Seat belts
Seat belts
ä
Introduction Fig. 117
Driver wearing seat belt
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
The physical principle of a frontal collision 133
Fastening and unfastening seat belts 134
Seat belt height adjuster on the front seats 135
Seat belt for the rear middle seat 135
Belt tensioners 135
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. 117.
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 143, 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 134.
■ 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 129, 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.
■ 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). £
132 Safety
Fastening and unfastening seat belts
Fig. 119
Fastening/unfastening the seat belt Fig. 120
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 132.
Fasten
›
Correctly adjust the front seat and head restraint before fastening the seat
belt » page 59, Head restraints.
› Use the lock tongue to slowly pull the webbing over your chest and pelvis.
› Insert the lock tongue into the belt buckle
» Fig. 119 - 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.
A plastic knob in the belt webbing holds the belt tongue in a position which is
easy to get hold of.
ä 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. 120 - .
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. 120 - .
Release
Release the seat belt only when the vehicle is stationary.
› Press the red button in the belt buckle
» Fig. 119 - , 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. Ð
134 Safety
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. 123
. 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 141, 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 Driver’s knee airbag
Fig. 124
Driver's knee airbag below the
steering column
The driver's knee airbag offers adequate protection for the driver's legs.
The driver's knee airbag is located in the lower part of the dash panel below the
steering column » Fig. 124.
In the event of a severe frontal collision, the driver's knee airbag and the belt ten-
sioner are deployed.
The forward movement of the body is cushioned when it makes contact with the
fully inflated airbag and the risk of injury to the legs of the driver is thus reduced. WARNING
■ Adjust the driver's seat in a forward/back direction so that there is a gap of
at least 10 cm between the legs and the dash panel in the vicinity of the knee
airbag B
» Fig. 116 on page 130. If it is not possible to meet this requirement
due to your body size, visit a ŠKODA specialist garage.
■ The surface of the airbag module in the lower part of the dash panel below
the steering column not have stickers attached, be covered or modified in any
other way. This part should only be cleaned with a cloth that is dry or has
been moistened with water. No objects must be attached to the cover of the
airbag module or located within the immediate vicinity. ■ Do not attach any bulky and heavy objects (bunch of keys etc.) to the igni-
tion key. These can be ejected by the knee airbag when it is deployed and can
cause injuries. Ð
139
Airbag system
Side airbags
Fig. 125
Location of the side airbag in the driver's seat/gas-filled side air-
bags
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 front side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the seat backrests of the
front seats » Fig. 125 - .
The rear side airbags are located between the entrance area and the seat back-
rest.
When the side airbags » Fig. 125 - 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 144, 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. WARNING (Continued)
■ 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 143, Transporting children safely .
■ The airbag control unit operates with pressure sensors located in the front
doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out to the doors and
door panels (e.g. additional 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
ŠKODA special-
ist 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, be-
cause the air can escape through large, non-sealed openings in the door pan-
el. ■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 parts are installed in the inner door pan-
els. ■ Always have work completed by a ŠKODA
Service Partner or a competent
ŠKODA specialist garage.
■ 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. Ð
140 Safety
Head airbags
Fig. 126
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. 126 - .
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 airbags cover the entire side window and door pil-
lar »
Fig. 126 - .
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 front 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. WARNING (Continued)
■ The airbag control unit operates with sensors located in the front doors. For
this reason no adjustments must be carried out to the doors and door panels
(e.g. additional 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
ŠKODA specialist garage.
■ 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 189, Accessories, changes and replacement of parts .Ð 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 143, Transporting
children safely ;
› 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 » Fig. 127 on page 142.
We recommend that you ask a
ŠKODA Service Partner to switch off any other air-
bags. £
141
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 143
Child safety and side airbag 144
Classification of child seats 144
Suitability of child seats 144
Child seats with the ISOFIX system 145
Child seat with the TOP TETHER system 145
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 143, 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
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 143.
For safety reasons, we recommend that you install child seats on the rear seats
whenever possible.
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 141, 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.
£
ä
143
Transporting children safely
›
Adjust the seat belt for the front passenger seat so that it is as high as possible
(not suitable for a child seat fastened with the ISOFIX system).
› 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 141, 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 sun visor on
the passenger side. ■ 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. ÐChild safety and side airbag
Fig. 128
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 143.
The child must not be positioned in the deployment area of the side air-
bag » Fig. 128 - . 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. 128 - . 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 143.
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
1 9-18 kg up to 4 years
2 15-25 kg up to 7 years
3 22-36 kg over 7 years Ð
Suitability of child seats
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 143.
Overview of the usefulness of child seats on each of the seats in accordance with
the ECE-R 44 standard:
£
ä
ä
ä
144 Safety
Overview of the suitability of child seats according to the standard ECE-R
44
Seat Child seat
type
Front passenger seat U
+
Rear seat outside U
+
T
Rear seat middle U
Universal category – a child seat with the word UNIVERSAL, which is de-
signed for fastening on the seat with the seat belt.
ISOFIX
– a child seat which is designed for fastening on the seat with eyelets
for the ISOFIX system is provided » page 145, Child seats with the ISOFIX
system.
ISOFIX – a child seat which is designed for fastening on the seat with an eye-
let for the TOP TETHER system is provided » page 145 , Child seat with the
TOP TETHER system. ÐChild seats with the ISOFIX system
Fig. 129
Rear seat: ISOFIX
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 143.
There are two fixing eyes between the seat backrest and the seat cushion of the
front passenger seat for fixing the
ISOFIX system child seat in place.
On the rear outside seats, the fixing eyes are located below the upholstery. The
places are marked with labels with the ISOFIX logo » Fig. 129.
A child seat fitted with the ISOFIX system can only be mounted in a vehicle fitted
with an ISOFIX system if the child seat has been approved for this type of vehicle.
Further information is available from a ŠKODA Service Partner. U
+
T
ä WARNING
■ Always refer to the instructions from the manufacturer of the child seat
when installing and removing a child seat with the
ISOFIX system.
■ Never attach other child seats, belts or objects to the locking eyes intended
for the installation of a child seat with the
ISOFIX system - hazard! Note
Child seats with the ISOFIX system can be purchased from ŠKODA Original Acces-
sories. Ð Child seat with the TOP TETHER system
Fig. 130
Rear seat: TOP TETHER
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 143.
There are fixing eyes on the rear side of the rear seat backrests for attaching the
fixing belt for a child seat with the
TOP TETHER system » Fig. 130. WARNING
■ Always refer to the instructions from the manufacturer of the child seat
when installing and removing a child seat with the
TOP TETHER system.
■ Only use child seats with the TOP TETHER system on the seats with the
locking eyes. ■ Only ever attach one belt from the child seat to a locking eye.
■ On no account should you equip your vehicle, e.g. mount screws or other an-
chorage points. Ð
ä
145
Transporting children safely