wheel AUDI Q7 2017 Owner´s Manual
Page 151 of 402
u (0 ...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
:E <t
-Press t he accele rato r pedal ca refu lly when
accel erating on smooth, slippery sur fac es
s u ch as ice and snow. The dr ive wheels can
spin even when these con trol systems are
ins talled a nd th is can affec t drivi ng stabili ty
and incr eas e the r is k of a coll is io n.
(D Tips
- The ABS and ASR only function co rrectly
whe n all fo ur whee ls have a s imilar wear
Switching on and off
Intelligent Technology
c o ndi tio n. Diff erent tir e si zes can lead t o a
re duction in en gine power.
- Yo u may hear noises when t he sy stems de
sc ribe d are worki ng.
- Wh en in sta lling r oof r ack sy stems on the
roof ra il, t he ESC uses se nsors to a dapt it
s el f to a different center of gravity .
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
~~- ---- --=-
~--------
The following e xamp les are unusua l situations
whe re it may make sense to switch off road mode
on to a llow the whee ls to spin:
----~,-,.---__ , ~ · ~ ""' :'llt.) ... 'P [l)A
Fig. 154 Cente r co nso le w it h th e t,.OF, butto n
- Rock ing t he vehi cle to free i t when it is stuck
- Dr iv ing in deep snow o r on loose g ro und
- Dr iving with snow chains
- Dr iv ing o n ro ugh te rra in when much o f th e car 's
we ight is lift ed off t he wheels ( axl e articula
tion)
- Dr iv ing down hill while b raking on loose g round
The ESC is des igned to fu nction in levels. Depe nd
ing on the leve l selec ted , the ESC sta bilizati on
f u nction i s limite d or swi tc h ed off . The amount of
s tabili zation control w ill differ depe nding on the
l eve l. For yo
ur safety, switch the offroad mode off in
advance.
ESC levels
Offroad mode on ESC/ASRoff Offroad mode off or
ESC/ASRon
Behavior
The ESC and A SR stabiliza-
The stabilization f unction is T
he f ull sta bilization f unc-
tion f unct io ns are limited not available
~ A . ESC a nd tion of the ESC and ASR is
q _,& _ ASR are switched off. avai lab le aga in.
Operation Press the !B '-"• I bu tton b rief- Press and ho ld t he !B '-"' I b ut- Press the IE m l but to n a gain.
Ly . ton longer than t hree sec-
on ds.
Ind icator II turns on . II and l:f.'tl•)H turn on . II turns off or II and
lights !:(.'iit•)H turn off .
Message s Stabilization control
(ESC ): Stabilization control (ESC): Stabilization control (ESC ):
offroad . Warning! Reduced off
. Warning! Restricted
on
stability stability
149
Page 152 of 402
Intelligent Technology
_&. WARNING
You should only switch offroad mode on or
switch ESC/ ASR off if your driving abilities
and the traff ic conditions perm it. There is a
r isk of slid ing.
- The stabilization function is limited when
offroad mode is switched on. The driving
wheels co uld spin and the vehicle could
swerve , especially on slick or slippery road
surfaces.
- T here is no vehicle stab ilizat ion when ESC/
ASR are switched off .
Hill descent assist
Hill descent assist makes it possible to drive
down a hill at a constant speed.
Fig. 155 Center console: hill descent ass ist button
.. To switch hill descent assist on, press the 1-<p l
button. The LED in the button turns on.
.. Press the button again to switch it off. The LED
in the button turns off.
Hill descent assist brakes all four wheels auto
matically in order to limit speed when driving ei
ther forward or reverse on hills with a grade from approximately 6 to 60%. The wheels w ill not lock
up because the ABS remains activated.
When hill descent assist is on, the speed your ve
hicle was traveling when it entered the hill is maintained. The assist begins shortly after you
start driv ing and continues up to approximately
19 mph (30 km/h). The driver can increase or de
crease the vehicle speed w ith in these limits by
pressing the accelerato r or brake pedal.
H owever, there must be enough traction. Hill de
scent assist
cannot function as expected, if for
150
example the hill is icy or if the surface is loose
~ & .
Active regulat ion of a speed up to approximately
19 mph (30 km/h) is signaled in the instrument
cluster by an indicator light •. T he indicator
light turns on when in the ready mode.
II.
The system does not work at speeds above ap
proximately 19 mph (30 km/h). The system is
then in ready-mode . This is indicated by the LED
in the button turning on.
Hill descent assist is automatically activated un
der the following conditions:
- the LED in the button turns on
- the vehicle speed is lower than 19 mph (30 km/
h)
-the hill angle is at least approximately 6%
_&. WARNING
-
- Always adapt your speed to the weather,
road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
increased safety provided tempt you into
taking risks, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
- The hill descent assist system cannot over
come the laws of phys ics. Your driving style
must always be adapted to the current road
and traffic cond itions .
- Hill descent assist may not be able to hold
your vehicle at a constant speed under all
conditions while driving on a hill (for exam
ple if ground under the vehicle is loose).
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not achieve their full braking
effect during the first 250 mi (400 km). They
must be "broken in" first. However, you can com
pensate for the slightly reduced braking force by
pressing f irmly on the brake pedal. Avo id heavy
braking during the break-in period.
Wear
Brake pad wear depends largely on the way the
vehicle is driven and on operating conditions .
This is especially true if you are driv ing frequent ly
IJ,,
Page 153 of 402
u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: '<t
in the city and on c urves o r with a sporty driving
style.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when bra king depend ing o n the
speed, b raking force and ou ts ide cond itions su ch
as tempe rature and humidity.
W et conditions or road salt
In ce rtain s ituat ions, for example after dr iving
through water, in heavy ra in or afte r washing
your car, the bra king effect may be reduced due
to moisture or ice on t he b rake ro to rs and br ake
pads . The br akes mus t be "dried" f irs t with a few
careful brake applications .
At highe r speeds and with the windsh ie ld w ipers
turned o n, the br ake p ads press against the br ake
r otors for a short amoun t of time . This action,
which is not felt by the driver, happens at regular intervals and ens ures a better reaction time for
the brakes in wet weather.
The braking effe ct can also be reduced if you are
d riving on salted roads and you do not apply t he
brakes for long periods of time . The layer of salt
on the bra ke rotors and pads must be worn off
f irst when the brakes are app lied.
Cor rosion
L eaving the vehicle par ked for long pe riods of
time, low mi leage and avoiding heavy braking
can cont ribute to corrosion on the brake rotors
and to dirty brake pads.
If you usually avo id heavy b raking or if there is
corrosion present, occasional heavy braking at h igh speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads¢
A.
Brake system malfunct ion
If yo u no tic e th at the brake peda l travel has sud
denly
increased, then a brake c ircuit in the dual
circuit brake system may have malfunctioned. Drive to an aut ho rized Aud i dea le r or a uth orized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
problem corrected. On the way there, drive with
reduced speed and keep in mi nd that you w ill
need a longer dista nce to stop and you w ill need
to p ress the b rake pedal harde r.
Intellig ent Technology
Low brake fluid level
When the br ake fluid level is low, malfu nctions in
the brake system may occur . The brake fluid level
is electronically monitored .
Brake booster
The brake booster ampl ifies t he p ress ure you ap
ply to the brake pedal.
A WARNING
- Onl y ap ply the bra kes for the purpose o f
cleaning the brake sys tem when road and
traffic conditions permit. You must not en
danger other roa d users . This increases the
risk of an accident.
-
- Never let the ve hicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
accident.
(D Note
- Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing the
peda l lightly when braking is not actually
necessary. This causes the b rakes to over
heat and increases braking distance and
causes wear.
- Before driving downhill a long distance on a
steep hill, decrease your speed and select a
lower gear . This makes use of the engi ne
bra king effec t and relieves the brakes. If
you need to bra ke ad ditio na lly, bra ke in in
t erva ls and not continuously.
(D Tips
- If the brake boos ter is not work ing , you
must press t he b rake peda l w ith much more
force than normal.
- If you retrofit your vehicle with a front s po il
er, wheel covers or sim ila r i tems, make su re
t ha t the air flow to the fro nt wheels is n ot
i nt errup ted. Otherwise t he b rake system
c an become too hot .
151
Page 154 of 402
Intelligent Technology
Electromechanical
steering, all-wheel
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements .
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Stee ring: malfunction! Please stop vehi cle
If th is ind icator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steer ing may
have fa iled.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as pos
sib le. Do
not continue driving. See an author iz ed
Aud i dealer or authori zed Aud i Serv ice Facility for
assistance.
• Steering: malfunction! Please stop vehicle.
Pay attention to distan ce at side
If th is ind icator light turns o n and stays o n and
this message appears, the a ll-wheel steering*
may have failed . The side of the vehicle may need
more space on the road.
Red uce your speed and stop the veh icle in a safe
locat ion wit h enough space on the sides as soon
as possible. Do
not continue d riving . See an au
thor ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility for assistance.
'T@ Steering : malfunction! You may continue
dri ving
If t he indicator lig ht t urns on and the message
appears, the steering wheel may be more diff i
cult to move or mo re sensitive tha n usua l. The
steering whee l may a lso be at an angle when
driving straight.
D rive s low ly to an authorized A udi dealer or au
thor ized Audi Se rvice Facility to have the ma l
function corrected.
'T@ Ste ering : ma lfunction! Adapt driving style .
Larger turning radius
I f the indicator lig ht tu rns on and th is message
appears, the a ll-wheel steering* may have failed .
152
Please note that the vehicle has a larger t urning
radi us and the stabi lity w hen turning a corner is
lik e that of a vehicle without all-whee l steer ing.
The steering wheel may also be at an angle when driv ing straight.
Drive slowly to an a uthorized Audi dea ler or au
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility to have t he mal
funct ion corrected.
(D Tips
- If the . or 'T-ij indicato r light only stays on
for a sho rt time, you may cont inue driving .
- For add itiona l information on all-wheel
steering *, see ¢
page 134 .
All-wheel drive (quattro)
General informat ion
I n all whee l drive, the dr iv ing power is dis trib ut
ed between all four whee ls when needed . This
happens automatically depending on your driving
behavior as we ll as the c urrent road cond it ions.
Also see ¢
page 148, Electronic stabili zation
control (ESC).
The all-whee l drive system distributes the driving
power va riably to the front and rear axle. It works
together with selective wheel torq ue control,
which act ivates when dr iv ing through curves
¢ page 148. With the sport d ifferent ial*, power
dist ribution to the rear wheels is variable and can
be adjusted using the drive se lect
¢ page 134.
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your vehicle is except iona lly pow
erfu l and has excellent driving charac teristics
bot h unde r normal d riving conditions and o n
snow and i ce. Always read and follow safety pre
c au tions
c:::> .&, .
Winter tires
By using all wheel dr ive, your ve hicle has good
forward motion w ith standard tires in win ter con
dit ions. However, using w in ter or all season t ires
o n
all four wheels in the w inte r is re comme nded,
be cau se th is w ill imp rove t he
braking effe ct. IJII>-
Page 155 of 402
u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: '<t
Snow chains
If there are snow cha in laws, snow chains must
a lso be used on vehicles with a ll wheel drive
¢ page 349, Snow chains .
Replacing tires
For vehicles w ith all wheel dr ive, only whee ls w ith
the same ro lling circumference shou ld be used .
Avoid using tires w ith different tread depths
¢ page 340, New tires or wheels .
.&_ WARNING
-Also, in vehicles with all wheel drive, adapt
yo ur dr iv ing style to the current road and
traff ic conditions. Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into tak ing risks,
because th is increases the r isk of an acci
dent .
- The braking ability of your veh icle is limited
to the tract ion of the wheels . In this way, it
is not diffe rent from a two wheel dr ive vehi
cl e. Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
high speed when the road is slippe ry, be
ca use this increases the risk of an accident.
- Note that on wet streets, the front wheels
can "hyd roplane" if d riving at speeds that
are too high . Unlike front whee l drive
vehicles, the engine does not rev higher su d
denly when the vehicle begins hyd roplaning .
For this reason, adapt your speed to the
road conditions to reduce the risk of an acc i
dent .
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
The energy management system manages the
electrical energy distribution and optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the
engine.
W hen a ve hicle w ith a convent ional energy sys
tem is not driven for a long tim e, the vehicle bat
t ery is dra ined by equipment (fo r example, the
i mmobilizer). In certain circumstances, there
could may not be enoug h energy to start the en
gine .
Intellig ent Technology
Your vehicle is equipped with an intell igent ener
gy management system for dist ributing electrici
ty . Th is sign ificantly improves the start ing ability
and increases the vehicle battery life.
T he ene rgy management system Is made up of
battery diagnosi s, idling cu rrent management ,
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
T he battery diagnos is determines the vehicle ba t
te ry charge level. The sensors determine the bat
te ry vo ltage, the batte ry cu rrent, and the battery
temperat ure. The cur rent charge level and the
performa nee of the vehicle battery a re deter
mined based on this.
Idling current management
T he idling cur rent management decreases the
energy used while parked . With the engine
switched off, it ma nages the energy distribution
to the d ifferent e lectr ica l components . Data from
the battery d iagnosis is taken into account for
th is.
Depending on the vehicle battery charge level,
electrical equ ipment is switched off one item af
ter the other to prevent the vehicle battery from
dra ining and to ma intain the starting ab ility .
Dynamic energy manag ement
While driving, dynamic energy management dis
t ributes the appropr iate amo unt of energy to the
electrical eq uipment. It contro ls the battery
charge level so that the amount of energy is not
greater than the amount being generated in or
der to maintain an optimal vehicle battery charge
level.
(0 Tips
- Energy management cannot overcome the
laws of physics . Note that the charge level
and length of the veh icle bat tery life are
limited.
- Whe n the sta rting ability is endangered, the
i•) in dicator light t urns on r=v page 27.
153
Page 158 of 402
Multi Media Interface
Multi Media Interface
Traffic safety information
Audi recommends performing certain Infotain
ment system functions, such as entering a desti
nation, only when the vehicle is stationary . Al
ways be prepared to stop operat ing the Infotain
ment system in the interest of your safety and
the safety of other road users.
_& WARNING
Only use the Infotainment system when traf
fic cond itions permit and always in a way that
allows you to maintain complete control over
your vehicle.
@ Tips
Certain funct ions are not available wh ile driv
ing .
Introduction
The Multi Media Interface, or MMI for short,
combines various systems for communication,
navigation* and entertainment in your Audi . You
can operate the MMI using the MMI control pan
el, the multifunction steering wheel or the voice
recognition system* .
Fig. 156 MMI contro l panel w ith MMI touch
156
Fig. 157 MMI control panel withou t MMI touch
MMI control panel overview
(D Control knob with joystick function *
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 , 162
@ Control knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
® Left control button . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
@ Right control button . . . . . . . . . . . 159
® Buttons for opening menus
directly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
@
IMENU I button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
(J) I BACK I button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
@ Shortcut keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
® MMI touch control pad* . . . . . . . . 160
MMI On/Off knob with
joystick function
Operating
Fig. 158 MMI On/Off knob with joystick function
Switching the MMI on/off : the MMI can be
switched on/off manually .
-Switching on manually: press the On/Off knob
(i)<=> fig. 158 briefly. Or : press the I MENU I but
ton @
c:!)page 156, fig. 156 or c;,page 156,
fig. 157,
or one of the buttons to open the me-
nus directly ®·
IJJI,
Page 177 of 402
u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: '<t
The parking aid as well as the Audi voice recogni
tion system must not be active.
A cell phone must be connected to the MMI w ith
the
Handsfree profile ~ page 176.
The cell phone being connected must have voice
control that can be controlled externally .
.. Switching on: press and hold the 5l button on
the multifunction steering wheel* and say the
desired command after the external speech di
alog begins .
.. Continuing/resuming the dialog: the system
remains ready to use for a short time after end
ing the dialog . You can start a new external dia
log during this time. Press the
5l button if
needed, and say a new command.
Or : select
and confirm
Resume on the MMI control panel.
.. Switching off: press and hold the 5] button .
Or: select and confirm Cancel on the MMI con
trol panel.
(1) Tips
- There are no voice guidance* prompts when
a dialog is active.
- This function depends on the cell phone
used. You can obtain more information
from your cell phone service provider or
from your cell phone user guide .
-AUDI AG simply provides access to control
your cell phone with voice operation and does not take any responsibility for the con
tents and commands within the external
voice control.
Voice recognition system
175
Page 217 of 402
u (0 ...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
:E <t
Voice guidance volume : you can adjust the vo l
ume d uring voice guidance using the On/Off knob
c::> page 156 Yo u can also f ind additional in fo rma
tion under
c::> page 254.
Map
Operating the map
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with naviga tion system
F ig. 19 6 Exam ple: 30 map with th e cross hairs sw itched off
H4M
~
S FIQUt ra• St
F ig . 197 Exa mpl e: sta n dard m ap with t he cros sha ir s
sw itc hed o n
.. Press the I NAV/MAPI button repeated ly until
the map is d isplayed
<=> fig. 196.
Zoom ing in /out on the map
- T urn the cont rol k nob to the le ft or to the r ight.
Alte rn atively , you can also zoom in/out on the
map using the MM I touch contro l pad*
<=> page 161, if the c ross hairs are switched on .
Or: turn the left thumbwheel on the mu ltifunc
t ion steer ing whee l*<=>
page 13.
Turning the crosshairs on/off
- Switching th e crosshairs on :
press t he control
k no b in t he ma p view
c::> fig. 19 6.
- Switching the crosshairs off : press the I BACKI
button.
1l Only app lies to ve hicles w it h ou t camer a-based speed limit
disp lay .
Navigation
When the crosshairs are switched off
c::> fig. 196:
(D D irection . Fo r additional informa tion, see
c::>page 21 7.
@ The distance to the destinat ion includes the
calculated arrival time .
@ When the trailer mode func tion is sw itched
on~, the cor respond ing sy mbol is displayed
n ext to the arrival time.
@ Sca le: t urn the control knob to the left o r
right to decrease or increase the sca le . When
the
Automatic zoom function is sw itched on
~, an "A" for "A utomat ic" is d isplayed in the
magn ifying g lass .
® Altitude
@ Vehicle position
0 Route info rmation: var ious informa tion will
be displayed dur ing rou te g uidance ( fo r ex
amp le, the upcoming maneuver includin g
ca lculated distance and street names o r haz
ard info rmation*) . The display a lso provi des
traff ic information or po ints of interest on
the current route .
@ Road currently being d rive n on
When the crosshairs are switched on <=> fig. 197:
® The crosshairs: move the c rosshairs in the de-
s ired direct ion and set a point on the map us
i ng the MMI touc h control pad* or the con
trol knob . When the crosshairs are tur ned
off, the road be ing curren tly driven on is
shown .
@ Speed limit display1>: dis play of the max i
mum pe rm itted speed on t he expressways
and highways.
@ Ente rtain men t slidi ng menu*: only available
when media is active. More i nfo rmat ion can
b e fo und under
c::> page 162.
@ Additional information on the c ross hairs po
s it ion: if you move the crosshairs to a loca
t ion on the map, available information fo r
the current crosshairs position is displayed. Press the control knob to open desti nat ion
de tails or to start rou te g uidance.
215
Page 259 of 402
u (0 ...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
:E <t
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions .
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch.
.. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres
sure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal inj ury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig . 2 24 Co rrec t seating position
F or your own safety and to reduce the risk of in
jury in the event of an accident,
we recommend
that you adjust the driver 's seat to the following
position:
.. Adjust the dr iver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the f loor wh ile
keeping your knee(s) s lightly bent~
_A.
.. Adjust the ang le of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact w ith it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering wheel and you r breast bone~
fig. 224 .
If not possib le, see your autho rized Aud i dea le r
abo ut adapt ive eq uipment.
Dr iving safety
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face.
.. Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent .
.,. Adjust the head restra int so the upper edge is
as even as possible w ith the top of your head . If
that is not possible, t ry to adjust the head re
straint so that it is as close to this posit ion as
possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
~page 268 .
.. Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the veh icle at a ll times.
For detailed information on how to adj ust the
driver's seat, see
~page 59.
A WARNING
-
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in
jured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help re d uce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always ad just the driver's seat and the
steer ing wheel so that there are at least
10 inc hes (25 cm) between you r breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out
side of the steering wheel r im with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in
jury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never ho ld the stee ring wheel at the
12 o'clock position o r with yo ur hands at
o ther posi tions ins ide the s teer ing whee l
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serio us injuries to the hands, arms and head
if the dr iver's airbag dep loys .
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean aga inst or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are located .
.,
257
Page 269 of 402
u (0 ...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
:E <t
bracing themselves. Without the benefit of safe
ty restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam violently into the steer ing wheel, in
strument panel, windshield , or whatever else is
in the way¢
fig. 230. This impact with the vehi
cle interior has all the energy they had just be
fore the cras h.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even
when they deploy, airbags provide only additional protection . Airbags are not supposed to dep loy in
all k inds of accidents . Although your Aud i is
eq uipped w ith airbags, all vehicle occupants, in
cluding the dr iver, mus t wear safety belts cor
rect ly in o rder to minimize the risk of severe in
jury or death in a crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always there
to offer protec tion in those accidents in w hich
ai rbags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have a lready deployed. Unbelted occupants can
also be thrown o ut of the ve hicle where even
more severe or fatal injur ies can occur.
It is also impo rtant for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passengers
in the rear seats endanger not on ly themse lves
but also the driver and other passengers
¢
fig. 231 . In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger .
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision. It 's simply
not true!
F ig. 232 Drive r is co rrectly restrained in a sudden b rak ing
maneuve r
Safety bel ts
Safety be lts used properly can make a big differ
ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy levels ap plied to the body in an accident, and help prevent
the uncontrolled movement that can cause ser i
ous injuries . In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of be ing thrown out of the vehicle .
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car and g ive
them the benefit of being slowed down more gently or "soft ly" through the "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety features eng i
neered into today's vehicles . By "absorbing" the
k inetic ene rgy over a longer period of t ime, the
safety belts make the fo rces on the body more
"tolerab le" and less likely to cause in ju ry.
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision, safety be lts can also substantia lly re
duce the r isk of injury in other kinds of crashes.
So, whethe r you're on a long trip or just go ing to
the corner store, a lways buckle up and make sure
others do, too. Accident statistics show that vehi cle occupants proper ly wearing safety belts have
a lower risk of being injured and a much better
chance of surviving an accident. Properly using
safety belts also great ly increases the ability of
t h e supplemental a irbags to do their job in a col
lis ion. For this reason, wea ring a safety belt is le
gally required in most countries including much
of the Uni ted States and Canad a.
Although your Aud i is equipped with a irbags, you
still have to wear the safety be lts p rovided. Front
airbags, for example, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not act i
vated in a ll frontal collisions, in side and rear col
lisions, in rollovers or in cases where there is not
enough deceleration throug h impact to the front
of the vehicle . The same goes for the other a irbag
systems in your Aud i. So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrai ned!
267