SKODA FABIA 2009 2.G / 5J Owner's Manual

Passive Safety 130correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your
occupants.•
The front passenger must 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 properly protect you - hazard!
•
Always keep your feet in the footwell when the vehicle 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 necessary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an
airbag is deployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect
seated position!
•
The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving other-
wise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag
system - risk of injury!
Correct seated position for the occupants on the rear seats
Occupants on the rear seats must sit upright, keep the feet in the
footwell and must have their seat belts correctly fastened.To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or an acci-
dent, the occupants on the rear seats must observe the following.•
Adjust the head restraints so that the top edge of the head restraints are at the
same level as the upper part of your head ⇒page 129, fig. 141.
•
Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 134, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
•
If you are transporting ⇒page 147, “Transporting children safely” children in
the vehicle, please use a suitable child restraint system.
WARNING
•
The head restraints must always be adjusted to match the body size, in
order to offer an optimal protection for you and your occupants.
•
Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven - never
put your feet out of the window or on the surfaces of the seats. You will be
exposed to increased risk of injury if it becomes necessary to apply the brake
or in the event of an accident. If the head airbag* is deployed and when
adopting an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to an
increased risk of injury and in the event of an accident you may suffer fatal
injuries!
•
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.
Examples of an incorrect seated position
An incorrect seated position can lead to severe injuries or death for
the occupants.Seat belts offer their optimum protection only if the webbing of the seat belts is
properly routed. Incorrect seated positions considerably reduce the protective
functions of the seat belts and therefore increase the risk of injury due to an incor-
rect routing of the seat belt. The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occu-
pants, in particular for the children. Do not permit an occupant to adopt an incor-
rect seated position when the car is moving.
The following list contains the examples of seated positions which are dangerous
for the occupants. This list is not complete, however we would like you to get inter-
ested in this subject.
Therefore, while the car is moving never:•
stand up in the vehicle;
•
stand up on the seats;
•
kneel on the seats;
•
tilt the seat backrest fully to the back;
•
lean against the dash panel;
•
lie on the rear seat bench;
•
only sit on the front area of the seat;
WARNING (continued)
WARNING (continued)
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Passive Safety131
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•
sit to the side;
•
lean out of the window;
•
put the feet out of the window;
•
put the feet on the dash panel;
•
put the feet on the seat upholstery;
•
transport somebody in the footwell;
•
have the seat belt not fastened when driving;
•
occupy the luggage compartment.
WARNING
•
If the occupant adopts an incorrect seated position, he is exposed to life-
threatening injuries, in case he is hit by a deployed airbag.
•
Before setting off, please adopt the correct seated position and do not
change this seated position while the car is moving. Also advise your occu-
pants to adopt the correct seated position and not to change this seated
position while the car is moving.
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Seat belts 132Seat beltsWhy seat belts?It is a proven fact that seat belts offer good protection in accidents ⇒fig. 142. Thus
wearing a seat belt is a legal requirement in most countries.
Seat belts which have been correctly fastened and adjusted hold the occupants of
the car in the correct seated position ⇒fig. 142. The belts reduce the kinetic energy
(energy of motion) to a considerable extent. They also prevent uncontrolled move-
ments which, in turn, may well result in severe injuries.
The occupants of a vehicle who have fastened and correctly adjusted their seat belt,
profit to a major extent from the fact that the kinetic energy is optimally absorbed
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 reducing the kinetic energy.
The energy produced is thus absorbed and there is less risk of injury.
Accident statistics prove that seat belts which are fastened and properly adjusted
reduce the risk of an injury and enhance the chance of survival in a major accident
⇒page 133.It is important that you pay attention to safety measures, particularly when trans-
porting children in the vehicle ⇒page 147, “Transporting children safely”.
WARNING
•
Fasten your seat belt each time before setting off, also when driving in
town! This also applies to the people 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 134, “Fastening
three-point seat belts”.
•
It is important for the belt webbing to be properly routed if the seat belts
are to offer the maximum protection. You can see a description of how safety
belts should be fitted properly on the next pages.Note
Please comply with any differing legal requirements when using the seat belts.
Fig. 142 Driver wearing seat
belt
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Seat belts133
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The physical principle of a frontal collisionThe physical principle of a frontal accident can be explained quite simply:
Motion energy, so-called kinetic energy, is produced as soon as the vehicle is
moving, both for the vehicle and its 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 and 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 acci-
dent.
The speed of the vehicle is, nevertheless, 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 common opinion that it is possible to support your body in a minor accident
with your hands, 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 within the range from 30 km/hour to 50 km/hour,
the forces which are produced on your body in the event of an accident can easily
exceed 10.000 N (Newton). This equals a weight of one tonne (1 000 kg).
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, windscreen,⇒fig. 143. The occupants of a
vehicle who have not fastened their seat belts may even be thrown out of the
vehicle. This can result in fatal injuries.
It is also important that rear seat occupants fasten their seat belts as they will other-
wise be thrown through the vehicle in an uncontrolled manner in the event of an
accident A rear seat passenger who has not fastened the seat belt is a danger not
only to himself but also for those seated at the front ⇒fig. 144.
Important safety information regarding the use of seat beltsThe correct use of the seat belts considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
WARNING
•
The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or
twisted, or chafe against any sharp edges.
•
It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts
are to offer their maximum protection ⇒page 134, “How are seat belts
correctly fastened?”.
Fig. 143 The driver is thrown
forward if not wearing a beltFig. 144 The rear seat occu-
pant is thrown forward if not
wearing a belt
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Seat belts 134•
No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat belt
together.
•
The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if
you are correctly seated ⇒page 128, “Correct seated position”.
•
The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. spec-
tacles, ball-point pens, keys etc.) as this may be a cause of injuries.
•
Bulky, loose clothing (e.g. a winter coat over a jacket) does 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 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 seat backrests must not be tilted too far to the rear otherwise the
seatbelts can lose their effectiveness.
•
The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt webbing may
impair proper operation of the inertia reel ⇒page 179, “Seat belts”.
•
The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked by paper or similar
objects otherwise the belt tongue will not lock in place properly.
•
Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condition. If
you find seat belts which have damage to the seat belt webbing, seat belt
connections, to the inertia reels or to the lock, the relevant safety belt must
be replaced by a specialist garage.
•
The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do not make
an attempt to repair the seat belts yourself.
•
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 anchorage points for the belts should also be checked.
•
In certain countries it is possible to use seat belts which differ in terms of
their operation from the seat belts which are described on the pages which
follow.
How are seat belts correctly fastened?Fastening three-point seat belts
Fasten your seat belt before starting!– Correctly adjust the seat and the head restraint before fastening your
seat belt ⇒page 128, “Correct seated position”.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 145 Routing of webbing
over the shoulders and the
lap beltFig. 146 Routing of belt
webbing for an expectant
mother
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Seat belts135
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– Slowly pull the belt webbing at the tongue of the lock over your chest
and pelvis ⇒.
– Insert the tongue of the lock into the seat belt buckle belonging to the
seat until it is heard to lock in place.
– Pull on the belt to check that it has also reliably engaged in the lock.Each three-point seat belt is equipped with an inertia reel. This inertia reel offers
you complete freedom of movement if the belt is unreeled slowly. If the brakes are
applied suddenly, the inertia reel will block. The belts also block when the car accel-
erates, when driving downhill and when cornering.
Expectant mothers must also wear the seat belt ⇒.
WARNING
•
The shoulder part of the seat belt must never run across your neck but
must run approximately over the middle of the shoulder and fit snugly
against the chest. The lap part of the belt must run across the hip and must
never be routed across the stomach. It must always fit snugly ⇒page 134,
fig. 145. Adjust the belt webbing as required.
•
The lap part of the belt should be positioned as low as possible at the
pelvis of an expectant mother in order to avoid exerting any pressure on the
lower abdomen.
•
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
suddenly held firm by the belt.
•
Only insert the lock tongue into the lock which is the correct one for your
seat. This will affect the protection which the belt offers and increase the risk
of an injury.
Seat belt height adjuster on the front seatsThe seat belt height adjuster makes it possible for you to adapt the
routing of the front three-point seat belt in the area of the shoulder to
match your body size.
– To adjust the belt height press the height adjuster and move it up or
down ⇒fig. 147.
– Then pull firmly on the belt to ensure that the seat belt height adjuster
has correctly locked in place.
WARNING
Adjust the height of the belt in such a way that the shoulder part of the belt
is positioned approximately across the middle of your shoulder - on no
account across your neck.
Note
It is also possible to adapt the routing of the belt webbing on the front seats by
adjusting the height of the seat*.
Fig. 147 Front seat: Seat belt
height adjuster
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Seat belts 136Taking seat belts off– Press the red button in the belt lock ⇒fig. 148. The spring force causes
the tongue of the lock to jump out.
– Guide the belt back with your hand to enable the inertia reel to wind
up the belt webbing more easily.A plastic knob in the belt webbing holds the belt tongue in a position which is easy
to get hold of.Three-point safety belt for the middle rear seatIt is used in the same way as the normal three-point seat belts on the left and right
(at front and rear). The three-point seat belt for the rear middle seat must be put on
first to allow the pelvic part of the belt to run between the belt lock for the right
three-point seat belt and the backrest, while avoiding crossing the belt webbing of
the right and middle seat belts.
WARNING
•
The three-point safety belt for the rear middle seat can only fulfil its func-
tion reliably when the backrests are correctly locked into position
⇒page 65.
Note
The vehicles of the group N1 are not equipped with the third seat belt on the rear
seats. The vehicle is only approved for four persons.Belt tensionerSafety 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 fastened three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a
frontal collision of a certain severity. The belts tensioners are also deployed if the
seat belts are not fastened.
Belt tensioners are not activated in the event of minor frontal collisions, side and
rear-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 tightener system, including removal and installa-
tion 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
replace the entire system.
•
The Owner's Manual must also be handed over to the new owner if the
vehicle is sold.Note
•
Smoke is generated when the belt tensioners are deployed. This is not an indi-
cation of a fire in the vehicle.
•
It is essential to pay attention to relevant safety regulations if the vehicle or indi-
vidual parts of the system are scrapped. Specialist garages are familiar with these
regulations and will be able to provide you with detailed information in this respect.
Fig. 148 Releasing lock
tongue from belt lock
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Seat belts137
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•
When disposing of vehicle or parts of the system, it is important to comply with
the national legal requirements.
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Airbag system 138Airbag systemDescription of the airbag systemGeneral information on the airbag systemThe front airbag system is complementary to the three-point seat belts and offers
additional protection for the head and chest area of the driver and passenger in the
event of a frontal collision.
In the event of a side collision, the side airbags reduce the risk of injury to the occu-
pants to the part of their body facing the side of the accident.
The airbag system is only functional after the ignition has been switched on.
The operational readiness of the airbag system is monitored electronically. The
airbag warning light comes on for a few seconds each time the ignition is switched
on.
The airbag system (according to vehicle equipment) consists of:•
an electronic control unit;
•
the front airbags for the driver and front passenger ⇒page 139;
•
the side airbags ⇒page 142;
•
head airbags ⇒page 143;
•
an airbag warning light in the instrument cluster ⇒page 33;
•
a front passenger airbag switch* ⇒page 146;
•
an indicator light for a switched off front seat passenger airbag* in the middle
of the dash panel ⇒page 146.
A fault in the airbag system exists if:
•
the airbag indicator light does not light up when the ignition is switched on;
•
the airbag indicator light does not go out after about 3 seconds after the ignition
is switched on;
•
the airbag indicator light goes out and comes on again after the ignition is
switched on;
•
the airbag indicator light comes on or flickers when driving;
•
an airbag indicator light showing a switched-off front passenger airbag* in the
middle of the dash panel flashes.
WARNING
•
To enable the occupants of a vehicle to be protected with the greatest
possible effect when the airbag is deployed, the front seats must be
⇒page 128, “Correct seated position” correctly adjusted to match the body
size of the occupant.
•
If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or
adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased
risk of injury in the event of an accident.
•
Have the airbag system checked immediately by a specialist garage if a
fault exists. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activated in the
event of an accident.
•
No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
•
It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.
•
The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one
accident. The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been
deployed.
•
The airbag system needs no maintenance during its working life.
•
If you sell your car, please hand over the complete vehicle documenta-
tion to the new owener. Please note that the documents relating to the
possibility of deactivating the front passenger airbag are also part of the
vehicle documents!
•
If the vehicle or individual parts of the airbag system are scrapped, it is
essential to observe the relevant safety precautions. Specialist garages are
familiar with these regulations.
•
When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important
to comply with the national legal requirements.
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Airbag system139
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When are the airbags deployed?The airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver and the front passenger
airbag* are deployed in the event of a frontal collision of major severity.
In the case of a violent side crash, the side airbag* in the front seat and the head
airbag* on the side on which the collision occurs are deployed.
It is also possible under certain special accident situations that the front as well as
the side airbags and head airbags* are deployed at the same time.
The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side collisions, in the
case of rear-end collisions and vehicle rollover.
Deployment factors
It is not possible to state globally which deployment conditions apply to the airbag
system in every situation as the circumstances which exist in the case of accidents
vary greatly. An important role in this case, for example, is played by factors such as
the type of object against which the vehicle impacts (hard, soft), the angle of impact,
the vehicle speed etc.
A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration which occurs
during a collision. The control unit analyses the nature of the collision and activates
the relevant restraint system. If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is meas-
ured during the collision remains below the prescribed reference values specified
in the control unit, the airbags are not deployed although the vehicle may well
suffer severe damage to the bodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The airbags are not deployed if:•
ignition is switched off;
•
a minor frontal collision;
•
a minor side collision;
•
a rear-end collision;
•
Rollover of the vehicle.Note
•
A grey white or red, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is
perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
•
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.
Front airbagsDescription of the front airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belt!
Fig. 149 Driver airbag in the
steering wheelFig. 150 Front passenger
airbag in the dash panel
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