warning SKODA OCTAVIA 2011 2.G / (1Z) Owners Manual

Selector lever positions
Fig. 106 Selector lever/information display: Selector lever positions
The current selector lever position is indicated in the information display of the in-
strument cluster ⇒ fig. 106 - right. In the positions D and S the gear you have al-
ready engaged will be additionally displayed on the display.
P - Parklock
The driven wheels are locked mechanically in this position.
The Parklock must only be engaged when the vehicle is stationary ⇒  .
If you wish to move the selector lever into or out of this position, you must press
the Shiftlock button in the handle of the selector lever and at the same time de-
press the brake pedal.
If the battery is used, the selector lever cannot be moved out of the position P.
R - Reverse gear
Reverse gear must only be engaged when the vehicle is stationary and the engine
idling ⇒  .
The brake pedal must be depressed and at the same time the Shiftlock must be
pressed, if you wish to obtain the selector lever positions R, P or N.
When the ignition is switched on and the selector lever is in position R, the re-
verse lights will come on.
N - Neutral
The transmission is in Neutral in this position. The brake pedal must be depressed (if the lever is in its position for longer than 2
seconds) in order to move the selector lever out of the position
N into the position
D or R, with the ignition switched on, on a vehicle travelling at less than 5 km/
hour or on a stationary vehicle.
D - Position for driving forward
When the selector lever is in this position, the forward gears are shifted up and
down automatically in line with engine load, vehicle speed and the dynamic shift
programme.
You must depress the brake pedal if you wish to move into position D from N
when the vehicle is travelling at less than 5
km/hour or is stationary ⇒  .
Under certain circumstances (e.g. when driving in mountainous regions or when
towing a trailer) it may be beneficial to select the manual shift programme
⇒  page 112 for a short time in order to adapt the gearbox ratios manually to the
driving situations.
S - Position for sporty style of driving
Shifting up later into a higher gear makes it possible to fully exploit the power po-
tential of the engine. The gearbox also then shifts down at higher engine speeds
as in the position D .
The gearbox does not shift into the 6th gear in the position S, because the maxi-
mum speed is reached with the 5th gear 1)
.
The Shiftlock on the selector lever grip must be pressed when moving the selec-
tor lever out of the position D into the position S. WARNING
● Never move the selector lever into position
R or P when driving - risk of an
accident!
● When the engine is running and the vehicle is stationary, it is necessary to
hold the car with the brake pedal in all the positions of the selector lever (ex-
cept P and N) since the power transmission is never completely interrupted,
also not when the engine is idling - the vehicle creeps. £1)
Not valid for vehicles with automatic gearbox DSG. 110
Automatic gearbox

WARNING (Continued)
● You must on no account unintentionally operate the throttle (e.g. by hand
from the engine compartment) if a drive position is engaged when the car is
stationary. The vehicle would otherwise immediately start off - also when the
handbrake is firmly applied - risk of an accident!
● You must move the selector lever into position P and firmly apply the
handbrake first before you or any other person opens the bonnet and starts
working on the engine when it is running - risk of accident! It is also essential
to observe all warnings ⇒ page 181, Working in the engine compartment
. 
Selector lever lock Automatic selector lever lock

With the ignition on, the selector lever is locked when it is in the positions P and
N. You must first of all depress the brake pedal in order to move the selector lever
out of this position. The warning light  ⇒

 page 27 lights up in the instrument
cluster as a reminder for the driver when the selector lever is in the positions P
and N.
A time delay element ensures that the selector lever is not blocked when rapidly
switching over the position N (e.g. from R to D). This does, for example, allow one
to seesaw out a stuck vehicle. The selector lever lock will click into place if the lev-
er is in the N position for more than 2 seconds without the brake pedal being
pressed.
The selector lever lock is only active if the vehicle is stationary or moving at speed
of less than 5 km/hour. The lock is switched off automatically into position N
when the car is travelling at a higher speed.
Shiftlock button
The Shiftlock button in the handle of selector lever prevents certain selector lever
positions being engaged inadvertently. The selector lever lock is cancelled when
you press the Shiftlock button.
Keylock - Ignition key withdrawal lock
You can only withdraw the ignition key after switching off the ignition if the selec-
tor lever is in position P. If the ignition key is withdrawn, the selector lever is
blocked in position P . Kickdown function The kickdown function provides you with maximum acceleration
power.
Fully depressing the accelerator pedal allows the kickdown function to be activa-
ted in the desired driving program. This function has precedence over the driving
programme and serves for maximum acceleration of the vehicle when exploiting
the maximum power potential of the engine without taking into account the cur-
rent selector lever position ( D, S or Tiptronic ). The gearbox shifts down to one or
several gears in line with the driving state and the vehicle accelerates. The gear-
box does not shift up into the highest gear until the engine has reached its maxi-
mum revolutions for this gear range. WARNING
Please note that using the kickdown function can result in the driven wheels
spinning on a smooth or slippery road surface - risk of skidding! 
Dynamic shift programme The automatic gearbox of your vehicle is controlled electronically. Shifting up and
down through the gears is performed automatically on the basis of pre-defined
driving programmes.
Adopting a moderate style of driving
will cause the gearbox to select the most
economical driving programme. Shifting up into a higher gear as soon as possible
and shifting down as late as possible will have a favourable effect on your fuel
consumption.
Adopting a sporty style of driving with rapid movements of the accelerator pedal
combined with sharp acceleration and frequent changes in speed, exploiting the
top speed of the car or depressing the accelerator pedal (kickdown function), will
cause the gearbox to switch over to this style of driving and shift down earlier
with frequent changes in gears in comparison to the moderate style of driving.
Selecting the most appropriate driving programme for the particular style of driv-
ing is a continuous process. Irrespective of this it is, however, possible to switch or
shift down into a dynamic shift programme by depressing the accelerator rapidly.
The gearbox shifts down into a lower gear matching the speed of the car and this
allows you to accelerate rapidly (e.g. when overtaking) without having to depress £ 111
Automatic gearbox Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

for your mobile phone, use your mobile phone exclusively in the adapter so that
the radiation in the vehicle drops to a minimum. This also improves the quality of
the connection.
Operation of mobile phones or two-way radio systems may interfere with func-
tioning of the electronic systems of your vehicle. The reasons for this may be:
● no external aerial,
● external aerial incorrectly installed,
● transmission power greater than 10 watts. WARNING
● If a mobile phone or a two-way radio system is operated in the vehicle
without using an external aerial or an external aerial which has been incor-
rectly installed, this can increase the strength of the electromagnetic field in
the interior of the vehicle.
● Please concentrate fully at all times on your driving!
● You must not install two-way radio systems, mobile phones or mounts on
the covers of the airbags or within the immediate deployment range of air-
bags. This might result in injuries to the occupants in the event of an accident.
● Never leave a mobile phone on a seat, on the dash panel or in another
area, from which it can be thrown during a sudden braking manoeuvre, an ac-
cident or a collision. In this case, the occupants of the vehicle might be injured. Note
Observe the country-specific regulations for the use of mobile phones in vehicles. 
Universal telephone preinstallation GSM II Introduction The universal telephone preinstallation GSM II is a built-in “hands-free system”, it
provides a voice operated convenience mode via the multifunction steering wheel or the radio navigation system.
All communication between a telephone and the hands-free system of your vehi-
cle can only be established with the help of the Bluetooth ®
technology. The
adapter serves only for charging the telephone and for transmitting the signal to
the external aerial of the vehicle. To ensure an optimum signal transmission, always leave the telephone with the
adapter in the telephone mount.
Furthermore the volume can be changed individually during the call at any time
with the button for setting the radio or radio navigation system or with the but-
tons on the multifunction steering wheel.
WARNING
Concentrate fully at all times on your steering! As the driver you are fully re-
sponsible for road safety. Use the telephone system only to such an extent, so
that you are in full control of your vehicle at any time. Note
● Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒ page 115, Mobile phones and two-
way radio systems.
● Should you have any questions, please contact an authorised ŠKODA Service
Partner. 
Phone Phonebook A phone phonebook is part of the mobile phone preinstallation with voice control.
In the phone phonebook there are 2500 free memory locations available. Each
contact can contain up to 4 numbers. This phone phonebook can be used in line
with the mobile telephone.
On vehicles fitted with the radio navigation system Columbus, a maximum of 1200
telephone contacts are shown in the display of this appliance.
After the first connection of the telephone, the system begins to load the phone
book from the phone and the SIM card into the memory of the control unit.
Each time the telephone has established a new connection with the hands-free
system, an update of the relevant phone book is performed. The updating can
take a few minutes. During this time the phone book, which was stored after the
last update was completed, is available. Newly stored telephone numbers are only
shown after the updating has ended.
If the number of contacts loaded exceeds 2 500, the phone book is not complete.
If a telephone event (e.g. incoming or outgoing call, dialogue of the voice control)
occurs during the updating procedure, the updating is interrupted. After the tele-
phone event has ended, the updating starts anew. 116
Communication

Connection of the mobile phone with the hands-free system
In order to connect a mobile phone with the hands-free system, it is necessary to
connect the telephone to the hands-free system. Detailed information on this is
provided in the operating instructions of your mobile phone. The following steps
must be carried out for the connection:
– Activate the Bluetooth ®
in your telephone and the visibility of the mobile
phone.
– Switch on the ignition.
– Select the menu Phone - Phone search in the information display and wait un-
til the control unit has ended the search.
– Select your mobile phone in the menu of the units found.
– Confirm the PIN (as standard 1234).
– If the hands-free system announces (as standard Skoda UHV) on the display of
the mobile phone, enter the PIN (as standard 1234) within 30 seconds and wait
until the connection is established 1)
.
– After ending the connection, confirm in the information display that a new
user profile was created.
If no more free space is available for creating a new user profile, delete an existing
user profile.
If you have not managed to connect your mobile phone with the hands-free sys-
tem within 3 minutes after switching on the ignition, switch the ignition off and
then again on. The visibility of the hands-free system is established again for 3
minutes. The visibility of the Bluetooth ®
device is automatically switched off if the
vehicle starts off or if the mobile phone connects to the device.
During the connecting procedure, no other mobile phone may be connected with
the hands-free system.
Up to four mobile phones can be paired to the hands-free system, whereby only
one mobile phone can communicate with the hands-free system. Connection with an already paired mobile phone
After switching on the ignition, the connection is automatically established for the
already paired mobile phone
1)
. Check on the mobile unit if the automatic connec-
tion was established.
Disconnecting the connection
● By withdrawing the ignition key.
● By disconnecting the device in the information display.
● By disconnecting the device in the mobile phone.
Solving connection problems
If the system announces No paired phone found, check the operating state of the
telephone:
● Is the telephone switched on?
● Is the PIN code entered?
● Is Bluetooth ®
active?
● Is the visibility of the mobile phone active?
● Was the telephone already paired with the hands-free system? WARNING
In the event of air transport, the Bluetooth ®
function of the hands-free sys-
tem must be switched off by a specialist garage! Note
● Not valid for all mobile phones which enable a communication via Bluetooth ®
.
You can ask at an authorised ŠKODA Service Partner if your telephone is compati-
ble with the universal telephone preinstallation GSM II.
● If a suitable adapter is available for your mobile phone, use your mobile phone
exclusively in the adapter so that the radiation in the vehicle drops to a minimum. £1)
Some mobile phones have a menu, in which the authorization for establishing a Bluetooth ®
connec-
tion is performed via the input of a code. If the input for the authorization is necessary, it must al-
ways be performed when re-establishing the Bluetooth connection. 117
Communication Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

rSAP - Remote SIM access profile
After connecting the telephone with the hands-free system via the
rSAP profile,
the telephone deregisters from the GSM network, the control unit ensures the
communication with the network via the internal antenna. In the telephone only
the interface for Bluetooth ®
remains active. In this case, you can only separate
from the control unit, switch off the Bluetooth ®
connection or select the number
of the emergency call 112 (only valid for some countries).
HFP - Hands Free Profile
After connecting the telephone with the hands-free system via the HFP profile,
the telephone continues to use its GMS module and internal antenna to communi-
cate with the GSM network. WARNING
Concentrate fully at all times on your steering! As the driver you are fully re-
sponsible for road safety. Use the telephone system only to such an extent, so
that you are in full control of your vehicle at any time. Note
● The volume can be changed individually during the call at any time with the
button for setting the radio or radio navigation system or with the buttons on the
multifunction steering wheel.
● Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒ page 115, Mobile phones and two-
way radio systems.
● Should you have any questions, please contact an authorised ŠKODA Service
Partner. 
Phone Phonebook A phone phonebook is part of the mobile phone preinstallation with voice control.
In the phone phonebook there are 2000 free memory locations available. Each
contact can contain up to 5 numbers. This phone phonebook can be used in line
with the mobile telephone.
On vehicles fitted with the radio navigation system Columbus, a maximum of 1000
telephone contacts are shown in the display of this appliance.
After the first connection of the telephone, the system begins to load the phone
book from the phone and the SIM card into the memory of the control unit. If the telephone book of the mobile phone contains more than 2 000 entries, the
system announces Phone book not fully loaded .
Each time the telephone has established a new connection with the hands-free
system, an update of the relevant phone book is performed. The updating can
take a few minutes. During this time the phone book, which was stored after the
last update was completed, is available. Newly stored telephone numbers are only
shown after the updating has ended.
If a telephone event (e.g. incoming or outgoing call, dialogue of the voice control)
occurs during the updating procedure, the updating is interrupted. After the tele-
phone event has ended, the updating starts anew. 
Connection of the telephone with the hands-free system In order to connect a mobile phone with the hands-free system, it is necessary to
connect the telephone to the hands-free system. Detailed information on this is
provided in the operating instructions of your mobile phone. The following steps
must be carried out for the connection.
Connecting the telephone with the hands-free system via the HFP profile
–
Activate the Bluetooth ®
in your telephone and the visibility of the mobile
phone.
– Switch on the ignition.
– Select the menu Phone - Phone search in the information display and wait un-
til the control unit has ended the search.
– Select your mobile phone in the menu of the units found.
– Within 30 seconds enter the 16 digit PIN of your control unit as indicated in the
information display and confirm it according to the instructions on the display
of your telephone.
– To store a new user or to download the telephone book and the identification
data of the SIM card into the control unit, follow the instructions in the infor-
mation display and on the mobile phone.
Connecting the telephone with the hands-free system via the rSAP profile
– Activate the Bluetooth ®
in your telephone and the visibility of the mobile
phone. For certain mobile phones it is necessary to switch on first the rSAP
function.
– Switch on the ignition. £ 123
Communication Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

–
Select the menu Phone - Phone search in the information display and wait un-
til the control unit has ended the search.
– Select your mobile phone in the menu of the units found.
– Within 30 seconds enter the 16 digit PIN of your control unit as indicated in the
information display and confirm it according to the instructions on the display
of your telephone.
– If your SIM card is blocked by a PIN code, enter the PIN of the SIM card of your
telephone. The telephone connects to the control unit (during the first con-
nection you can only enter it in the information display and when the vehicle is
stationary, since you can only choose whether the PIN should be stored in this
situation).
– For the first storage of a new user follow the instructions in the information
display.
– To download the telephone book and the indentification data of the SIM card
into the new control unit, confirm again the command rSAP in your mobile
phone.
The telephone connects preferentially via the rSAP profile.
If the PIN was stored, the telephone is automatically detected and connected with
the hands-free system when the ignition is switched on the next time. Check on
your mobile phone if it was automatically connected.
Disconnecting the connection
The connection to the hands-free system is disconnected:
● When removing the key from the ignition lock (during a telephone call, the
connection is disconnected).
● After disconnecting the connection in the telephone.
● After disconnecting the connection in the information display in the Bluetooth
- User - Select user - Disconnect menu. On vehicles which are fitted out with radio or radio navigation system at the fac-
tory, it is possible to terminate the telephone call after removing the key from the
ignition lock by pressing the icon on the touch-screen of the radio
1)
or the radio
navigation system, see operating instructions for radio or radio navigation system. WARNING
● Concentrate fully at all times on your steering! As the driver you are fully
responsible for road safety. Only use the system so that you are in full control
of your vehicle in every traffic situation - risk of accident!
● In the event of air transport, the Bluetooth ®
function of the hands-free
system must be switched off by a specialist garage! Note
● In the memory of the control unit, up to three users can be stored, whereby
the hands-free system can only communicate actively with one user. In the case
of mutual connection with a fourth mobile phone, you must erase one user.
● Not valid for all mobile phones which enable a communication via Bluetooth ®
.
You can ask at an authorised ŠKODA Service Partner if your telephone is compati-
ble with the universal telephone preinstallation GSM IIl.
● When connecting to the control unit, follow the instructions on your mobile
phone.
● The range of the Bluetooth ®
connection to the hands-free system is intended
for the vehicle interior. The range is dependent on local factors, e.g. obstacles be-
tween the devices and interferences with other devices. 1)
Does not apply for Radios Swing and Blues. 124
Communication

Safety
Passive Safety
Basic information
Driving the safe way Passive safety measures reduce the risk of injury in accident situa-
tions.
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 those
travelling with you. WARNING
● This chapter contains important information on how to use the vehicle for
the driver and his 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 ap-
plies in particular, if you rent out or sell the vehicle. 
Safety equipment The safety equipment is part of the occupant protection and it can
reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations.
“Do not put at risk
” your safety and the safety of those travelling with you . In the
event of an accident, the safety equipment can reduce the risk of injuries.
The following list contains part of the safety equipment in your vehicle:
● three-point seat belts for all the seats;
● belt force limiter for front and outer rear seats;
● belt tensioners for front seats; ●
seat belt height adjusters for front seats;
● front airbag for the driver and front passenger;
● side airbags;
● head airbags;
● anchoring points for child seat using the “ISOFIX” system;
● anchoring points for child seat using the “Top Tether” system;
● head restraints adjustable for height;
● 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.
For this reason you will be provided with information on why these equipment
components are very important, how it protects you and the occupants, what
should be observed when using the equipment and how you and the people trav-
elling with you can make full use of the existing safety equipment. This Owner's
Manual contains important warning notes, which you and those travelling with
you should pay attention to in order to reduce a risk of injury.
Safety concerns everybody! 
Before setting off The driver is always fully responsible for his occupants and for the
operating safety of the vehicle.
For your own safety and the safety of the people travelling with you, please pay
attention to the following points before setting off.
● Ensure that the lighting and the turn signal system are functioning properly.
● Inspect the tyre inflation pressure.
● Ensure that all the windows offer a good visibility to the outside.
● Safely attach the items of luggage ⇒ page 66
, Loading the luggage compart-
ment. £ 131
Passive Safety Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
● The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your
occupants.
● The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel
⇒ fig. 116 left. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the air-
bag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
● When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the outer
edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold the steering wheel
firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle of the
steering wheel or at the inner steering wheel edge). In such cases, injuries to
the arms, the hands and the head can occur when the driver airbag is de-
ployed.
● 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 sys-
tem - risk of injury!
● Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects may get be-
hind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre. You would then no
longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or accelerate. 
Correct seated position for the front passenger The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm
from the dash panel so that the airbag offers him the greatest pos-
sible safety it is deployed.
For the safety of the front passenger and to reduce the risk of injury in the event
of an accident, we recommend the following setting:
● Adjust the front passenger seat as far as possible to the rear.
● Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the
same level as the upper part of your head ⇒
 fig. 116 - right.
● Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒
 page 137, How are seat belts correctly fas-
tened?.
In exceptional cases the front passenger airbag can be deactivated ⇒ page 145,
Deactivating an airbag.
Manual front passenger adjustment ⇒ page 60, Adjusting the front seats. Electrical front passenger seat adjustment
⇒
 page 61, Adjusting front seats elec-
trically. WARNING
● The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
correctly 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 sys-
tem will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
● Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car 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 nec-
essary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is de-
ployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated posi-
tion!
● 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 sys-
tem - 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 is at the
same level as the upper part of your head ⇒ fig. 116 - on the right.
● Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒ page 137,
How are seat belts correctly fas-
tened?.
● If you are transporting ⇒ page 147, Transporting children safely
children in the
vehicle, please use a suitable child restraint system. £ 133
Passive Safety Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
● The head restraints must always be adjusted to match the body size, in or-
der 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 adopt-
ing 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 in-
correct routing of the seat belt. The driver is fully responsible for himself and the
occupants, in particular for the children. Do not permit an occupant to adopt an
incorrect 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 in-
terested 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;
● 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 posi-
tion while the car is moving. 134
Passive Safety

Seat belts
Why seat belts? Fig. 117 Driver wearing seat belt
It is a proven fact that seat belts offer good protection in accidents ⇒ fig. 117. 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. 117. The seat belts reduce the kinetic
energy (energy of motion) to a considerable extent. They also prevent uncontrol-
led 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 ab-
sorbed by the belts. The structure of the front end of the vehicle and other pas-
sive 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 in-
jury.
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 135.
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 137, How are seat
belts correctly fastened?

.
● 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. 
The physical principle of a frontal collision Fig. 118 The driver is catapulted forward if not wearing a belt/The rear seat occupant is cata-
pulted forward if not wearing a belt
The 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 mov-
ing, 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 including 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. £ 135
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