Skoda OCTAVIA - 05-2010 Owner's Manual page 153

152 Airbag system
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the seat belts is to also
hold the driver and front passenger in a correct seated position in the event of a frontal
collision so as to enable the front airbags to offer the maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat belts, not only because this is required by
law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection  page 145, "Why seat
belts?".
Note
The dash panel must be replaced after the front passenger airbag has been
deployed.
Function of the front airbags
Risk of injury to the head and chest area is reduced by fully inflated
airbags.
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 certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are deployed together.
If the airbags are deployed, the airbags are filled with a propellant gas and inflated in
front of the driver and front passenger
second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protection in the
event of an accident. The forward movement of the driver and of the front passenger
is cushioned when they make contact with the fully inflated airbag and the risk of injury
to head and chest is thus reduced.
Fig. 134 Inflated airbags
 fig.
134. The airbags inflate in fractions of a
The specially developed airbag allows the gas to flow out of the inflated airbag in a
controlled manner (depending on the load of the particular car occupant) in order to
cushion head and chest areas. The airbag then deflates subsequently to such an extent,
after an accident, to again provide a clear view forward.
A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly
normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to injuries if the
sitting position or seated position is not correct  page 152.
Important safety information regarding the front airbag system
Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING

Never transport children on the front seat of a vehicle without using a
proper restraint system. If airbags are deployed in the event of an accident, the
child might suffer severe or even fatal injuries!

For the driver and front passenger it is important to maintain a distance of
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel
taining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able
to properly protect you - hazard! The front seats and the head restraints must
always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.

It is essential to always switch off  page 157, "Deactivating an airbag" the
front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front
Fig. 135 Safe distance to
steering wheel
 fig.
135. Not main-