Safe driving
Safety
Saf e driv
in
g
Safety first! This chapter contains important information,
tips, s
ug
gestions and warnings that you
should read and consider for both your own
safety and for your passengers' safety. WARNING
● This m
anual contains important informa-
tion about the operation of the vehicle, both
for the driver and the passengers. The other
sections of the on-board documentation also
contain further information that you should
be aware of for your own safety and for the
safety of your passengers.
● Ensure that the on-board documentation is
kept in the
vehicle at all times. This is espe-
cially important when lending or selling the
vehicle to another person. Advice about driving
B ef or
e setting off For your own safety and the safety of your
p
a
s
sengers, always note the following points
before every trip: –
Make s
ure that the vehicle's lights and turn
signals are working properly.
– Check tyre pressure.
– Ensure that all windows provide a clear and
good v
iew of the surroundings.
– Ensure that all luggage is correctly secured
›››
page 158.
– Make sure that no objects can interfere
with the pedal
s.
– Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir-
rors
properly according to your size.
– Ensure that the passenger in the central
rear se
at always has the head restraint in
the correct position for use.
– Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints
according to their height.
– Protect children with appropriate child
seats and pr
operly applied seat belts
››› page 92.
– Assume the correct sitting position. Instruct
your pa
ssengers also to assume a proper
sitting position ››› page 76.
– Fasten your seat belt securely. Instruct your
pas
sengers also to fasten their seat belts
properly ››› page 81. What affects driving safety? As a driver, you are responsible for yourself
and y
our p
assengers. When your concentra-
tion or driving safety is affected by any cir-
cumstance, you endanger yourself as well as
others on the road ››› , for this reason:
– Always pay attention to traffic and do not
get di
stracted by passengers or telephone
calls.
– Never drive when your driving ability is im-
paired (e.
g. by medication, alcohol, drugs).
– Observe traffic laws and speed limits.
– Always reduce your speed as appropriate
for r o
ad, traffic and weather conditions.
– When travelling long distances, take
break
s regularly - at least every two hours.
– If possible, avoid driving when you are tired
or stre
ssed. WARNING
When driving safety is impaired during a trip,
the risk of
injury and accidents increases. Safety equipment
Never put your safety or the safety of your
p
a
s
sengers in danger. In the event of an acci-
dent, the safety equipment may reduce the »
75
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
risk of injury. The following points cover part
of the s
af
ety equipment in your SEAT 1)
:
● three-point seat belts,
● Belt tension limiter for the front and rear
side seats
● belt
tensioners for the front and rear seats,
● front airbags,
● side airbags in the front seat backrests,
● “ISOFIX” anchor points for “ISOFIX” rear
chil
d seat system
● height-adjustable front head restraints,
● Rear-centre head restraints with in-use po-
sition and non-use po
sition
● adjustable steering column.
The safety
equipment mentioned above
works together to provide you and your pas-
sengers with the best possible protection in
the event of an accident. However, these
safety systems can only be effective if you
and your passengers are sitting in a correct
position and use this equipment properly.
Safety is everyone's business! Correct position of the vehicle
occup
ants
Correct sitting position for the driver Fig. 92
The proper distance between driver
and s t
eerin
g wheel. Fig. 93
Correct head restraint position for the
driv er
. For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injur
y
in the ev
ent of an accident, we recom-
mend the following adjustments for the driv-
er:
– Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
dist
ance of at least 25 cm between the
steering wheel and the centre of your chest
››› Fig. 92.
– Move the driver's seat forwards or back-
ward
s so that you are able to press the ac-
celerator, brake and clutch pedals to the
floor with your knees still slightly angled
››› .
– Ensure that you can reach the highest point
of the s
t
eering wheel.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper
edge is
at the same level as the top of your
head, or as close as possible to the same
level as the top of your head ››› Fig. 93.
– Move the seat backrest to an upright posi-
tion so that
your back rests completely
against it.
– Fasten your seat belt securely ›››
page 81.
– Keep both feet in the footwell so that you
have the
vehicle under control at all times.
Adjustment of the driver's seat ››› page 152. 1)
Depending on the version/market.
76
Seat belts
Seat belts
Wh y
w
ear a seat belt
Number of seats Your vehicle has
five se
ats, two in the front
and three in the rear. Each seat is equipped
with a three-point seat belt. WARNING
● Never tr an
sport more than the permitted
amount of people in your vehicle.
● Every vehicle occupant must properly fas-
ten and we
ar the seat belt belonging to his or
her seat. Children must be protected with an
appropriate child restraint system. Seat belt control lamp*
Fig. 97
Instrument panel: right rear seat oc-
c upied and c
orr
esponding seat belt fastened
display. The control lamp illuminates to remind the
driv
er t
o f
asten his seat belt.
Before starting the vehicle: – Fasten your seat belt securely.
– Instruct your passengers to fasten their
seat belts
properly before driving off.
– Protect children by using a child seat ac-
cordin
g to the child's height and weight.
When the ignition is switched on, the control
lamp in the instrument panel lights up (de-
pending on the model version) if the driver or
passenger have not fastened their seat belts.
When starting to drive, if the vehicle's speed
surpasses approx. 25 km/h (15 mph) and the
seat belts are not fastened or are unfastened during the drive, a warning sound will be
heard f
or a few seconds. The warning light
will also flash .
The lamp goes out when the driver and
passenger seat belts are fastened with the ig-
nition switched on.
Rear seat belts fastened display*
Depending on the model version, when the
ignition is switched on, the seat belt status
display ››› Fig. 97 on the instrument panel in-
forms the driver whether the passengers in
the rear seats have fastened their seat belts.
The symbol indicates that the passenger in
this seat has fastened “his or her” seat belt.
When a seat belt in the rear seats is fastened
or unfastened, the seat belt status is dis-
played for approximately 30 seconds. The in-
dication can be hidden by pressing the 0.0/SET button on the dash panel.
The se at
belt
status flashes for a maximum of
30 seconds when a seat belt in the rear seats
is unfastened while the vehicle is in motion.
An audible warning will also be heard if the
vehicle is travelling at over 25 km/h
(15 mph).
81
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Airbag system
travel on the rear seat. Never transport
chi
l
dren in the vehicle if they are not restrain-
ed or the restraint system is not appropriate
for their age, size or weight.
● If you are not wearing a seat belt, or if you
lean f
orward or to the side while travelling or
assume an incorrect sitting position, there is
a substantially increased risk of injury. This
increased risk of injury will be further in-
creased if you are struck by an inflating air-
bag.
● To reduce the risk of injury from an inflating
airbag, alw
ays wear the seat belt properly.
● Always adjust the front seats properly. Description of airbag system
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 20.
The airbag system is not a substitute for the
seat belts. The airbag system offers addition-
al protection for the driver and passenger in
combination with the seat belts.
The airbag system mainly comprises (as per
vehicle equipment): ● an electronic control and monitoring sys-
tem (contr
ol unit)
● frontal airbags for driver and passenger,
● side airbags,
● curtain airbags, ●
a contro
l lamp on the dash panel
››› page 91.
● key-operated switch for front passenger air-
bag,
● a contr
ol lamp for disabling/enabling the
front p
assenger airbag.
The airbag system operation is monitored
electronically. The airbag control lamp will il-
luminate for a few seconds every time the ig-
nition is switched on (self-diagnosis).
There is a fault in the system if the control
lamp :
● does not light up when the ignition is
switc
hed on ››› page 91,
● turns off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is sw
itched on,
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is sw
itched on,
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
movin
g.
The airbag system is not triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor frontal collision
● there is a minor side collision
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over. WARNING
● The seat belt
s and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 76, Correct position
of the vehicle occupants .
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system,
have the sy
stem checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, during a
frontal collision the system might not trigger
correctly or may fail to trigger at all. Airbag activation
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within
thou
s
andths
of a second, to provide addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de-
ploys. This is normal and it is not an indica-
tion of fire in the vehicle.
The airbag system is only ready to function
when the ignition is on.
In special accidents instances, several air-
bags may activate at the same time.
In the event of minor head-on and side colli-
sions, rear-end collisions, overturning or roll-
over of the vehicle, airbags do not activate.
Activation factors
The conditions that lead to the airbag system
activating in each situation cannot be gener-
alised. Some factors play an important role, »
87
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
such as the properties of the object the vehi-
c l
e hits
(hard/soft), angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
Deceleration trajectory is key for airbag acti-
vation.
The control unit analyses the collision trajec-
tory and activates the respective restraint
system.
If the deceleration rate is below the prede-
fined reference value in the control unit the
airbags will not be triggered, even though
the accident may cause extensive damage to
the car.
The following airbags are triggered in seri-
ous head-on collisions:
● Driver airbag.
● Front passenger front airbag
The fol
lowing airbags are triggered in seri-
ous side-on collisions:
● Front side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Cur
tain (head) airbag on the side of the ac-
cident.
In an ac
cident with airbag activation:
● the interior lights switch on (if the interior
light swit
ch is in the courtesy light position);
● the hazard warning lights switch on; ●
all door
s are unlocked;
● the fuel supply to the engine is cut.
Safety instructions about air-
bags Fr
ont airbags Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 21. WARNING
● The seat belt
s and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 76, Correct position
of the vehicle occupants .
● The deployment space between the front
pas
sengers and the airbags must not in any
case be occupied by other passenger, pets
and objects.
● The airbags provide protection for just one
accident; r
eplace them once they have de-
ployed.
● It is also important not to attach any ob-
jects
such as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the air-
bag units.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag sys
tem in any way. Side airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 22. WARNING
● If y
ou do not wear a seat belt, if you lean
forward, or are not seated correctly while the
vehicle is in motion, you are at a greater risk
of injury if the side airbag system is triggered
in an accident.
● In order for the side airbags to provide their
maximum pr
otection, the prescribed sitting
position must always be maintained with
seat belts fastened while travelling.
● Occupants of the outer seats must never
carry
any objects or pets in the deployment
space between them and the airbags, or al-
low children or other passengers to travel in
this position. It is also important not to at-
tach any accessories (such as cup holders) to
the doors. This would impair the protection
offered by the side airbags.
● The built-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight
clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
● Great forces, such as hard blows or kicks,
must
not be exerted upon the backrest bol-
ster because the system may be damaged. In
this case, the side airbags would not be trig-
gered.
● Under no circumstances should protective
cov
ers be fitted over seats with side airbags
unless the covers have been approved for use 88
Airbag system
in your vehicle. Because the airbag deploys
from the s
ide of
the backrest, the use of con-
ventional seat covers would obstruct the side
airbag, seriously reducing the airbag's effec-
tiveness.
● Any damage to the original seat upholstery
or around the se
ams of the side airbag units
must be repaired immediately by a special-
ised workshop.
● The airbags provide protection for just one
accident; r
eplace them once they have de-
ployed.
● Any work on the side airbag system or re-
mova
l and installation of the airbag compo-
nents for other repairs (such as removal of
the front seat) should only be performed by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, faults may
occur during the airbag system operation.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag sys
tem in any way.
● The side and head airbags are managed
through sensor
s located in the interior of the
front doors. To ensure the correct operation of
the side and curtain (head) airbags neither
the doors nor the door panels should be
modified in any way (e.g. fitting loudspeak-
ers). If the front door is damaged, the airbag
system may not work correctly. All work car-
ried out on the front door must be done in a
specialised workshop.
● In a side-on collision the side airbags will
not work
if the sensors do not correctly meas-
ure the pressure increase on the interior of
the doors, due to air escaping through the areas with holes or openings in the door pan-
el.
● Nev er driv
e if the interior door panels have
been remov
ed or if the panels have not been
correctly fitted.
● Never drive the vehicle if the loudspeakers
in the door panels
have been removed, un-
less the holes left by the loudspeakers have
been closed properly.
● Always check that the openings are closed
or cov
ered if additional loudspeakers or other
equipment are fitted inside the door panels.
● Any work carried out to the doors should be
made in an authori
sed specialised workshop. Head-protection airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 23. WARNING
● In order f or the he
ad-protection airbags to
provide their maximum protection, the pre-
scribed sitting position must always be main-
tained with seat belts fastened while travel-
ling.
● For safety reasons, the curtain airbag must
be disab
led in those vehicles fitted with a
screen dividing the interior of the vehicle.
See your technical service to make this ad-
justment. ●
There mu s
t be no other persons, animals or
objects between the occupants of the outer
seats and the deployment space of the head-
protection airbags so that the head-protec-
tion airbag can deploy completely without re-
striction and provide the greatest possible
protection. Therefore, sun blinds which have
not been expressly approved for use in your
vehicle may not be attached to the side win-
dows
● The built-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight
clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
Please, do not hang the clothes on coat hang-
ers.
● The airbags provide protection for just one
accident; r
eplace them once they have de-
ployed.
● Any work on the head-protection airbag
syst
em or removal and installation of the air-
bag components for other repairs (such as re-
moval of the roof lining) should only be per-
formed by a specialised workshop. Other-
wise, faults may occur during the airbag sys-
tem operation.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag sys
tem in any way.
● The side and head airbags are managed
through sensor
s located in the interior of the
front doors. To ensure the correct operation of
the side and curtain airbags neither the
doors nor the door panels should be modified
in any way (e.g. fitting loudspeakers). If the
front door is damaged, the airbag system
may not work correctly. All work carried out » 89
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
on the front door must be done in a special-
ised w
ork
shop. Deactivating airbags
Activ ation and de
activation of front
passenger airbag* Fig. 103
Switch for activating and deactivat-
in g the fr
ont
passenger airbag. Fig. 104
Centre side of dash panel: control
lamp f or de
activated front passenger airbag
in centre console. Deactivate the front passenger front airbag
on
ly
if
you have to use a rear-facing child
seat in the front passenger seat.
SEAT recommends fitting the child seat in the
rear seat to avoid having to deactivate the
front passenger airbag.
Front passenger front airbag switch
When the front passenger airbag is deactiva-
ted, this means that only the front passenger
front airbag is deactivated. All the other air-
bags in the vehicle remain activated.
Disconnect the front passenger front airbag
● Switch the ignition off.
● Open the door on the front passenger side.
● Insert the key into the slot of the switch for
deactivatin
g the front passenger airbag ›››
Fig. 103. About 3/4 of the k
ey should en-
ter; this is as far as it will go.
● Turn the key gently to the position. If
y
ou have difficulty, ensure that you have in-
serted the key as far as it will go.
● Close the front passenger door.
● Check, with the ignition switched on, that
the contro
l lamp remains lit where it
says in the centre of the
dash panel ››› Fig. 104.
Connect the front passenger front airbag ● Switch the ignition off.
● Open the front passenger door.
● Insert the key into the slot of the switch for
deactivatin
g the front passenger airbag
››› Fig. 103. About 3/4 of the key should en-
ter, as far as it will go.
● Turn the key gently to the position. If
you
have difficulty, ensure that you have inserted
the key as far as it will go.
● Close the front passenger door.
● Check, with the ignition switched on, that
the contro
l lamp does not remain lit
where it says in the cen-
tre of the dash panel ››› Fig. 104. The
control lamp lights up for 60 seconds and
then goes off.
90
Airbag system
WARNING
● The driver of the
vehicle is responsible for
disabling or switching on the airbag.
● Always switch off the ignition before disa-
bling the fr
ont passenger airbag! Failure to do
so could result in a fault in the airbag deacti-
vation system.
● Never leave the key in the airbag disabling
switc
h as it could get damaged or enable or
disable the airbag during driving.
● If for any reason an airbag is deactivated,
reactiv
ate it as soon as possible so that it can
fulfil its protective function. Airbag system control lamps
It lights up on the combi-in-
strument
Fault in airbag
system and seat
belt tensioners.Have the system checked immedi-
ately by a specialised workshop.
It lights up on the dash panel
Front passenger
front airbag disa-
bled.Check whether the airbag should
remain disabled
It lights up on the dash panel
Front passenger
front airbag ena-
bled.The control lamp switches off auto-
matically 60 seconds after the igni-
tion is switched on
Several warning and control lamps light up
for a f
ew sec
onds when the ignition is switch-
ed on, signalling that the function is being
verified. They will switch off after a few sec-
onds.
If the airbag and seat belt tensioner system
control lamp remains on or flashes, it indi-
cates a malfunction in the airbag and seat
belt tensioner system ››› . Have the system
c hec
k
ed immediately by a specialised work-
shop.
If the front passenger airbag is deactivated,
the warning lamp re-
mains lit on the dash panel to remind you
that the airbag is deactivated. If, with the
front passenger airbag deactivated, this lamp
does not remain lit or if it is lit together with
the control lamp on the dash panel, there
is a fault in the airbag system ››› . If the
c ontr
o
l lamp is flashing, there is a fault in the
disabling of the airbag system ››› . Have the
sy s
t
em checked immediately by a specialised
workshop. WARNING
In the event of a fault in the airbag and seat
belt t en
sioner system, the airbags and seat belts may not trigger correctly, may fail to
trigg
er or m
ay even trigger unexpectedly.
● The vehicle occupants run the risk of sus-
taining sev
ere or fatal injuries. Have the sys-
tem checked immediately by a specialised
workshop.
● Do not mount a child seat in the front pas-
senger se
at or remove the mounted child
seat! The front passenger front airbag may
deploy during an accident in spite of the
fault. CAUTION
Always pay attention to any lit control lamps
and to the c orr
esponding descriptions and in-
structions to avoid damage to the vehicle or
harm to the occupants. 91
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety