Active safety elements are those elements, the presence of which allows the driver to improve driving safety (and exploitation in general), facilitating the control and maintenance of the car as a whole. Passive safety means mitigating the consequences of an accident for the driver and passengers, as well as other road users, by means of an appropriate design solution for both the car as a whole and its individual units and parts. Both directions of design solutions are present in Skoda Octavia cars at a truly high level.
Active and passive safety is particularly affected by:
Vehicle stability:
- big enough (optimal) wheel base and track;
- optimal suspension and vibration damping settings;
- low-profile radial tires with steel carcass.
Car handling:
- precision steering with rack and pinion and hydraulic booster;
- dual-circuit brakes with diagonal connection, with automatic adjustment of the operating clearance of the pads, with a vacuum brake booster, a brake force regulator for the rear axle wheels, or brakes equipped with AB5;
- high vehicle dynamics; low pedal control force;
- good accessibility and visibility of controls.
Driver awareness:
- good visibility of indicator elements;
- instrumentation with on-board computer element;
- designation of indicator and control elements with well-known international symbols.
Visibility and visibility range:
- large body glazing area with conveniently located pillars;
- powerful two-speed windscreen wipers with adjustable interval and simultaneous glass spray;
- fast defogging and defrosting of windows;
- powerful windshield washers (headlight washer as an additional equipment); halogen headlights with adjustable tilt to suit vehicle load;
- external mirrors with anti-reflective coating, electrically adjustable and heated.
Safety and comfort:
- anatomical seats with lateral support with easy movement and height adjustment, adjustable backrest tilt, with the ability to form lumbar support in the front seats and the ability to heat;
- headrests with adjustable height and adjustable tilt for the front seats;
- inertia seat belt with tension regulators that are triggered simultaneously with the airbags upon impact;
- inflatable airbags (airbag); the driver's airbag has a volume of 65 liters, the passenger's - 90 liters;
- tinted glass;
- powerful heating and ventilation system with easy regulation of power, air temperature and direction of its flow, or air conditioning; providing a vehicle with an immobilizer;
- centralized door locking;
- separate rear seats and the ability to fold them to increase the luggage compartment;
- luggage compartment with anchor hooks;
- front axle beam (subframe) with a specified fracture location;
- rigid and correspondingly reinforced body frame with deformable zones and door stiffeners that protect against side impacts;
- safe door locks and bonnet latches that do not open spontaneously from impact and, on the contrary, allow easy release in case of an accident;
- trauma-safe glass;
- a fuel tank located in a safe location under the rear seats and equipped with a device to limit fuel leakage if the vehicle rolls over;
- safe steering solution and safe steering shaft, as well as its placement; the steering wheel is adjustable in height and in the axial direction;
- the interior of the vehicle cabin is subordinated to the desire to achieve the greatest safety for the crew in any situation;
- the external shapes of the body are designed to minimize the possibility of injury to other participants in the accident;
- use of materials with low flammability.
The above main safety elements and their compliance with local and international safety regulations are confirmed by the UN EHC homologous markings and the EXO markings.