop.
•
Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle.
Never leave any heavy or sh
arp-edged objects 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 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 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.
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
182
offers additional protection in the case of
an offset impact by covering the front
door pillar. In certain accident situations, the front,
side and head airbag are simultaneously
deployed. The airbags inflate in fractions of a second
and at a high speed in order to be able
to offer that additional protection in th
e 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 182, “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 ch
ild 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 requir
e that the side or head passenger
airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropri
ate national regula
tions 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 ob
jects in the pockets of the items of
clothing. In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up items of clothing.•
The airbag control unit operates to
gether with the sensors, which are
attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example additional instal-
lation of loudspeakers). Resulting dama
ges can have a negative affect on the
operation of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels must only be carried out by a specialist garage.•
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 resu
lt 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 offere
d 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 circum
stances be thrown into the interior
of the car and cause injuries to the occupants
⇒page 241, “Accessories,
changes and replacement of parts”.•
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 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,
side or head* airbag (take out of commission). This is why you should have the deacti
vation of the airbags carried out by a
specialist garage.
WARNING (continued)
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