2012 SKODA OCTAVIA height

Safety
Passive Safety
General information
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Safety equipment
138
Before setting off
138
What influences the driving safety?
139
In this section you will find important information, tips and notes on the subject
of passive safety in your vehicle. We have combined everything here which you
should be familiar with, for example, regarding seat belts, airbags, child seats and safety of children. It is therefore important, in particular, to comply with the notes
and warnings in this section for your own interest and in the interest of those
travelling 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 ap-
plies in particular, if you rent out or sell the vehicle.

Safety equipment
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 138.
The following list contains part of the safety equipment in your vehicle:
› three-point seat belts for all the seats;
› belt force limiters for the front seats;
›
belt tensioners for front seats;
› seat belt height adjusters for front seats;
› Front airbag for the driver and the front seat 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 restraints adjustable for height;
› adjustable steering column.
The specified safety equipment works together, 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 equipment is not correctly adjusted or used. If
the seat belt is not fastened properly, this may result in injuries during an acci-
dent caused by the deployed airbag.

Before setting off
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 138.
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.
› Check the tyre inflation pressure.
› Ensure that all of the windows offer good visibility to the outside.
› Secure all items of luggage
» page 64, Boot .
› Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedals.
› Adjust the mirrors, the front seat and head restraint to your body size.
› Advise your passengers to adjust the head restraints to their body size.
› Protect children in suitable child seats with correctly fastened seat
belts » page 154 , Transporting children safely .
› Adopt the correct seated position
» page 139, Correct seated position . Tell your
passengers to assume the correct seated position.
› Correctly fasten the seat belt. Also inform passengers to fasten the seat belt
correctly » page 142 , Seat belts .

138Safety

What influences the driving safety?First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 138.
The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occupants. If your driving safety is effected, you place yourself and the oncoming traffic at risk.
The following guidelines must therefore be observed. › Do not get distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, e.g. by your
passengers or mobile phone calls.
› Never drive when your driving ability is impaired, e.g. through medication, alco-
hol or drugs.
› Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
› Always adjust the driving speed to the road, traffic and weather conditions.
› Take regular breaks on long journeys – at least every two hours.

Correct seated position

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Correct seated position for the driver
140
Correct seated position for the front passenger
140
Correct seated position for the occupants on the rear seats
140
Examples of an incorrect seated position
140WARNING■ At all times, the front seats and head restraints must be adjusted to match
the person's body size and the seat belt must be attached properly to provide
the most effective levels of protection to passengers.■
Always assume the correct seated position before setting off and do not
change this position while driving. Also advise your passengers to adopt the
correct seated position and not to change this position while the car is mov-
ing.
■
If the occupant adopts an incorrect seated position, he is exposed to life-
threatening injuries, in case he is hit by a deployed airbag.
WARNING (Continued)■ 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.■
The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm from the steering
wheel, and a distance of at least 10 cm between the legs and the dash panel at the height of the knee airbag. The front passenger must maintain a dis-
tance of at least 25 cm to the dash panel. Not maintaining this minimum dis-
tance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you
– hazard!
■
When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the outer
edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold the steering wheel in
the 12 o'clock position or in any other way (e.g. in the middle or inner edge of
the steering wheel). In such cases, you could severely injure the arms, hands
and head when the driver airbag is deployed.
■
The seat 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!
■
Ensure that there are no objects in the driver's footwell as they may get
caught behind the pedals when driving or applying the braking. You would
then no longer be able to operate the clutch, brake or accelerate.
■
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 nec-essary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is de-
ployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated posi-
tion!

139Passive Safety

Correct seated position for the driverFig. 125
Correct seated position for the driver/correct head restraint posi-
tion
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 139.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident,we recommend the following setting.
› Position the steering wheel so that there is a gap of at least 25 cm between the
steering wheel and the chest
A
» Fig. 125 , and that the distance between the
legs and the dash panel at the height of the knee airbag is at least 10 cm
B
.
› Adjust the driver’s seat in the forward/back direction so that the pedals can be
fully depressed with slightly bent legs.
› Adjust the seat backrest so that the highest point of the steering wheel can be
reached with your arms at a slight angle.
› Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the
same level as the upper part of your head
C
.
› Correctly fasten the seat belt
» page 142, Seat belts .
Manual driver seat adjustment » page 60, Manually adjusting the front seats .
Electrical driver seat adjustment » page 60, Electrically adjusting the front seats .

Correct seated position for the front passenger
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 139.
For the safety of the front passenger and to reduce the risk of injury in the event
of an accident, we recommend the following setting.
› Position the front passenger seat back as far as possible. The front passenger
must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the dash panel so that the airbag
offers the greatest possible safety if it is deployed.
› Adjust the head restraint such that the top edge of the head restraint is at the
same level as the upper part of your head B
» Fig. 125 on page 140.
› Correctly fasten the seat belt
» page 142.
In exceptional cases the front passenger airbag can be deactivated » page 151,
Deactivating airbags .
Manual front passenger adjustment » page 60, Manually adjusting the front
seats .
Electrical front passenger seat adjustment » page 60, Electrically adjusting the
front seats .

Correct seated position for the occupants on the rear seats
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 139.
To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or an ac-
cident, the occupants on the rear seats must observe the following.
› Adjust the head restraint such that the top edge of the head restraint is at the
same level as the upper part of the head
B
» Fig. 125 on page 140.
› Correctly fasten the seat belt
» page 142, Seat belts .
› Use a suitable child restraint system if transporting children in the vehi-
cle » page 154 , Transporting children safely .

Examples of an incorrect seated position
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 139.
The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if your seat-
belts are fastened correctly. Incorrect seated positions considerably reduce the protective functions of the seat belts and therefore increase the risk of injury dueto an incorrect routing of the seat belt. 
140Safety

Seat belts
Seat belts
Introduction
Fig. 126
Driver wearing seat belt
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
The physical principle of a frontal collision
143
Fastening and unfastening seat belts
144
Seat belt height adjuster on the front seats
145
Intertia reel
145
Belt tensioners
145
Seat belts that are fastened correctly offer good protection in the event of an ac-
cident. They reduce the risk of an injury and increase the chance of survival in the
event of a major accident.
Correctly fastened seat belts hold occupants of the car in the correct seated posi-
tion » Fig. 126 .
The seat belts reduce the kinetic energy (energy of motion) to a considerable ex-
tent. They also prevent uncontrolled 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 as much as
possible 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 re-
ducing the kinetic energy in the best possible way. The energy produced is thus
absorbed and there is less risk of injury.
Particular safety aspects must be observed when transporting children in the ve-
hicle » page 154 .WARNING■
Fasten your seat belt before each journey – even 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 144, Fastening and
unfastening seat belts .
■
Adjust the height of the belt in such a way that the shoulder part of the belt
is roughly positioned across the middle of your shoulder – on no account
across your neck.
■
Always ensure that the webbing of the seat belts is properly routed. Seat
belts which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause injuries even in
minor accidents.
■
The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if you
are correctly seated » page 139, Correct seated position .
■
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 not be jammed in-between at any point or twisted,
or chafe against any sharp edges.
■
Make sure you do not catch the seat belt in the door when closing it.
■
A seat belt which is hanging too loose can result in injuries as your body is
moved forward by the kinetic energy produced in an accident and is then sud-
denly held firm by the belt.
■
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.
■
Never use a seatbelt to secure two persons (not children either). The seat-
belt must not be placed over a child who is sat on the lap of an occupant ei- ther.
■
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 slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked otherwise the belt tongue
will not lock in place properly.
■
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. 
142Safety

Seat belt height adjuster on the front seatsFig. 130
Front seat: Seat belt height ad-
juster
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 142.
The seat belt height adjuster makes it possible to adjust the routing of the front
seat belts in the area of the shoulder to the body size.
›
Press the height adjuster and move up or down in the desired direc- tion » Fig. 130 .
›
Then pull firmly on the belt to ensure that the seat belt height adjuster has cor-
rectly locked in place.

Intertia reel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 142.
Each seat belt is equipped with an inertia reel. When pulling slowly on the seat
belt, the belt can move freely. When pulling sharply on the seat belt, the move-
ment is locked by the inertia reel.
WARNINGIf the seat belt does not lock when pulling sharply on it, have it inspected im-
mediately by a ŠKODA specialist garage.

Belt tensioners
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 142.
Safety for the driver and front passenger wearing their seat belts is enhanced by
the belt tensioners fitted to the inertia reels of the front three-point seat belts.
The three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a frontal
collision of a certain severity. The belt tensioners can also be deployed if the seat
belts are not fastened.
The fastened three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a frontal or side collision of a certain severity.
Belt tensioners are not activated in the event of minor frontal collisions, side and
rear-end collisions, in the case of a rollover and also not in accidents in which no
major forces are produced from the front.
WARNING■ Any work on the belt tensioner system including removal and installation of
system components because of other repair work, must only be carried out by
a ŠKODA specialist garage.■
The protective function of the system is only adequate for a single accident.
If the belt tensioners have been deployed, it is then necessary to replace the
entire system.
Note
■ Smoke is generated when the belt tensioners are deployed. This is not an indi-
cation of a fire in the vehicle.■
When disposing of the vehicle or parts of the belt tensioner system, it is impor-
tant to comply with national legal requirements. ŠKODA Partners are familiar with
these regulations and will be able to provide you with detailed information.

145Seat belts

Passenger protection system
Introductory information
The Passenger protection system helps you reduce the impact of a collision with a pedestrian.
The system is activated automatically in the event of a frontal collision with a pe-
destrian at speeds of 30-55 km/h. In the event of an impact, the rear section of
the bonnet is raised by approx. 55 mm thus creating a crumple zone above the
engine.
The system sensors are integrated in the front bumper.
The functional status of the system is indicated by the indicator light 
in the in-
strument cluster » page 19.
In some cases, the system may be activated even if the vehicle did not collide
with a pedestrian, e.g.:
› in a frontal collision with a lamppost, a street light, column, etc.;
› in a frontal collision with an animal;
› when driving over a mound of snow;
› when the suspension comes into contact with the road;
› when driving over pronounced corrugations perpendicular to the direction of
travel.
We recommend that any modifications and repairs to the front bumper or body-
work be carried out by a ŠKODA Partner. Further information » page 165.
WARNING■
Work or technical modifications on your vehicle, which have been carried out
unprofessionally, can cause operational faults – risk of accident!■
Do not attach the front number plate in the holder. Instead, screw it onto
the bumper in the area provided. The attached number plate holder impairs
the functioning of the sensors and thus the assessment made to determine
whether to activate the system or not.
NoteWhen disposing of the vehicle or parts of the Passenger protection system, it is
important to comply with national legal requirements. ŠKODA Partners are famili-
ar with these regulations and will be able to provide you with detailed informa-
tion.
Activating the system
Fig. 138
Raised bonnet
If the Passenger protection system was activated:
› the bonnet is raised
» Fig. 138 - 
;
› The indicator light

is lit in the instrument cluster.
The bonnet can only be raised after the system has been activated if it was not deformed previously.
WARNING■ After activation, the system no longer meets its protective function. Drive to
your nearest ŠKODA Partner immediately and adopting an appropriately cau-
tious style of driving, who will replace the system. Do not exceed 80 km/h.■
Adjust the height of the seat so that the raised bonnet does not block your
view ahead » Fig. 138 -  . Stop driving if the view ahead remains impaired
even at the highest seat position!

153Passenger protection system

Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat
Never use a rearward-facing child restraint system on a seat which is protected by an active airbag installed in front of it. This could cause serious injury to the child, even death.Fig. 139
Sticker on the B column on the front passenger side/warning label
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings
on page 154.
For safety reasons, we recommend that you install child seats on the rear seats whenever possible.
The following advice must be heeded when using a child seat in which the child is
carried on the front passenger seat.
› It is essential to switch off the front passenger airbag if using a child seat in
which the child is carried with its back facing the direction of travel »
.
› Slide the front passenger seat all the way back.
› If the model of child seat allows it, bring the front passenger seat rest into the
vertical position.
› Set the height-adjustable front passenger seat as high up as possible.
› Set the front passenger seat belt as high up as possible.
› Place and fasten the child seat on the seat and the child in the child seat ac-
cording to the specifications in the manufacturer's user manual of the childseat .
WARNING■ It is essential to switch off the front passenger airbag if using a child seat in
which the child is carried with its back facing the direction of travel on the
front passenger seat » page 151, Deactivating airbags .■
Never use a child safety seat in which the child is seated with its back facing
the direction of travel on the front passenger seat if the airbag is switched on.
This child safety seat is positioned in the deployment area of the front pas-
senger 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 B column on
the front passenger side » Fig. 139. 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.
■
If a child safety seat in which the child faces in the direction of travel is used
on the front passenger seat, the front passenger seat must be moved back
and to the top fully. Move the backrest into the vertical position. Set the front
passenger seat belt as high up as possible.
■
The front passenger airbag must be reactivated as soon as you no longer
use a child seat on the front passenger seat.

155Transporting children safely

Note■If there is anything you are not sure about concerning fluids, please consult a
ŠKODA Partner.■
Fluids with the correct specifications can be purchased from ŠKODA Original Ac-
cessories.

Opening and closing the bonnet
Fig. 146
Bonnet/radiator grille release lever: Release lever
Fig. 147
Securing the bonnet
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 169.
When the front door is closed, the bonnet cannot be unlocked with lever
1
.
Opening
›
Open the front left door.
› Pull the release lever under the dash panel in the direction of the arrow1
» Fig. 146 .
Before opening the bonnet, ensure that the arms of the windscreen wipers are
correctly in place against the windscreen otherwise the paintwork could be dam- aged.›
Press the release lever in the direction of the arrow
2
and the bonnet is un-
locked.
›
Grab hold of the bonnet and lift.
›
Take the bonnet support out of its holder
3
in the direction of the arrow and
secure the opened bonnet by inserting the end of the support in the opening
4
designed for it.
Closing
›
Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Insert the bonnet sup-
port into the holder
3
designed to hold it.
›
Let the bonnet drop into the lock carrier lock from a height of around 20 cm – do not push it in!
Check whether the bonnet has been closed properly. Also make sure a vehicle
with an opened bonnet does not appear in the instrument cluster dis-
play » page 21 .

171Inspecting and replenishing