
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

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

It is also important that rear passengers fasten their seat belts, as they could oth-
erwise be thrown through the vehicle in an uncontrolled manner in the event of
an accident.
A rear seat passenger who has not fastened their seat belt is a danger not only to
himself but also for those seated at the front » Fig. 87 – .
Fastening and unfastening seat belts
Fig. 88
Fastening/unfastening the seat belt
Fig. 89
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 94.
Fastening
›
Correctly adjust the front seat before fastening the seat belt » page 91, Correct
seated position .
›Use the lock tongue to slowly pull the webbing over your chest and pelvis.›Insert the lock tongue into the belt buckle
» Fig. 88 – 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.
It is important that the belt is properly routed to ensure seat belts offer the maxi- mum 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. 89 –
.
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 pos-
sible on the pelvis to avoid exerting any pressure on the lower abdomen » Fig. 89
–
.
Releasing
Release the seat belt only when the vehicle is stationary.
›
Press the red button in the belt buckle » Fig. 88 –
, 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.
CAUTION
When releasing the seatbelt ensure that the tongue of the lock does not damage
the door trim or other parts of the interior.
Inertia reels and belt tensioners
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects: Inertia reels
97
Belt tensioners
97
96Safety

Inertia reelsFirst read and observe the introductory information given on page 96.
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 movement is locked by the inertia reel.
The belts also lock when full braking, when the car accelerates, when driving downhill and when cornering.
WARNINGIf the seat belt does not lock when pulling sharply on it, have it inspected im-
mediately by a specialist garage.
Belt tensioners
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 96.
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 andrear-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 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 service partners are fa-
miliar with these regulations and will be able to provide you with detailed infor-
mation.
97Seat belts

The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side collisions, rear-
end collisions, tilting of the vehicle and vehicle rollover.
Deployment factors
It is not possible to generally determine which deployment conditions apply to the airbag system in every situation. An important role is played by factors such as the type of object that the vehicle hits (hard/soft), the impact angle, vehicle
speed etc.
A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration which oc- curs. The control unit analyses the nature of the collision and activates the rele-
vant restraint system.
If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is measured during the collision re-
mains below the prescribed reference values specified in the control unit, the air- bags are not deployed although the vehicle may well suffer severe damage to thebodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe frontal collision.
› Driver’s front airbag.
› Front passenger airbag.
The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe side collision.
› Head-Thorax side airbag on the crash side.
In the event of an accident in which the airbags are deployed:
› the interior lighting comes on (if the switch for the interior light is in the door
contact position),
› the hazard warning light is switched on;
› all the doors are unlocked;
› the fuel supply to the engine is interrupted.
Airbag overview
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Front airbags
99
Side airbags Head-Thorax
100
Front airbagsFig. 90
Driver's airbag in the steering wheel/front passenger airbag in the
dash panel
Fig. 91
Safe distance to steering wheel/inflated airbags
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 99.
In the event of a severe frontal collision, the front airbag system offers additional
protection for the head and chest area of the driver and front passenger.
The front airbag for the driver is housed in the steering wheel » Fig. 90 –
.
The front airbag for the front seat passenger is located in the dash panel above
the stowage compartment » Fig. 90 –
.
When the airbags are deployed, they inflate in front of the driver and front pas- senger » Fig. 91 -
. The forward movement of the driver and of the front passen-
ger is cushioned when they make contact with the fully inflated airbag and the risk of injury to head and chest is thus reduced.
99Airbag system

GroupSize class of
the child seat a)Front passenger seatRear seats
1
9-18 kg
D
XIL-SU IUF
CBB1Aa)
The size category is shown on the label attached to the child seat.
The seat is suited for installation of an ISOFIX child seat with “Semi-
Universal” approval. The category “Semi-Universal” means that the child seat with the ISOFIX system is approved for your vehicle. Observe the list
of vehicles that comes with the child seat.
The seat is suitable for the installation of an ISOFIX child seat with
“Universal” approval and attachment with the TOP TETHER belt.
The seat is not fitted with fixing eyes for the ISOFIX system.
Anchor eyelets for the TOP TETHER system
Fig. 97
Rear seat: TOP TETHER
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 105.
The anchor eyelets for attaching the belt of a child seat with the TOP TETHER
system are located on the back of the rear seat backrests » Fig. 97.
IL-SU
IUFXWARNING■
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.
107Transporting children safely

CAUTION■If washing the vehicle in the winter using a hose or high-pressure cleaner, en-
sure that the jet of water is not aimed directly at the locking cylinders or the
door/panel joints – risk of freezing!■
To avoid damaging the parking aid sensors while cleaning with high-pressure
cleaners or steam jets, the sensors must only be directly sprayed for short periods
while a minimum distance of 10 cm must be observed.
■
The temperature of the water used for cleaning must not exceed 60 °C – risk of
damaging the vehicle.
■
See also Washing cars with decorative films using a high-pressure clean-
er » page 116 .
Taking care of your vehicle exterior
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Taking care of your vehicle's paintwork
115
Plastic parts
116
Rubber seals
116
Chrome parts
116
Decorative films
116
Windows and exterior mirrors
117
Headlight lenses
117
Door lock cylinders
117
Cavity protection
117
Wheels
118
Underbody protection
118
Regular and proper care help to retain the efficiency and value of your vehicle. It
may also be one of the requirements for the acceptance of warranty claims relat- ing to corrosion damage and paint defects on the bodywork.
We recommend using vehicle care products from ŠKODA Original Accessories.These are available from ŠKODA Partners. The usage instructions on the package must be observed.
WARNING■ Vehicle care products may be harmful to your health if not used according to
the instructions.■
Always store vehicle care products safely, in particular out of the reach of
children – risk of poisoning!
■
Protect your hands and arms from sharp-edged metal parts when cleaning
the underfloor, the inside of the wheel housings or the wheel trims – risk of
cuts!
CAUTION
■ Do not use any insect sponges, rough kitchen sponges or similar cleaning prod-
ucts – risk of damaging the paintwork surface.■
Cleaner that contain solvents can damage the material being cleaned.
For the sake of the environment
Used vehicle care product cans represent hazardous waste that is harmful to the
environment. These must be disposed of in accordance with national legal regula- tions.
Note
Due to the special tools and knowledge required, and to avoid any potential prob-
lems with the cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle, we recommend
that cleaning and care of the interior of your vehicle be carried out by a ŠKODA service partner.
Taking care of your vehicle's paintwork
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 115.
Minor paint damage such as scratches, scuffs or stone chips should be treated im-
mediately if possible, using touch-up pens or sprays.
Preserving the vehicle paintwork
A thorough wax treatment provides the vehicle's paintwork with highly effective
protection against harmful environmental influences.
115Vehicle care