Seat Belts - Skoda Rapid Owner's Manual

Seat belts

Seat belts
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Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
The physical principle of a frontal collision
Fastening and unfastening seat belts
Seat belt height adjuster on the front seats
Belt tensioners
Seat belts that are fastened correctly offer good protection in the event of an ac-
cident. They reduce the risk of an injury and increase the chance of survival in the
event of a major accident.
Correctly fastened seat belts hold occupants of the car in the correct seated posi-
tion » Fig. 77.
The seat belts reduce the kinetic energy (energy of motion) to a considerable ex-
tent. 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 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.
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Safety
Fig. 77
Driver wearing seat belt
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96
97
97
Particular safety aspects must be observed when transporting children in the ve-
hicle » page 104, Transporting children safely.
WARNING
Fasten your seat belt before each journey - even when driving in town! This
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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
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ensuring optimal protection for the unborn child
unfastening seat belts.
Adjust the height of the belt in such a way that the shoulder part of the belt
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is roughly positioned across the middle of your shoulder - on no account
across your neck.
Always ensure that the webbing of the seat belts is properly routed. Seat
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belts which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause injuries even in
minor accidents.
The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if you
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are correctly seated » page 91, Correct seated position.
The seat backrests of the front seats must not be tilted too far to the rear
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otherwise the seatbelts can lose their effectiveness.
The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or twisted,
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or chafe against any sharp edges.
A seat belt which is hanging too loose can result in injuries as your body is
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moved forward by the kinetic energy produced in an accident and is then sud-
denly held firm by the belt.
The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. specta-
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cles, ball-point pens, keys etc.) as this may be a cause of injuries.
No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat belt togeth-
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er.
The lock tongue should only be inserted into the lock which is the correct
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one for your seat. Wrong use of the safety belt will reduce its capacity to pro-
tect and the risk of injury increases.
The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked by paper or similar objects
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otherwise the belt tongue will not lock in place properly.
Many layers of clothing and loose clothing (e. g. a winter coat over a jacket)
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do 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
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shortening the belts for smaller persons).
» page 96, Fastening and
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