Seat Belts; Why Seat Belts; The Physical Principle Of A Frontal Collision - Skoda SUPERB - 05-2010 Owner's Manual

Seat belts

Why seat belts?

It is a proven fact that seat belts offer good protection in accidents
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
(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 meas-
ures, 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 166.
It is important that you pay attention to safety measures, particularly when trans-
porting children in the vehicle  page 180, "What you should know about trans-
porting children!".
Using the system Safety
Fig. 148 Driver wearing seat belt
 fig.
 fig.
148. The belts reduce the kinetic energy
Driving Tips
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 167, "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
148. Thus
Please comply with any differing legal requirements when using the seat belts.

The physical principle of a frontal collision

Fig. 149 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 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
General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical Data
Seat belts 165