2011 SKODA FABIA child seat

WARNING
● The head restraints must always be adjusted to match the body size, in or-
der 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 adopt-
ing 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 in-
correct routing of the seat belt. The driver is fully responsible for himself and his
occupants, in particular for the children. 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 want to direct your at-
tention to this subject.
Therefore, while the car is moving never:
● stand up in the vehicle;
● stand up on the seats;
● kneel on the seats;
● tilt the seat backrest fully to the back;
● lean against the dash panel;
● lie on the rear seat bench;
● only sit on the front area of the seat;
● 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;
● transport somebody in the footwell;
● have the seat belt not fastened when driving;
● occupy the luggage compartment. WARNING
● If the occupant adopts an incorrect 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. Also advise your occu-
pants to adopt the correct seated position and not to change this seated posi-
tion while the car is moving. 108
Passive Safety

Seat belts
Why seat belts? Fig. 97 Driver wearing seat belt
It is a proven fact that seat belts offer good protection in accidents ⇒ fig. 97. 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. 97. The seat belts reduce the kinetic
energy (energy of motion) to a considerable extent. They also prevent uncontrol-
led movements 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 ab-
sorbed by the belts. The structure of the front end of the vehicle and other pas-
sive 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 in-
jury.
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 121, 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 111, 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. 
The physical principle of a frontal collision Fig. 98 The driver is catapulted forward if not wearing a belt/The rear seat occupant is cata-
pulted forward if not wearing a belt
The physical principle of a frontal accident can be explained quite simply:
Motion energy, so-called kinetic energy, is produced as soon as the vehicle is mov-
ing, both for the vehicle and its occupants. The magnitude of this kinetic energy
depends essentially on the speed at which the vehicle is travelling and on the
weight of the vehicle including the occupants. The greater the speed and weight
increase, the greater the amount of energy which has to be absorbed in the event
of an accident. £ 109
Seat belts Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

The speed of the vehicle is, nevertheless, the most important factor. Doubling the
speed of the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy
four times.
The common opinion that it is possible to support your body in a minor accident
with your hands, is incorrect. Even in a collision at only a low speed, the forces
acting on the body are such that it is no longer possible to support your body.
Even if you only drive at a speed within the range from 30 km/hour to 50 km/hour,
the forces which are produced on your body in the event of an accident can easily
exceed 10.000 N (Newton). This equals a weight of one tonne (1 000 kg).
In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the vehicle not wearing a seat belt
are thrown forward and strike in an uncontrolled way parts of the interior of the
vehicle, such as steering wheel, dash panel, windshield
⇒ fig. 98 - left. The occu-
pants of a vehicle who have not fastened their seat belts may even be thrown out
of the vehicle. This can result in fatal injuries.
It is also important that rear seat occupants fasten their seat belts as they will
otherwise be thrown through the vehicle in an uncontrolled manner in the event
of an accident A rear seat passenger who has not fastened the seat belt is a dan-
ger not only to himself but also for those seated at the front ⇒ fig. 98 - right. 
Important safety information regarding the use of
seat belts The correct use of the seat belts considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
WARNING
● The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or twisted,
or chafe against any sharp edges.
● It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts are
to offer their maximum protection ⇒ page 111, How are seat belts correctly
fastened? .
● No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat belt to-
gether.
● The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if you
are correctly seated ⇒ page 106, Correct seated position
. WARNING (Continued)
● The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. specta-
cles, ball-point pens, keys etc.) as this may be a cause of injuries.
● Many layers of clothing and loose clothing (e. g. a winter coat over a jacket)
do 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 pro-
tect 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 three-point seat belt for the rear middle seat can only fulfil its func-
tion reliably when the backrests are correctly locked into position ⇒ page 55.
● The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt webbing may im-
pair proper operation of the inertia reel ⇒ page 149

, 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 belt, the seat belt connections, to
the inertia reel or to the lock, the relevant seat 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 spe-
cialist 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. Note
The vehicles of the category N1 are not equipped with the middle seat belt on the
rear seats. The vehicle is only approved for four persons. 110
Seat belts

CAUTION
The dash panel must be replaced after the front passenger airbag has been de-
ployed. 
Function of the front airbags Risk of injury to the head and chest area is reduced by fully inflated
airbags.
Fig. 103 Inflated airbags
The airbag system is designed in such a way that the airbags for the driver and
front passenger are deployed in the event of a violent frontal collision.
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are simultaneously
deployed.
If the airbags are deployed, the airbags are filled with a propellant gas and inflated
in front of the driver and front passenger ⇒ fig. 103. 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 air-
bag 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 or-
der 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 infor-
mation regarding the front airbag system on page
115. Important safety information regarding the front airbag system Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
Fig. 104 Safe distance to steering wheel
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. 104. Not maintain-
ing 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 al-
ways also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
● It is essential to always switch off ⇒ page 119,
Deactivating airbags the
front passenger front 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 in-
juries if the front passenger front airbag is deployed. In certain countries na-
tional 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 be-
tween the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. £ 115
Airbag system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

The load of the occupants is cushioned when plunging into the fully inflated air-
bag and the risk of injury to the entire upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis) is
reduced on the side facing the door.

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 119, Deactivating airbags the
front passenger front 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 in-
juries if the front passenger front airbag is deployed. 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 ap-
plies in particular to children who are transported without using a suitable
child safety seat ⇒ page 123, 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 re-
sult in serious injuries ⇒ page 121,

What you should know about transporting
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 ac-
cessories, such as a can holder, should be attached to the doors.
● Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle. Nev-
er leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of cloth-
ing.
● 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 dam-
aged. The side airbags would not be deployed in such a case! WARNING (Continued)
● 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
. In view of the
fact that the airbag inflates out of the backrest of the seat, use of non-ap-
proved 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 mod-
ule 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 mod-
ules.
● Any work on the side airbag system including removing and installing sys-
tem components because of other repair work (e.g. removing seats) must only
be carried out by a specialist garage. 
Head airbags
Description of the head airbags The head airbag together with the side airbag offers enhanced oc-
cupant protection in the event of a side collision.
Fig. 107 Installation position of the
head airbags
The head airbags are positioned above the doors on both sides in the interior of
the car ⇒ fig. 107. The installation positions of the head airbags are each marked
with the “AIRBAG

” logo. £ 117
Airbag system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

The head airbag together with the three-point seat belts and the side airbags, of-
fers additional protection for the head and neck area of the occupants in the
event of a side collision of major severity
⇒  in Important safety information on
the head airbag on page 118.
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the seat belts is to
also hold the driver and the occupants in a correct seated position in the event of
a side collision so as to enable the head airbags to offer the maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat belts, not only because this is re-
quired by law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection ⇒ page 109.
Together with other elements (such as cross bars in the doors, stable vehicle
structure) the head airbags are the consequent further development of occupant
protection in the case of side collisions. 
Function of the head airbags The risk of injury to the head and neck area is reduced in the event
of a side collision by fully inflated head airbags.
Fig. 108 Inflated head airbag
In the case of a side collision the head airbag is deployed together with the rele-
vant side airbag ⇒ 
fig. 108 and the belt tensioner on the side of the car on which
the accident occurs.
If the system is deployed, the airbag is filled with propellant gas and covers the
entire area of the side window including the door pillars ⇒ fig. 108.
The protection offered by the head airbags is thus available simultaneously both
to the front occupants of the car seated on the side on which the collision occurs,
as well as to the rear occupants. Any impact of the head against parts of the inte-
rior or objects outside of the car, is cushioned by the inflated head airbag. The re-
duction in any impact to the head and the resultant minimizing of any movements of the head additionally reduce the risk of injuries to the neck area. The head air-
bag also 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 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 119 the front passenger front
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
front airbag is deployed. 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. Nev-
er leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of cloth-
ing. In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up
items of clothing.
● The airbag control unit operates together with the sensors, which are at-
tached 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 installation
of loudspeakers). Resulting damages can have a negative affect on the opera-
tion of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels must
only be carried out by a specialist garage. £118
Airbag system

WARNING (Continued)
● 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 deploy-
ment 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 air-
bag 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 acces-
sories fitted may in certain circumstances be thrown into the interior of the
car and cause injuries to the occupants ⇒ page 169.
● Any work on the head airbag system including installing and removing sys-
tem components because of other repair work (e.g. removing headliner) must
only be carried out by a specialist garage. 
Deactivating airbags 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
protection.
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 spe-
cialist garage.
On vehicles equipped with the switch for deactivation of the airbags, you can de-
activate the front passenger front airbag by means of this switch ⇒ page 120.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 121, 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;
● special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of
a physical disability;
● you have installed other seats (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
Monitoring the airbag system
The functionality of the airbag system is also monitored electronically when one
airbag has been switched off.
If the airbag was switched off using diagnostic equipment:
● The airbag indicator light lights up for 3 seconds each time the ignition is
switched on and then flashes after that for about 12 seconds.
If the airbag was switched off using the airbag switch on the side of the dash
panel:
● the airbag indicator light in the instrument cluster comes on for about 3 sec-
onds each time the ignition is switched on;
● switching off the airbag is indicated by the lighting up of the indicator light in
the display       in the middle of the dash panel ⇒ fig. 109 - right. Note
Your authorised ŠKODA Service Partner will be able to advise you whether nation-
al legislation in your country allows airbags in your vehicle to be deactivated, and
which ones.  119
Airbag system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

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 who are less than 1.50 m in height and who weigh less than 36 kg should,
under normal circumstances, sit on the rear seat (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 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 109
, 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 re-
duce this risk of injury.
Only use child safety seats which are officially approved, suitable for children and
which comply with the standard ECE-R 44, which classifies child safety seats into
5 groups ⇒ page 123, Classification of child seats into groups. Child restraint sys-
tems which have been tested for conformity to ECE-R 44 standard have a non-de-
tachable test seal (a large E within a circle and below this the test number) attach-
ed to the seat.
We recommend that you use child safety seats from the ŠKODA Original Accesso-
ries. These child seats were developed and also tested for use in ŠKODA vehicles.
They fulfil the ECE-R 44 standard. 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
on
page 121. Note
National legal provisions, which deviate from the information contained in these
operating instructions, take precedence over the information contained in the op-
erating instructions. 
Important safety information regarding the use of child safety
seats Correct use of child safety seats considerably reduces the risk of in-
jury!
WARNING
● All the occupants of the car - in particular children - must wear a seat belt
when the car is moving.
● Children who are less than 1.50 m in height and who weigh less than 36 kg
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 na-
tional 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 123,
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 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. £ 121
Transporting children safely Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data