2013 SKODA CITIGO seats

Safety
Passive Safety
General information
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Safety equipment
90
Before setting off
90
What influences the driving safety?
91
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 exam- ple, regarding seat belts, airbags, child seats and safety of children.
WARNING■ This chapter contains important information on how to use the vehicle for
the driver and his occupants.■
You can find further information on safety concerning you and those travel-
ling 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 90.
The following list contains only 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 the front seats.
› Front airbag for the driver and the front passenger.
›
Head, thorax, driver and front seat passenger side airbag with head restraint
function;
› Anchoring points for child seats using the ISOFIX system.
› Anchoring points for child seats using the TOP TETHER system.
› Height-adjustable rear head restraints;
› 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 if an airbag is activated in the event of an accident.

Before setting off
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 90.
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 46, Luggage compartment .
› Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedals.
› Adjust the rear mirror and the front seat to your body size.
› Advise your passengers on the back seats to adjust the head restraints to their
body size.
› Protect children in suitable child seats with correctly fastened seat
belts » page 103 , Transporting children safely .
› Adopt the correct seated position
» page 91, 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 96 , Fastening and unfastening seat belts .

90Safety

What influences the driving safety?First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 90.
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 become 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. due to medication, alcohol
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
92
Correct seated position for the front passenger
92
Correct seated position for the passengers in the rear seats
92
Examples of incorrect seated positions
92WARNINGGeneral information■The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted according
to height, so that the occupants can be protected as effectively as possible.■
If the occupant adopts an incorrect seated position, he is exposed to life-
threatening injuries, in case he is hit by a deployed airbag.
■
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 seat backrests must not be tilted too far back when driving, as this will
impair the function of the seat belts and of the airbag system – risk of injury!
WARNINGInformation for the driver■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.■
Maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel. Not maintaining
this minimum distance 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, handsand head when the driver airbag is deployed.
■
Ensure that there are no objects in the driver's footwell, as these may get
caught in the pedal apparatus when driving or braking. You would then no
longer be able to operate the clutch, brake or acceleration pedals.
WARNINGInformation for the front seat passenger■Maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the dash panel. Not maintaining this
minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to proper-
ly protect you – hazard!■
Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven – never
place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the window or on the surfaces
of the seats. You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it becomes 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!

91Passive Safety

Correct seated position for the driverFig. 85
Correct seated position for the
driver
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 91.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident,
we recommend the following setting.
› Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance
A

» Fig. 85 between the steer-
ing wheel and your chest is at least 25 cm.
› 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.
› Correctly fasten the seat belt
» page 96.
Driver seat adjustment » page 43, Adjusting the front seats .

Correct seated position for the front passenger
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 91.
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.
› Correctly fasten the seat belt
» page 96.
In exceptional cases the front passenger airbag can be deactivated » page 101,
Deactivating airbags .
Front passenger adjustment » page 43, Adjusting the front seats .
Correct seated position for the passengers in the rear seats
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 91.
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 so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the
same level as the upper part of your head.
› Correctly fasten the seat belt
» page 96.
› Use a suitable child restraint system if transporting children in the vehi-
cle » page 103 , Transporting children safely .

Examples of incorrect seated positions
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 91.
Maximum seat belt protection is only achieved if seat belts are fastened correctly.
Incorrect seated positions considerably reduce the protective functions of the
seat belts and therefore increase the risk of injury due to an incorrect 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 instructions which, if not observed, may cause serious injuries or death. This list is not complete, however we would like you to familiar-
ise yourself with this subject.
Observe the following instructions while driving. › Do not stand up.
› Do not stand on the seats.
› Do not kneel on the seats.
› Do not tilt the seat backrest too far back.
› Do not lean against the dash panel.
› Do not lie on the rear seats.
› Do not sit only on the front part of the seat.
› Do not sit facing to the side.

92Safety

Seat belts
Using seat belts
Introduction
Fig. 86
Driver wearing seat belt
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
The physical principle of a frontal collision
95
Fastening and unfastening seat belts
96
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. 86 .
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.
Occupants of a vehicle who have correctly fastened their seat belts have the ma-
jor benefit of the fact that the kinetic energy is absorbed as effectively as possi-
ble 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 the kinetic energy being reduced as
effectively as possible. 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 103 , Transporting children safely .
WARNING■
Fasten your seat belt before each journey – even when driving in town! This
also applies to the passengers 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 96.
■
Maximum seat belt protection is only achieved if you are correctly seat-
ed » page 91 , 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.
WARNINGObserve the following instructions for the correct routing of the seat belt.■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.■
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, bunches of keys etc.). Such objects can cause injury.
WARNINGObserve the following instructions for handling the seat belts.■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 when closing the door.
WARNINGObserve the following instructions for the proper use of the seat belts.■Never use one seat belt to secure two persons (including children). The
seatbelt must not be placed over a child who is sitting on the lap of another
passenger.■
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. 
94Safety

WARNING (Continued)■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.
■
It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat belts (e. g. for
shortening the belts for smaller persons).
■
The seat belts for the rear seats can only fulfil their function reliably when
the seat backrests are correctly locked into position » page 45, Folding the
rear seats forward .
WARNINGObserve the following instructions for proper maintenance of the seat belts.■The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt webbing may im-
pair proper operation of the inertia reel » page 121, Seat belts .■
The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do not attempt
to repair the seat belts yourself.
■
Check the condition of all the seat belts on a regular basis. If any damage to
the seat belts, seat belt connections, inertia reel or the lock is detected, the
relevant seat belt must be replaced by a specialist garage.
■
Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an accident and
were therefore stretched, must be replaced – this is best done by a specialist
garage. The anchorage points of the belts must also be inspected. The an-
chorage points for the belts should also be checked.
Note
The national legal requirements must be observed when using seat belts.
The physical principle of a frontal collisionFig. 87
Driver without a fastened seat belt/rear passenger without a fas-
tened seat belt
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 94.
As soon as the vehicle is moving, so-called kinetic energy (the energy of motion)
is produced both in terms of the car as well as in terms of the 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.
The speed of the vehicle is 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 idea that it is possible to support your body with your hands in a minor acci-dent 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 of 30-50 km/h, the forces that your body is ex-
posed to in the event of an accident can exceed a metric ton (1000 kg).
For example, a person's weight of 80 kg “increases” to 4.8 tons (4800 kg) at
50 km/h.
In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the car not wearing a seat belt, are thrown forward and strike in an uncontrolled way parts of the interior of the car,
such as steering wheel, dash panel or windscreen » Fig. 87 – 
. In certain circum-
stances you could even be thrown out of the vehicle, which could cause life threatening or even fatal injuries. 
95Seat belts

Airbag system
Description of the airbag system
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
System description
98
Airbag deployment
98WARNING■ An airbag can only offer you optimal protection in combination with a fas-
tened seat belt .■
The airbag is not a substitute for the seat belt, but instead forms part of the
complete passive vehicle safety concept.
■
To ensure passengers are protected with the greatest possible effect when
the airbag is deployed, the front seats must be correctly adjusted to match
the body size » page 91, Correct seated position .
■
If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or
adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased risk
of injury in the event of an accident.
WARNINGObserve the following instructions for handling the airbag system.■If there is a fault, the airbag system must be checked by a specialist garage
immediately. Otherwise, there is a risk that the airbag will not be deployed in the event of an accident.■
No modifications of any kind must be made to parts of the airbag system.
■
Any work on the airbag system including the installation and removal of sys-
tem components due to other repair work (e.g. removal of the steering wheel)
must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
■
Never make any changes to the front bumper or bodywork.
■
It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.
■
The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one acci-
dent. The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been de-
ployed.

System description
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 98.
The functional status of the airbag system is indicated by the indicator light  in
the instrument cluster » page 20.
When the airbags are deployed, they fill with gas and inflate.
A grey white or red, non-harmful gas is released when the airbag is inflated. This
is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the airbag system consists of the
following modules.
› Electronic control unit.
› Front airbag for the driver and the front passenger
» page 99.
› Side airbags Head-thorax
» page 100;
› Airbag warning light in the instrument cluster
» page 20, 
Airbag system .
› Key switch for the front passenger airbag
» page 102.
› Warning light for the front passenger airbag deactivation/activation in the mid-
dle of the dash panel » page 102.
Note
■
The airbag system needs no maintenance during its working life.■If you sell your vehicle, provide the complete vehicle documentation to the new
owner. Please note that the information relating to the possibility of deactivating
the front passenger airbag must be included!■
When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important to com-
ply with the national legal requirements.

Airbag deployment
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 98.
The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to be able
to offer additional protection in the event of an accident.
The airbag system is only functional when the ignition is switched on.
In certain accident situations, several airbags may be deployed simultaneously. 
98Safety

WARNINGCorrect seated position■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. 91 . Not maintain-
ing this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to
properly protect you – hazard! The front seats 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.
WARNINGFront airbag and transporting children■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!■
The front passenger airbag must be deactivated if using a rear-facing child
seat on the front passenger seat » page 102, Deactivating the front passen-
ger airbag . If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or
even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. When transport-
ing a child on the front passenger seat, pay attention to any relevant national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
WARNINGGeneral■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.

Side airbags Head-ThoraxFig. 92
Place of installation of the side airbag/deployment area of the side
airbag
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 99.
In the event of severe side collisions, the side airbag system Head-Thorax pro-
vides additional protection for the upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis) of pas-
sengers in the vehicle.
The side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the seat backrests of the front seats » Fig. 92 – 
.
When the side airbags » Fig. 92 - 
are triggered, the belt tensioner is also de-
ployed automatically 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 head and upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis)
is reduced on the side facing the door.
WARNINGObserve the following instructions for the correct seated position.■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 104, Child safety and side airbag .100Safety

WARNING (Continued)■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 103, Child seat .
WARNINGThe airbag control unit operates using pressure sensors located in the front
doors. For this reason, no adjustments may be carried out to the doors or door
panels (e.g. installation of additional loudspeakers). Resulting damage can have a negative impact on the function of the airbag system. Any work on thefront doors and door panels must be carried out by a specialist garage. The
following instructions must be observed.■
Never drive with inner door panels removed.
■
Never drive if parts of the inner door panel have been removed and the re-
sulting openings have not been properly sealed.
■
Never drive if the loudspeakers in the doors have been removed, unless the
loudspeaker openings have been properly sealed.
■
Always make sure that the openings are covered or filled if additional loud-
speakers or other equipment parts have been installed in the inner door pan-
els.
■
Always have work carried out by a ŠKODA service partner or a professional
specialist garage.
WARNING■ 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!
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 module
must be repaired immediately by a 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.

Deactivating airbags
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Deactivating airbags
101
Deactivating the front passenger airbag
102
Deactivating airbags
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 101.
Deactivating an airbag should be considered in cases such as the ones below.› If using a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat (due to different le-
gal regulations, the airbag must be deactivated if using a forwards-facing child
seat in some countries) » page 103, Transporting children safely .
› If it is not possible 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 adjus-
ted.
› If special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of
a physical disability.
› If different seats have been fitted (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
The front passenger airbag can be switched off with the key-operated
switch » page 102 . 
101Airbag system