2014 SKODA FABIA height

Safety
Passive Safety
General information
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Before every journey
8
Driving safety
8
Safety equipment
8
In this section, you will find important information, tips and notes on the sub-
ject of passive safety in your vehicle.
We have combined everything here which you should be familiar with, for ex-
ample, regarding seat belts, airbags, child seats and the safety of children.
WARNING■ This chapter contains important information on how to use the vehicle for
the driver and their 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
particularly applies, if you rent out or sell the vehicle.
Before every journey
Read and observe
on page 8 first.
For your own safety and the safety of passengers, the following points must
be observed before every ride.
Ensure that the lighting and the turn signal system are functioning proper-
ly.
Make sure that the function of the wiper and the condition of the wiper
blades are free of any defects.
Ensure that all of the windows offer good visibility to the outside.
Adjust the rear-view mirror so that vision to the rear is guaranteed.
Ensure that the mirrors are not covered.
Check the tyre inflation pressure.
Check the engine oil, brake fluid and coolant levels.
Secure all items of luggage.
Do not exceed the permissible axle loads and permissible gross weight of
the vehicle – risk of accident.
Close all doors and the engine compartment and luggage compartment lid.
Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedals.
Protect children in suitable child seats with correctly fastened seat belts
» page 22 , Transporting children safely .
Adopt the correct seated position » page 9, Correct and safe seated
position . Tell your passengers to assume the correct seated position.
Driving safety
Read and observe
on page 8 first.
The driver is fully responsible for himself/herself and his/her occupants. If your
driving safety is affected, you place yourself and oncoming traffic at risk.
The following guidelines must 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,
alcohol or drugs.
Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
Always adjust the driving speed to the road, traffic and weather condi-
tions.
Take regular breaks on long journeys – at least every two hours.
Safety equipment
Read and observe
on page 8 first.
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 the front seats.
› Front airbag for the driver and the front passenger.
› Front side airbags.
› Head airbags.
› Anchoring points for child seats using the ISOFIX system. 

8Safety

›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
accident caused by the deployed airbag.
Correct and safe seated position
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Correct seated position of the driver
9
Adjusting the steering wheel position
10
Correct seated position of the front passenger
10
Correct seated position of the rear seat passengers
11
Examples of incorrect seated positions
11WARNING■ The front seats and all head restraints must be adjusted to match body
size at all times and the seat belt must always be fastened properly to pro-
vide the most effective levels of protection to passengers.■
Each occupant must correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to the seat.
Children must be fastened » page 22, Transporting children safely with a
suitable restraint system.
■
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!
Correct seated position of the driverFig. 1
The correct distance of the driver
to the steering wheel / correctly
adjusted head restraint
Read and observe on page 9 first.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident, we recommend the following settings.
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.
Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance
A
between the steering
wheel and your chest is at least 25 cm » Fig. 1. Adjusting the steering
wheel » page 10 , Adjusting the steering wheel position .
Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at
the same level as the top of your head 1)

B
» Fig. 1 .
Correctly fasten the seat belt » page 12, Wearing seat belts .
WARNING■
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
moving.■
Maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel. Not keeping
to this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able
to properly protect you – risk of death! 
1)
Not valid for sports seats.
9Passive Safety

WARNING (Continued)■When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the out-
er 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
your arms, hands and 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.
Adjusting the steering wheel position
Fig. 2
Adjusting the steering wheel position
Read and observe
on page 9 first.
The height and forward/back position of the steering wheel can be adjusted.
›
Swing the safety lever under the steering wheel in the direction of arrow
1
» Fig. 2 .
›
Adjust the steering wheel to the desired position. The steering wheel can be
adjusted in direction of arrow
2
.
›
Pull the holder until it stops in arrow direction
3
.
WARNING■ The lever for adjusting the steering wheel must be locked while you are
driving so that the position of the steering wheel cannot accidentally
change during the journey – there is the risk of an accident!■
Never adjust the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving, but only
when the vehicle is stationary!
Correct seated position of the front passenger
Read and observe
on page 9 first.
For passenger safety and to reduce the risk of injury in an accident, the follow-ing instructions must be observed.
Position the front passenger seat back as far as possible. The front pas-
senger 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.
Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at
the same level as the top of your head 1)

B
» Fig. 1 on page 9 .
Correctly fasten the seat belt » page 12, Wearing seat belts .
Setting the seats and head restraints » page 71.
In exceptional cases, the front passenger airbag can be deactivated
» page 20 , Deactivating airbags .
WARNING■
Maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the dash panel. Not keeping to
this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to
properly protect you – risk of death!■
Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven – nev-
er 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 be-
comes necessary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an air-
bag is deployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect
seated position!
1)
Not valid for sports seats.
10Safety

Seat belts
Wearing seat belts
Introduction
Fig. 3
Driver wearing seat belt
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
The physical principle of a frontal collision
13
Fastening and unfastening seat belts
14
Belt height adjustment on the front seats
15
Seat belts that are fastened correctly offer good protection in the event of an
accident. 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
position » Fig. 3.
The seat belts reduce the kinetic energy (energy of motion) to a considerable
extent. They also prevent uncontrolled movements which, in turn, may well re-
sult in severe injuries.
The occupants of a vehicle who have fastened and correctly adjusted their
seat belts benefit greatly from the fact that the kinetic energy is absorbed by
the belts as much as possible.
The structure of the front end of the vehicle and other passive safety meas-
ures, such as the airbag system, also contribute to reducing the kinetic energy
in the best possible way. The energy produced is thus absorbed and there is
less risk of injury.
Particular safety aspects must be observed when transporting children in the
vehicle » page 22 .
WARNING■
Fasten your seat belt before each journey - even when driving in town!
This also applies to the people seated at the rear – there is a 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 14, Fastening
and unfastening seat belts .
■
The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if you
are correctly seated » page 9.
■
The seat backrests of the front seats must not be tilted too far to the
rear, otherwise the seatbelts can lose their effectiveness.
WARNINGInformation on the correct routing of the 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.■
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 ac-
count across your neck.
■
The belt must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. spectacles, ball-
point pens, keys, etc.). Such objects can cause injury.
WARNINGInformation on dealing with the safety belts■The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or twis-
ted or chafe against any sharp edges.■
Make sure you do not catch the seat belt in the door when closing it.
WARNINGInformation on the proper use of the safety belts■Never use a seatbelt to secure two persons (not even children). Nor may
the seat belt be placed over a child who is sitting on the lap of another pas-
senger.■
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
protect and the risk of injury increases.
■
The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked otherwise the belt
tongue will not lock in place properly. 
12Safety

Belt height adjustment on the front seatsFig. 7
Front seat: Seat belt height ad-
juster
Read and observe on page 12 first.
The seat belt height adjuster makes it possible to adjust the routing of the
front seat belts in the area of the shoulder to the body size.
›
Press the height adjuster and move up or down in the desired direction
» Fig. 7 .
›
Then pull firmly on the belt to ensure that the seat belt height adjuster has
correctly locked in place.
Inertia reel and belt pre-tensioners
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Inertia reel
15
Belt tensioners
15
Inertia reel
Each seat belt is equipped with an inertia reel.
The seat belt can move freely when it is pulled slowly. The seat belt is locked
by the inertia reel when it is pulled suddenly.
The belts also lock under full braking, under acceleration, when driving down-
hill and when cornering.
WARNINGIf the seat belt does not lock when it is pulled sharply, have it inspected im-
mediately by a specialist garage.Belt tensioners
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 seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a collision of a cer-
tain severity.
Belt tensioners are not activated in the event of minor frontal collisions, side
and rear-end collisions, in the case of a roll-over and also not in accidents in
which no major forces are produced.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 acci-
dent. If the belt tensioners have been deployed, it is then necessary to re-
place the entire system.
Note
■ Smoke is generated when the belt tensioners are deployed. This is not an in-
dication of a fire in the vehicle.■
When disposing of the vehicle or parts of the belt tensioner system, it is im-
portant to comply with national legal requirements. ŠKODA service partners
are familiar with these regulations and will be able to provide you with de-
tailed information.
15Seat belts

Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat
Does not apply to TaiwanFig. 13
Sticker on the B column on the
front passenger side
Fig. 14
Front passenger sun visor / label
Read and observe
on page 22 first.
Never use a rearward-facing child restraint system on a seat which is protec-
ted by an active airbag installed in front of it. This could cause serious injury
to the child or even death.
For safety reasons, we recommend that you install child seats on the rear
seats whenever possible.
The following advice must be heeded when using a child seat in which the
child is carried on the front passenger seat.
› It is essential to switch off the front passenger airbag if using a child seat in
which the child is carried with its back facing the direction of travel »
.
› Set the front passenger seat back as vertically as possible so that there is
firm contact between the passenger seat back and the child seat back.
› Where possible, move the front passenger seat back so that there is no con-
tact between the front seat and the child seat behind.
› In the case of Group 2 or 3 child seats, make sure that the deflector pulley
mounted on the child seat headrest is in front of or level with the pulley on
the B-pillar on the passenger side.
› 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 switch off the front passenger airbag if you are using a
child seat on the front passenger seat in which the child is carried with its
back facing the direction of travel » page 20, Deactivating airbags .■
Never use a child safety seat on the front passenger seat in which the
child is seated with its back facing the direction of travel, if the airbag is
switched on. This child safety seat is positioned in the deployment area of
the front passenger airbag. The airbag may cause the child severe, or even
fatal, injuries in the event of it being deployed.
■
This fact is also indicated by the label that can be found in one of the fol-
lowing locations. ■ On the B-column on the front passenger side » Fig. 13. The sticker is
visible when opening the front passenger door.
■ On the front passenger's sun visor. In some countries, the sticker is lo-
cated on the front seat passenger's sun visor » Fig. 14.
■
In the case of Group 2 or 3 child seats, make sure that the deflector pulley
mounted on the child seat headrest is in front of or level with the pulley on
the B-pillar on the passenger side.
■
The front passenger airbag should be switched on again once the child
seat, in which the child is transported with their back to the direction of
travel, is no longer in use on the passenger seat.
23Transporting children safely

Switch off mirror control
Mirror heater
Folding in the exterior mirrors
The whole exterior mirror can be manually folded towards the side windows.
To restore it to its original position, fold back from the side window until it au-
dibly clicks into place.WARNINGDo not touch the exterior mirror surfaces if the exterior mirror heater is
switched on - risk of burns.
Note
■ The mirror heater only operates when the engine is running and up to an
outside temperature of +35 ℃.■
If the electrical mirror setting fails at any time, the mirrors can be adjusted by
hand by pressing on the edge of the mirror surface.
Seats and headrests
Seats and headrests
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Adjusting the front seats
72
Headrests - adjusting height
72
Headrests - removing and installing
73
The driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the pedals can be fully
pressed to the floor with slightly bent legs.
The seat backrest on the driver's seat should be adjusted in such a way that the upper point of the steering wheel can be easily reached with slightly bent
arms.
Correct adjustment of the seats is particularly important for the following rea-
sons.
› Reaching the controls safely and quickly.
› A relaxed and fatigue-free body position.
› Achieving the maximum protection offered by the seat belts and the airbag
system.
WARNING■ Only adjust the driver's seat when the vehicle is stationary – risk of acci-
dent.■
Caution when adjusting the seat! You may suffer crushing injuries as a re-
sult of adjusting the seat without paying proper attention.
■
Never carry more people than the number of seats in the vehicle.
■
Do not transport any objects on the front passenger seat other than ob-
jects intended for this purpose (e.g. child safety seat) – risk of accident.
Note
After a certain time, play can develop within the adjustment mechanism for
the backrest angle.71Seats and headrests

Adjusting the front seatsFig. 54
Control elements on the seat
Read and observe on page 71 first.
Control elements on the seat » Fig. 54
Adjusting a seat fore and aft
Adjusting height of seat
Adjusting the angle of the seat backrest
Adjusting a seat fore and aft
›
Pull the lever
A
» Fig. 54 in the direction of the arrow and push the seat in
the required direction.
The lock must click into place after you release the lever.
Adjusting height of seat
›
Again push or pull the lever
B
» Fig. 54 in the direction of one of the arrows.
Adjusting the angle of the seat backrest
›
Release the seat back (do not lean on).
›
Turn the dial
C
» Fig. 54 in the direction of one of the arrows.
ABCHeadrests - adjusting heightFig. 55
Head rests: move up / move down
Read and observe
on page 71 first.
Adjustment of the head rest heights is the same in the front and rear.
Best protection is achieved if the top edge of the head rest is at the same level
as the upper part of your head.
Shift upwards
›
Push the headrest in the direction of arrow
1
» Fig. 55 .
Move down
›
Press the locking button
A
in the direction of the arrow
2
and hold
» Fig. 55 .
›
Push the headrest in the direction of arrow
3
.
WARNINGWith seats occupied, the respective head rests must be correctly set (may
not be in the bottom position) - there is a risk of fatal injury!
Note
■ The middle rear headrest is only adjustable in two positions.■For the sports seats, the headrests are integrated into the front seat backr-
ests. This headrest cannot be adjusted in height.72Operation