SKODA FABIA 2003 1.G / 6Y Owner's Manual

Communication
110

Passive Safety111
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Safety
Passive Safety
Driving the safe way
Passive safety measures reduce the risk of injury in acci-
dent situations.
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 example, regarding seat belts,
airbags, child seats and safety of children. It is therefore important, in
particular, to comply with the notes and warnings in this section for your
own interest and in the interest of all those travelling with you.
The information provided in this section applies to all models of your type
of vehicle. It is also possible that equipment is described here which does
not necessarily apply to your vehicle.
Requirements for maximum safety
It is important that you comply with the following requirements in order to
ensure that the seat belts and the airbag systems offer you and the occu-
pants of your vehicle maximum protection:
•front seats correctly adjusted ⇒page 63
•head restraints adjusted to match your body size ⇒page 65
•seat belts correctly fastened and adjusted ⇒page 115
•adopting a correct seated position
WARNING
Please do not forget to give the new owner the complete vehicle
documentation, if you sell your vehicle, including the service
schedule and documents relating to the possible deactivation of
airbags.

Seat belts
112
Seat belts
Why seat belts?
It is a proven fact that seat belts offer good protection in accidents
⇒ fig. 90. Thus wearing a seat belt is a legal requirement in most coun-
tries.
Seat belts which have been correctly fastened and adjusted hold the
occupants of the car in the correct seated position ⇒fig. 90 . The belts
reduce the kinetic energy (energy of motion) to a considerable extent.
They also prevent uncontrolled movements 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 113.
It is important that you pay attention to safety measures, particularly when
transporting children in the vehicle ⇒page 130, “Transporting children
safely”.
Note
Please comply with any differing legal requirements when using the seat
belts.
Fig. 90 Driver wearing
seat belt (a basic illus-
tration)
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 115.
•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.

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The physical principle of a frontal
collision
The physical principle of a frontal accident can be explained quite simply: As soon as the vehicle is moving, so-called kinetic energy (the energy of
motion) is produced both in terms of the car as well as in terms of the
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
accident.
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 vehicle not wearing a
seat belt are thrown forward and strike parts of the interior of the vehicle,
such as the steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen in an uncontrolled
manner
⇒fig. 91. 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 passengers fasten their seat belts as they
will otherwise 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. 92 .
Fig. 91 The driver is
thrown forward if not
wearing a belt
Fig. 92 The rear seat
occupant is thrown
forward if not wearing a
belt

Seat belts
114
Important safety information regarding
the use of seat belts
The 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.
•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 63.
•The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects
(e.g. spectacles, 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.
•The backrests of the front seats 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 165.
WARNING (continued)
•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.
•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 Škoda dealer. The anchorage points of the belts
must also be inspected. The anchorage points for the belts should
also be checked.
•In certain export countries it is possible to use seat belts which
differ in terms of their operation from the inertia reel and lap belts
which are described on the pages which follow.

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How are seat belts correctly fastened?
Fastening a three-point seat belt
Fasten your seat belt before starting!
– Correctly adjust the front seat and the head restraint before
fastening your seat belt ⇒page 63.
– 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. It also blocks
the seat belts when the vehicle accelerates, is driving uphill, is in a tilted
position and when cornering.
Expectant mothers must also wear the seat belt ⇒.
Fig. 93 Routing of
webbing over the
shoulders and the lap
belt
Fig. 94 Routing of belt
webbing for an
expectant mother
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 ⇒fig. 93 . 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.

Seat belts
116
Seat belt height adjuster
The seat belt height adjuster makes it possible for you to adapt
the routing of the 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. 95 . – Then pull firmly on the belt to ensure that the seat belt height
adjuster has correctly locked in place.
Note
It is also possible to adapt the routing of the belt webbing on the front seats
by adjusting the height of the seat*.
Taking seat belts off
WARNING (continued)
•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.
Fig. 95 Front seat:
Seat belt height
adjuster
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.
Fig. 96 Releasing lock
tongue from belt lock

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– Press the red button in the belt lock ⇒page 116, fig. 96 . 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.
The pelvic belt
The rear middle seat section is fitted with a two-point
pelvic belt.
The lock part of the two-point pelvic belt is oper ated in the same
way as for a three-point safety belt.
Extending the pelvic belt
– Hold the lock tongue at right angles to the belt webbing and pull through the desired amount of belt webbing ⇒fig. 97 .
Shortening the pelvic belt
– Pull on the free end of the belt ⇒fig. 98 .
– Slide the excess belt length through the plastic slider.
A classic three-point safety belt is used on some vehicles instead of a
pelvic belt ⇒page 118.Fig. 97 Extending the
pelvic belt
Fig. 98 Shortening the
pelvic belt

Seat belts
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Three-point safety belt for the middle rear seat*
It is used in the same way as the normal three-point seat belts on the left
and right (at front and rear). The middle three-point seat belt must be put
on first to allow the pelvic part of the belt to be pulled through between the
belt lock for the right three-point seat belt and the backrest, while avoiding
crossing the belt webbing of the middle and side seat belts.
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 fastened three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the
event of a frontal collision of a certain severity. On vehicles fitted with side
airbags, a seat belt which is not fastened is also tensioned.
The belt tensioner is deployed in the event of a frontal collision of major
severity. A powder charge is ignited in the inertia reels during deployment.
The belt webbing is pulled into the inertia reels by a mechanical system
and the belt is tensioned.
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 acci-
dents in which no major forces are produced from the front.
Note
•Smoke is generated when the belt tensioners are deployed. This is not
an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
•It is essential to pay attention to relevant safety regulations if the
vehicle or individual parts of the system are scrapped. Škoda dealers are
familiar with these regulations and will be able to provide you with detailed
information in this respect.
WARNING
•The pelvic belt must always sit firmly across the pelvis; tighten
the belt webbing if necessary.
•An unused pelvic belt should be stowed away together with the
lock for safety reasons.
WARNING
The three-point safety belt for the middle of the rear seat can only
fulfil its function reliably when the backrests of the rear seats are
correctly locked into position ⇒page 29.
WARNING
•The service life of seat belts and belt tensioners is 15 years from
the date of manufacture of the vehicle. It is then necessary to have
the seat belts replaced by a Škoda dealer.
•Any work on the belt tightener system, including removal and
installation of system components because of other repair work,
must only be carried out by Škoda dealer.
•The protective function of the system is only adequate for a
single accident. 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.

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•When disposing of vehicle or parts of the system, it is important to
comply with the national legal requirements.