2013 SKODA OCTAVIA airbag

The locking mechanism must audibly snap into place.
Folding backwards›
Place the lever in position
1
» Fig. 54 .
›
Fold the seat backrest in the opposite direction of the arrow
2
.
The locking mechanism must audibly snap into place.
WARNING■ The front passenger airbag should be switched off when transporting ob-
jects on the seat which was folded forwards » page 191.■
Adjust the seat backrest only when the vehicle is stationary.
■
When moving the seat backrest, make sure the seat backrest has been
properly secured – check by pulling on the seat backrest.
■
If the seat backrest is folded, passengers may only be transported on the
outer seat behind the driver.
■
When moving the seat backrest, keep limbs away from between the seat
cushion and seat backrest – risk of injury!
■
Never transport objects on the seat backrest which was folded forwards,
which: ■ impair driver visibility;
■ make it impossible for the driver to control the vehicle, e.g. if they are
placed under the pedals, or could protrude into the driver's zone;
■ could lead to injury to passengers due to a change of direction or braking
manouvre when accelerating sharply.

Seat backrestsFig. 55
Seat backrest: Locking/unlocking
Fig. 56
Luggage compartment: Folding the rear seat backrest forward (Oc-
tavia Estate)
First read and observe the introductory information given on page 76.
The luggage compartment can be increased in size by folding the seat backrests
forward. The seat backrests can be folded forward individually on vehicles with
divided rear seats. 
78Using the system

Storage compartments in the doorsFig. 59
Storage compartment: in the front door/in the rear door
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 79.
The area
B
» Fig. 59 and
D
have a bottle holder.
WARNINGIn order to ensure that the operating range of the side airbag is not impaired,
area A » Fig. 59 of the storage compartment must only be used for storing
objects that do not protrude.
Note
In area D of the stowage compartment of the rear doors, a bottle can be housed
with a max. content of 0.5 l.
Holder for reflective vestFig. 60
Driver seat: Holder for reflex
vest
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 79.
The holder for the reflex vest is located under the driver's seat » Fig. 60.
WARNINGDo not put anything else except the reflective vest into the holder – other-
wise it may fall out of the holder – risk of obstruction or limitation in operating
the pedal!
CAUTION
Do not put anything else except the reflective vest into the holder – risk of dam-
age to the holder.
81Seats and useful equipment

Clothes hookFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 79.
The clothes hooks are located on the middle door pillars of the vehicle and on the
handle of the headliner above each of the rear doors.
WARNING■ Only hang light items of clothing on the hooks. Never leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of clothing.■
Do not use clothes hangers for hanging up items of clothing otherwise this
may reduce the effectiveness of head airbags.
■
Ensure that any clothes hanging from the hooks do not impair your vision to
the rear.
CAUTION
The maximum permissible load of the hooks is 2 kg.
Storage pockets on the front seats
Fig. 74
Map pockets
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 79.
Pockets for storing maps, magazines etc. are provided on the back of the front
seat backrests » Fig. 74.
WARNINGNever put heavy items in the map pockets – risk of injury!
CAUTION
Never put large objects into the map pockets, e.g. bottles or objects with sharp
edges - risk of damaging the pockets and seat coverings.
Storage compartment in rear centre console
Fig. 75
Opening the storage compart-
ment
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 79.
The storage compartment is equipped with a removable insert.
Open/close
›
Pull the handle
A
» Fig. 75 on the upper section of the recess and open out the
compartment in the direction of the arrow.
Closing takes place in reverse order.
WARNINGThe storage compartment is not a substitute for the ashtray and must also
not be used for such purposes – risk of fire!

88Using the system

WARNING (Continued)■Make sure that the strap A holds the skis in front of the binding (also refer
to imprint on the removable through-loading bag).■
The total weight of the skis which are transported must not exceed 24 kg.
Note
■ The through-loading bag is foreseen for four pairs of skis.■Place the skis with the tips facing to the front and the sticks with the tips facing
to the rear. into the removable through-loading bag.■
If there are several pairs of skis in the removable through-loading bag, ensure
that the bindings are positioned at the same height.
■
The removable through-loading bag must never be folded together or stowed
when moist.

Luggage compartment
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Class N1 vehicles
92
Fastening elements
92
Fixing nets
93
Folding double hooks
93
Foldable hooks (Octavia Estate)
94
Floor covering
94
Double sided floor covering
94
Luggage net
95
Luggage compartment cover
95
Roll-up luggage compartment cover (Octavia Estate)
96
Stowing roll-up luggage compartment cover and roof racks
97
Storage compartment in the luggage compartment
98
Storage compartments under the floor covering
98
Multifunction box (Octavia Estate)
99
Please observe the following for the purpose of maintaining good handling char-
acteristics of your vehicle:
› Distribute loads as evenly as possible.›Place heavy objects as far forward as possible.›
Attach the items of luggage to the lashing eyes or using the nets
» page 92.
In the event of an accident, even small and light objects gain so much kinetic en-
ergy that they can cause severe injuries.
The magnitude of the kinetic energy is dependent on the speed at which the ve-
hicle is travelling and the weight of the object.
Example: In the event of a frontal collision at a speed of 50 km/h, an object with a
weight of 4.5 kg produces an energy, which corresponds to 20 times its own
weight. This means that it results in a weight of approx. 90 kg “ ”.
Luggage compartment light
The light switches on/off when the boot lid is opened or closed.
If the boot lid is open and the ignition switched off, the light will extinguish auto-
matically after around 10 minutes.
WARNING■ Store the objects in the luggage compartment and attach them to the lash-
ing eyes.■
Loose objects can be thrown forward during a sudden manoeuvre or in case
of an accident and can injure the occupants or other road users.
■
Loose objects could hit a deployed airbag and injure occupants – danger of
death!
■
Please note that the handling properties of the vehicle may be affected
when transporting heavy objects as the centre of gravity can be displaced –
risk of accident! The speed and style of driving must be adjusted accordingly.
■
If the items of luggage or objects are attached to the lashing eyes with un-
suitable or damaged lashing straps, injuries can occur in the event of braking
manoeuvres or accidents. To prevent items of luggage from moving around,
always use suitable lashing straps which must be firmly attached to the lash-
ing eyes.
■
The items carried in the luggage compartment must be stored in such a way
that no objects are able to slip forward if any sudden driving or braking ma-
noeuvres are undertaken – risk of injury! 
91Seats and useful equipment

Driving
Starting-off and Driving
Steering
Introduction
Fig. 113
Correct seated position for the
driver
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Adjusting the steering wheel position
118
Power steering
119WARNING■ When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the outer
edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold the steering wheel in
the 12 o'clock position or in any other way (e.g. in the middle or inner edge of
the steering wheel). In such cases, you could severely injure the arms, hands
and head when the driver airbag is deployed.■
Never adjust the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving only when the
vehicle is stationary!
WARNING (Continued)■ Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance A » Fig. 113 between the
steering wheel and your chest is at least 25 cm. Adjust the distance between the legs and the dash panel in the knee airbag area so that there is a distance
of at least 10 cm B
. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that
the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you – hazard!
■
If the steering wheel is adjusted further towards the head, the protection
provided by the driver airbag in the event of an accident is reduced. Check that the steering wheel is aligned to the chest.

Adjusting the steering wheel position
Fig. 114
Adjustable steering wheel: Lever
below steering wheel
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 118.
The height and forward/back position of the steering wheel can be adjusted.
›
First of all adjust the driver's seat » page 71.
›
Swivel the lever underneath the steering wheel downwards » Fig. 114.
›
Adjust the steering wheel to the desired position (with regard to the height and
forward/back position).
›
Push the lever upwards to the stop.
WARNINGThe lever for adjusting the steering wheel must be locked whilst driving so
that the position of the steering wheel cannot accidently change during the
journey – risk of accident!

118Driving

Note■The Eco driving mode is not available when towing a trailer. When the vehicle is
connected electrically to a trailer and is in the Eco driving mode, the Normal driv-
ing mode is configured automatically.■
The maximum vehicle acceleration (kickdown function) is possible also in driving
mode Eco.

Individualmode
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 161.
In mode Individual you can select between Normal, Sport and Eco for each system
separately » Operating instructions for Infotainment , chapter Vehicle settings .

ProActive passenger protection

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Function
163WARNINGAdjust the speed and driving style to the current visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions. The increased safety by ProActive passenger protection must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise – risk of accident!
Note
■ If the front passenger front airbag is deactivated » page 191 the belt tension-
ing function for the front passenger seat is switched off.■
The system component service life is monitored electronically. Further informa-
tion » page 19 ,  Security Systems .

Function
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 163.
ProActive passenger protection (From here on referred to only as system) increa-
ses passenger protection in the front seats in situations that could lead to vehicle
impact or overturning.
The system is ready to intervene automatically in the following conditions. The ignition is switched on.
The vehicle moves at a speed of more than 30 km/h.
In critical driving situations (e.g. during emergency braking or a sudden change in
direction), the following steps can be taken separately or combined in order to re-
duce the risk of serious injury.
› The front passenger's and driver's seatbelts, if worn, are automatically
ten-
sioned closely over the body.
› The windows in the side doors (if open) are automatically closed up to a gap of
about 5 cm from the edge.
› The sliding/tilting roof is closed.
Once the critical driving situation has passed, the tension on the seatbelts will be
released again.
The system operates at two levels of protection.
The first level of protection
The system already intervenes in situations that may occur during dynamic driv-
ing. As a result, this primarily helps to keep the driver and the passenger in the
correct seated position.
The first level of protection can be deactivated by one of the following measures. › Deactivation of the system in Infotainment
» Operating instructions for Info-
tainment , chapter Vehicle settings (CAR button) .
› Deactivation of TCS
» page 138.
› Selecting the driving mode Sport
» page 161.
The second level of protection
The system intervenes only if the situation is evaluated as critical, such as in pan-
ic braking at high speeds.
This level of protection cannot be deactivated.

163Assist systems

Safety
Passive Safety
General information
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Safety equipment
176
Before setting off
176
What influences driving safety?
177
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 will find further information on safety, which concerns you and those
travelling with you, in the following chapters of this Owner's Manual.
■
The complete on-board literature should always be in the vehicle. This ap-
plies in particular, if you rent out or sell the vehicle.

Safety equipment
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 176.
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.
› Seat belt height adjusters for front seats.
› Front airbag for the driver and the front passenger.
› Driver’s knee airbag.
› Front side airbags.
› Rear side airbags.
› Head airbags.
› Anchoring points for child seats using the ISOFIX system.
› Anchoring points for child seats using the TOP TETHER system.
› Head restraints adjustable for height 1)
.
› Adjustable steering column.
The specified safety equipment works together, in order to optimally protect you
and those travelling with you in accident situations.
The safety equipment does not protect you or the people travelling with you, if
you or your occupants adopt an incorrect seated position or the equipment is not correctly adjusted or used.
If the seat belt is not fastened properly, this may result in injuries during an acci-
dent caused by the deployed airbag.

Before setting off
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 176.
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.


1)
Not valid for sport seats.
176Safety

›Secure all items of luggage
» page 91, Luggage compartment .
› Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedals.
› Adjust the mirrors, the front seat and head restraint to your body size.
› Advise your passengers to adjust the head restraints to their body size.
› Protect children in suitable child seats with correctly fastened seat
belts » page 193 , Transporting children safely .
› Adopt the correct seated position
» page 177, 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 180 , Using seat belts .

What influences driving safety?
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 176.
The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occupants. If your driving safety
is effected, you place yourself and the oncoming traffic at risk.
The following guidelines must therefore be observed. › Do not get distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, e.g. by your
passengers or mobile phone calls.
› Never drive when your driving ability is impaired, e.g. through medication, alco-
hol or drugs.
› Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
› Always adjust the driving speed to the road, traffic and weather conditions.
› Take regular breaks on long journeys – at least every two hours.

Correct seated position

Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Correct seated position for the driver
178
Correct seated position for the front passenger
178
Correct seated position for the passengers in the rear seats
178
Examples of an incorrect seated position
179WARNINGGeneral information■At all times, the front seats and head restraints must be adjusted to match
the person's body size and the seat belt must be attached properly to provide
the most effective levels of protection to passengers.■
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 angled too far back when driving otherwise
this will affect proper operation 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 from the steering wheel, and a dis-
tance of at least 10 cm between the legs and the dash panel at the height of
the knee airbag. 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 they may get
caught behind the pedals when driving or applying the braking. You would
then no longer be able to operate the clutch, brake or accelerate. 
177Passive Safety