2012 SKODA RAPID child seat

Examples of an incorrect seated position
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 92.
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
passengers, especially children. Never allow a passenger to adopt an incorrect
seated position when the car is moving.
The following list contains examples of which seated positions can cause serious
injuries or death. This list is not complete, however we would like you to familiar-
ise yourself with 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;
› be in the boot. Ðä
94 Safety

Seat belts
Seat belts
ä
Introduction Fig. 77
Driver wearing seat belt
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
The physical principle of a frontal collision 96
Fastening and unfastening seat belts 97
Seat belt height adjuster on the front seats 98
Belt tensioners 98
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. 77 .
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 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. Particular safety aspects must be observed when transporting children in the ve-
hicle
» page 105 , Transporting children safely . 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 97, 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 92, 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.
■ 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.
■ No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat belt togeth-
er.
■ 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 by paper or similar objects
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.
■ It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat belts (e. g. for
shortening the belts for smaller persons). £
95
Seat belts

Fastening and unfastening seat belts
Fig. 79
Fastening/unfastening the seat belt Fig. 80
Routing of belt webbing over the shoulders and the lap belt/Rout-
ing of belt webbing for an expectant mother
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 95.
Fasten
› Correctly adjust the front seat and head restraint 1)
before fastening the seat
belt » page 46.
› Use the lock tongue to slowly pull the webbing over your chest and pelvis.
› Insert the lock tongue into the belt buckle
» Fig. 79 – 
that is part of the seat
until it clicks into place.
› Pull on the belt to check that it has engaged correctly in the lock.
ä A plastic knob in the belt webbing holds the belt tongue in a position which is
easy to get hold of.
It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed to ensure seat belts offer
the maximum protection. The shoulder part of the seat belt must never run
across the neck but must roughly run over the middle of the shoulder and fit
snugly against the chest. The lap part of the belt must run across the pelvis, must
not be positioned across the stomach and must always fit snugly
» Fig. 80 – .
Expectant women must also always wear a seat belt. This is the only way of en-
suring optimal protection for the unborn child. On expectant mothers, the lap part
of the belt must be positioned as low as possible on the pelvis to avoid exerting
any pressure on the lower abdomen » Fig. 80 – .
Release
Release the seat belt only when the vehicle is stationary.
› Press the red button in the belt buckle
» Fig. 79 – , the lock tongue pops out.
› Manually guide the belt back so that it is easier to fully roll up the webbing, the
seat belt does not twist.
Belt inertia reel
Each seat belt is equipped with an inertia reel. This inertia reel offers you com-
plete freedom of movement if the belt is unreeled slowly. If the brakes are ap-
plied suddenly, the inertia reel will block. The belts also block when the car accel-
erates, when driving downhill and when cornering. CAUTION
When releasing the seatbelt ensure that the tongue of the lock does not damage
the door trim or other parts of the interior. Ð1)
Not valid for sports seat.
97
Seat belts

The 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.
WARNING
■ For the driver and front passenger, it is important to maintain a distance of
at least 25 cm to the steering wheel or dashboard A
» Fig. 83. 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
always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
■ The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to in-
juries if the sitting position or seated position is not correct.
■ There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned be-
tween the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. ■ Never transport children on the front seat of a vehicle without using a prop-
er restraint system. If airbags are deployed in the event of an accident, the
child might suffer severe or even fatal injuries!
■ It is essential to always switch off the front passenger airbag when attach-
ing a child safety seat to the front passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of travel » page 103, Deactivating airbags. If
this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal inju-
ries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. When transporting a child on
the front passenger seat, pay attention to any relevant national regulations
regarding the use of child safety seats.
■ The steering wheel and the surface of the airbag module in the dash panel
on the passenger side must not have stickers attached, be covered or modi-
fied in any other way. These parts should only be cleaned with a cloth that is
dry or has been moistened with water. No objects such as cup holders, mobile
phone mounts, etc. must be attached to the covers of the airbag modules or
be located within their immediate vicinity.
■ Never place objects on the surface of the front passenger airbag module in
the dash panel. Ð Side airbags
Fig. 84
Location of the side airbag in the driver's seat/gas-filled side airbag
In the event of severe side collisions, the side airbag system provides additional
protection for the upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis) of passengers in the ve-
hicle.
The side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the seat backrests of the front
seats » Fig. 84 – .
When the side airbags » Fig. 84 –  are deployed, the head airbag and belt ten-
sioner are also automatically deployed on the relevant side.
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. WARNING
■ 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 106, Child safety and side airbag .
■ 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 cup holders, should be attached to the doors. ■ 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 105, Child seat. £
101
Airbag system

WARNING (Continued)
■ Only hang light items of clothing on the hooks fitted in the vehicle. Never
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 damaged.
The side airbags would not be deployed in such a case!
■ Any seat or protective covers which you fit to the driver or front passenger
seats must only be of the type expressly authorized by ŠKODA. 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 module
must be repaired without delay by your
ŠKODA 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. ÐHead airbags
Fig. 85
Location of the head airbag/gas-filled head airbag
In the event of a severe side collision, the head airbag system offers additional
protection for the head and neck area of passengers.
The head airbags are positioned above the doors on both sides in the interior of
the car » Fig. 85 –
. In the event of a
side collision the head airbag is deployed together with the rele-
vant side airbag and the belt tensioner on the side of the car on which the acci-
dent occurs.
When deployed, the airbag covers the windows of the front and rear doors, as
well as the door pillar » Fig. 85 – .
Any impact of the head against parts of the interior or objects outside of the car,
is cushioned by the inflated head airbag. The reduction 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 airbag also offers additional protec-
tion in the case of an offset impact by covering the middle door pillar. WARNING
■ 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 hooks fitted in the vehicle. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of cloth-
ing. Additionally, clothes hangers must not be used to hang up items of cloth-
ing.
■ There must no other persons (e.g. children) or animals between the passen-
ger and the deployment area of the head airbag. In addition, none of the occu-
pants 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 towards the side windows in the de-
ployment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as ball-point pens, etc.
are attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if the head
airbag is deployed.
■ The installation of impermissible accessories in the vicinity of the head air-
bags can 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 fitted accessories could be thrown into the interior of the car and injure
the occupants » page 144, Accessories, changes and replacement of parts .Ð
102 Safety

Deactivating airbags
Deactivating airbags
Deactivation of airbags is envisaged only for particular instances, such as if:
› using a child seat on the front passenger seat, in which the child has its back to
the vehicle's direction of travel (in some countries this must be in the direction
of travel due to different legal regulations applying) » page 105, Child seat ;
› not being able to maintain a distance of at least 25
cm between the middle of
the steering wheel and chest, despite the driver's seat being correctly adjusted;
› special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of a
physical disability;
› other seats have been installed (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
The front passenger airbag can be switched off with the key-operated
switch » page 103.
We recommend that you ask a ŠKODA Service Partner to switch off any other air-
bags.
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 around 4 seconds after the ignition is
switched on and then flashes for around 12 seconds.
If the airbag was switched off using the key switch on the side of the dash pan-
el:
› The airbag warning light
 comes on for around 4 seconds after the ignition is
switched on;
› Airbags that are switched off are indicated in the middle of the dashboard by
the indicator light
  in the display      » Fig. 86 on page 103 3
.
Note
■ The national regulations for switching off airbags must be observed.
■ A ŠKODA Service Partner will be able to inform you which airbags in your vehicle
can/must be deactivated. Ð Key switch for the front seat passenger airbag
Fig. 86
Key-operated switch for the front passenger airbag/warning light
for front seat passenger airbag deactivation
Only the front passenger airbag is deactivated with the key switch.
Deactivating an airbag › Switch off the ignition.
› Open the storage box on the front passenger's side.
› Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch into position 2
» Fig. 86 OFF.
› Check whether the airbag indicator light 3

 in the display 
   
 in the middle of the dash panel lights up when the ignition is turned on.
Activating an airbag
› Switch off the ignition.
› Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch into position 1
» Fig. 86 ON
.
› Close the storage box on the front passenger's side.
› Check whether the airbag indicator light 3

 in the display 
   
 in the middle of the dash panel does not light up when the ignition is turned
on.
Indicator light in the display      (front passenger airbag
switched off)
In cases where the front passenger airbag is switched off the airbag indicator
light comes on for a few seconds after switching on the ignition, goes out for
about a second and then comes on again.
There is a system fault in the deactivated airbag » if the airbag warning light
flashes. Immediately visit a ŠKODA specialist garage. £
103
Airbag system

Transporting children safely
Child seat
ä
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat 105
Child safety and side airbag 106
Classification of child seats 106
Suitability of child seats 107
Child seats with the ISOFIX system 107
Child seat with the TOP TETHER system 108
Children are generally safer on the rear seats than on the front passenger seat.
In contrast to adults, the muscles and bone structure of children are not yet fully
developed. Thus children are exposed to increased risk of injury.
Children should be transported in accordance with the relevant statutory provi-
sions.
Child seats that comply with the ECE-R
44 standard must be used. The ECE-R
Norm stands for: Economic Commission for Europe – Regulation.
Child seats that comply with the ECE-R 44 standard have a test seal that cannot
be removed: a large E within a circle with the test number below. WARNING
■ The national legal requirements must be observed when using child seats.
■ One should never carry children, and also not babies! - on one's lap.
■ Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. Certain outside climatic con-
ditions can cause life-threatening temperatures in the vehicle.
■ Under no circumstances allow children to be transported without the use of
a suitable restraint system. 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. WARNING (Continued)
■ 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 vehi-
cle is moving. This particularly applies to children who are transported on the
front passenger seat as they can suffer severe, or even fatal injuries if the air-
bag system is deployed!
■ Pay particular attention to the information provided by the manufacturer of
the child safety seat regarding the correct routing of the belt. Seat belts
which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause injuries even in minor
accidents.
■ Safety belts must be checked to ensure that they are running properly. One
should also ensure that the belt is not damaged by sharp-edged fittings.
■ It is essential to switch off the front passenger airbag if using a child seat in
which the child is seated with its back facing the direction of travel on the
front passenger seat. Further information » page 105, Use of a child seat on
the front passenger seat. Note
We recommend that you use child seats from ŠKODA Original Accessories. These
child seats were developed and also tested for use in
ŠKODA vehicles. They fulfil
the ECE-R 44 standard. Ð Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat
Fig. 87
Sticker on the B column on the
front passenger side.
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 105.
For safety reasons, we recommend that you install child seats on the rear seats
whenever possible. £
ä
105
Transporting children safely

The following guidelines must be observed when using a child safety seat in
which the child is seated with its back facing the direction of travel on the front
passenger seat.
›
Switch off the front passenger airbag
» page 103, Deactivating airbags .
› Slide the front passenger seat all the way back.
› Move the front passenger seat backrest 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 child
seat . WARNING
■ It is essential to always switch off the front passenger airbag when attach-
ing a child safety seat to the front passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of travel » page 103, 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. 87. 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. ■ The front passenger airbag must be reactivated as soon as you no longer
use a child seat on the front passenger seat. Ð Child safety and side airbag
Fig. 88
Incorrect seated position of a child who is not properly secured –
risk from the side airbag/Child properly protected by safety seat
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 105.
The child must not be positioned in the deployment area of the side air-
bag » Fig. 88
– . There must be sufficient room between the child and the de-
ployment area of the side airbag so that the airbag can provide as much protec-
tion as possible » Fig. 88
–  . WARNING
■ Children must never be seated with their head in the deployment area of
the side airbag – risk of injury!
■ Do not place any objects within the deployment area of the side airbags –
risk of injury! Ð Classification of child seats
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 105.
Child safety seats are classified in 5 groups:
Group Weight of the child Approximate age
0 0-10 kg up to 9 months
0+ up to 13 kg up to 18 months£ ä
ä
106 Safety