Active safety elements are those elements, the presence of which allows the driver to increase driving safety (and operation in general), facilitating the management and maintenance of the car as a whole. Passive safety means mitigation of the consequences of an accident for the driver and passengers, as well as other road users by an appropriate design solution for both the car as a whole and its individual components and parts. Both areas of design solutions are present in Skoda Octavia cars at a really high level.
Active and passive safety is affected especially by:
Vehicle stability:
- big enough (optimal) base and wheel track;
- optimal tuning of the suspension and vibration damping;
- Low profile radial tire with steel carcass.
Vehicle handling:
- precise steering mechanism with gear rack and hydraulic booster;
- dual-circuit brakes with a 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 dynamism of the car; low control effort on the pedals;
- good accessibility and visibility of controls.
Driver awareness:
- good visibility of indicator elements;
- instrumentation with an on-board computer element;
- designation of indicator and control elements with well-known international symbols.
Visibility and range:
- a large glass area of the body with conveniently located racks;
- powerful two-speed windshield wipers with adjustable turn-off interval and simultaneous glass spraying;
- fast fogging and defrosting of windows;
- powerful windshield washers (headlight washer as an accessory); halogen headlights with the ability to adjust the slope in accordance with the loading of the car;
- exterior mirrors with anti-reflective coating, electrically adjustable and heated.
Safety and comfort:
- anatomical seats with lateral support with easy movement and height adjustment, backrest tilt adjustment, with the possibility of forming lumbar support in the front seats and the possibility of heating;
- headrests with adjustable height, and at the front seats with adjustable tilt;
- inertial seat belt with tension adjusters, triggered upon impact simultaneously with airbags;
- airbags (airbag); the driver's pillow has a volume of 65 liters, the passenger's - 90 liters;
- tinted glass;
- powerful heating and ventilation system with easy adjustment of power, air temperature and direction of its flow, or air conditioning; providing the car with an immobilizer;
- centralized door locking;
- separate rear seats and the possibility of their folding in order to increase the luggage compartment;
- luggage compartment with anchor grips;
- front axle beam (stretcher) with a given fracture site;
- a rigid and, accordingly, reinforced body frame with deformable zones and door stiffeners that protect against side impacts;
- safe door locks and hood latches that do not open arbitrarily from impact and, conversely, allow you to easily release yourself in case of an accident;
- safety glasses;
- a fuel tank located in a safe place under the rear seats and equipped with a device to limit the outflow of fuel when the car is turned over;
- a safe steering solution and a safe steering shaft, as well as its placement; the steering wheel is adjustable in height and in the axial direction;
- the interior of the car cabin is subject to the desire to achieve the greatest safety of the crew in all situations;
- external body shapes are solved taking into account the minimization of the possibility of injuring the rest of the participants in the accident;
- use of materials with reduced flammability.
The key safety features listed, and their compliance with local and international safety regulations, are confirmed by UNECE homologous designations and EXO designations.