Skoda Fabia Owner's Manual page 127

126 Airbag system
Function of the side airbags
Risk of injury to the upper part of the body is reduced by fully inflated
side airbags.
In the case of a violent side crash, the side airbag in the front seat and the head airbag
on the side on which the collision occurs are deployed
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are simultaneously
deployed.
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled with gas. The airbags inflate in fractions of a
second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protection in the
event of an accident.
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 load of the occupants is cushioned when plunging into the fully inflated airbag and
the risk of injury to the entire upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis) is reduced on the
side facing the door.
Important safety information on the side airbag
Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING

It is essential to always switch off  page 128, "Deactivating airbags" the
front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front
Fig. 118 Side airbags deployed
 fig.
118.
WARNING (continued)
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deployed. In certain countries national legal
provisions also require that the side passenger airbags be deactivated. When
transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appro-
priate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.

Your head should never be positioned in the deployment area of the side
airbag. You might suffer severe injuries in the event of an accident. This applies
in particular to children who are transported without using a suitable child
safety seat  page 132, "Child safety and side airbag*".

If children adopt an incorrect seated position when travelling, they may be
exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. This can result
in serious injuries  page 130, "What you should know about transporting
children!".

There must not be any further persons, animals as well as objects posi-
tioned between the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. No
accessories, such as a can holder, should be attached to the doors.

Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of clothing.

Ensure that there are no excessive forces, such as violent knocks, kicks etc.,
impact on the backrests of the seats otherwise the system may be damaged.
The side airbags would not be deployed in such a case!

Any seat or protective covers which you fit to the driver or front passenger
seats must only be of the type expressly authorised by Škoda Auto. In view of
the fact that the airbag inflates out of the backrest of the seat, use of non-
approved seat or protective covers would considerably impair the protective
function of the side airbag.

Any damage to the original seat covers in the area of the side airbag module
must be repaired without delay by your specialist garage.

The airbag modules in the front seats must not display any damage, cracks
or deep scratches. It is not permissible to use force in order to open the
modules.