WARNING■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 20, Transporting children safely with a
suitable restraint system.
■
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!
WARNINGBy sitting incorrectly, the occupant is risking life-threatening injuries.
The correct seating position for the driver
Fig. 2
Correct seated position for the driver/correct steering wheel posi-
tion
Read and observe
on page 11 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 between the steering
wheel and your chest is at least 25 cm » Fig. 2 -
A
.
Adjust the headrest so that the top edge of the headrest is, where possi-
ble, at the same level as the upper part of your head (not for seats with
integrated headrests) » Fig. 2 - B
.
Correctly fasten the seat belt » page 13, Wearing seat belts .
WARNING■
A distance of least 25 cm to the steering wheel should be maintained,
otherwise the airbag system will not be able to protect you - There is a risk
to life!■
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 » Fig. 2. Never hold the
steering wheel in the “12 o'clock” position or in any other way (e.g. in the
middle, inner edge of the steering wheel or similar). Otherwise, you could
sustain serious injury to the arms, hands and head if the airbag is activated.
■
Ensure there are no objects in the driver's footwell as they may get be-
hind the pedals while driving. You would then no longer be able to operate
the clutch, brake or acceleration pedals.
Adjusting the steering wheel position
Fig. 3
Adjusting the steering wheel position
Read and observe
on page 11 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. 3 .
›
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
.
11Passive Safety
WARNINGInformation about the front airbags■For the driver and front passenger, it is important to maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel or the dashboard » Fig. 9 - A
, If you
do not keep this distance, it means that the airbag system cannot protect
you - There is a risk to life! The front seats and the head restraints must
always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
■
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 18, Airbag deactivation . 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.
■
No other persons, animals or objects should be placed in front of the oc-
cupants in the front seats in the deployment area of the front airbags.
■
The steering wheel and the surface of the dash panel on the passenger
side must not be plastered, covered or modified in any way. No parts (e.g.
cup holders, mobile phone mounts etc.) may be mounted near the airbag
installation points and in the airbag deployment area.
■
Never place objects on the surface of the dash panel on the passenger
side.
WARNINGInformation on side and head airbags■No objects (e.g. sun visors turned towards the windows) should be loca-
ted in the deployment area of the side and head airbags. No accessories
(e.g. cup holders etc.) should be fitted to the doors - risk of injury!■
Hang only light clothing on the hooks in the vehicle, do not leave any
heavy or sharp objects in the pockets. Do not use hangers to hang up
clothes.
■
The airbag system 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). Further informa-
tion » page 128 .
■
No excessive force, e.g. through blows, kicks etc. should be applied to the
seat backrests - there is a risk of damage to the side airbags. The side air-
bags would not be deployed in such a case!
WARNING (Continued)■ Any seat or protective covers which you fit to the driver or front passen-
ger seats must only be of a type expressly authorised by ŠKODA AUTO. In
view of the fact that the airbag inflates out of the backrest of the seat, use
of non-approved seat or protective covers would considerably impair the
protective function of the side airbag.■
Any damage to the original seat covers or stitching at the installation
points for the side airbags should be immediately repaired by a specialist
company.
WARNINGInformation on the use of the airbag system■Any work on the airbag system, including the installation and removal of
system components due to other repair work (e.g. removal of the steering
wheel), must only be carried out by a specialist garage. Further information
» page 128 .■
No changes of any sort should be made to parts of the airbag system, the
front bumper or the bodywork.
■
Do not manipulate individual parts of the airbag system, as this might re-
sult in the airbag being deployed.
Airbag deactivation
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Deactivating airbags
18
Deactivating the front passenger airbag
19
Deactivating airbags
The front passenger airbag can be switched off with the key-operated switch
» Fig. 10 on page 19 -
.
We recommend that you ask a ŠKODA Service Partner to switch off any other
airbags.
A warning light
indicates that the airbag has been deactivated » page 31.
18Safety
Transporting children safely
Child seat
Introduction
To reduce the risk of injury in an accident, children should only be transported
in child seats!
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat
21
Use of a child seat on the front seat
21
Child safety and the side airbag
22
Classification of child seats
22
Use of child safety seats which are secured using a seat belt
22
Please refer to the instructions in this Owner's Manual and the child seat man-
ufacturer's instructions with regard to the installation and use of the child
seat.
For safety reasons, we recommend that you always transport children in the
rear seats. Only transport a child in the passenger seat in exceptional circum-
stances.
Child seats complying with the ECE-R 44 Economic Commission for Europe
standard must be used.
Child seats that comply with the ECE-R 44 standard are identified with a test
mark that cannot be removed: Large E in a circle, the approval number is un-
derneath.
WARNING■ You should never carry children - including babies! - on your lap.■When leaving the vehicle, do not leave children unattended in the vehicle.
In an emergency, they might not be able to get out of the vehicle on their
own or to help themselves. Can be fatal at very high or very low tempera-
tures!■
The child must be secured in the vehicle throughout the journey! Other-
wise, in the event of an accident, the child would be thrown through the
vehicle and as a result may suffer fatal injuries and also injure other occu-
pants.
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
vehicle is moving. This particularly applies to children who are transported
on the front passenger seat, as they can suffer severe, or even fatal, inju-
ries if the airbag 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 mi-
nor accidents.
■
Safety belts must be checked to ensure that they are positioned properly.
Care should also be taken to ensure that the belt is not damaged by sharp-
edged fittings.
■
When installing the child seat on the back seat, the corresponding front
seat must be adjusted so that there is no contact between the front seat
and the child seat or the child being transported in a child seat.
■
When installing a child seat in which the child faces forward, adjust the
head restraints so that they are as high as possible.
■
If the head restraints still prevent the child seat from being installed,
even in the highest position, you will need to remove them » page 64. Af-
ter removing the child seat, refit the head restraints.
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 meet the ECE-R 44 standard.20Safety
Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat
Does not apply to TaiwanFig. 11
Warning labels
Read and observe
on page 20 first.
Never use a rearward-facing child restraint system on a seat which is protec-
ted by an active airbag. This could cause serious injury to the child, even
death.
This warning is also given on stickers that are located in the following places.
▶ On the passenger sun visor » Fig. 11 -
.
▶ On the B-column on the front passenger side » Fig. 11 –
.
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 deactivate the front passenger airbag if using a child seat in
which the child is transported with his/her 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.
▶ Set the height-adjustable front passenger seat as high up as possible.
▶ Set the front passenger seat belt as high up as possible.
▶ With child safety seats in groups 2 and 3, make sure that the loop-around fit-
tings attached to the child seat headrest is positioned in front of or at the
same height as the loop-around fittings on the B pillar on the passenger side.
Adjust the height of the front passenger seat belt so that the belt does not
“jam” in the return pulley. In the event of an accident, there is the risk of in-
jury to the neck of the child carried due to the seat belt!WARNING■ 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.■
Once a child seat in which the child is transported with its back to the di-
rection of travel is no longer being used on the passenger seat, the front
passenger airbag should be reactivated.
Use of a child seat on the front seat
Applies to Taiwan
Fig. 12
Warning labels
Read and observe on page 20 first.
No babies, infants or children are to be carried on the passenger seat.
A label to this effect can also be found on the passenger's sun visor » Fig. 12.
21Transporting children safely