ABS AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2015 Owners Manual

or
or
or
or
or Engine o
il p ress ure
¢ page 20
Alternator ¢page 20
Front safety be lt
¢page20
Steering./
¢page 192
Stee ring lock
¢ page 21
Engine start system
¢page 21
Engine stops w hile driving
¢page 21
Transmission malfunction ¢page 116
Instruments and indicator lamps 15
Ad aptive cr uise c on tro l*./
¢page89
USA models : Speed wa rn ing
sys tem
¢ page84
Canada models: Spee d war ning
sys tem
¢page84
Yellow indicator lights
"O~ I I ~ 'I
-------------
Centra l indicator light ( pay at-
tention to t he addit ional info r­
mat ion in the instrument cluster
d isp lay) @ ¢ page 13, fig . 8
E lectron ic Stabilization Control
( E SC) ./
¢ page 21
Electro nic Stabilization Control
(ESC) ./
¢page 21
El ect ro nic Sta bili zat ion Control
(E SC )
¢page 188
USA models:
Anti-loc k bra king system (ABS)
fau lty ./
¢ page 21
Canada models:
Anti-lock braking sys tem (ABS)
fau lty./
¢page 21
USA model s: Sa fety systems ./
¢ page 20
Canada models: Safety systems
./
¢page2 0
Brake pads
¢ page22
E lectromechanical par king brake
¢page 19
lill-
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18 Instruments and indicator lamps
Active lane assist*
¢ page 100
Audi side assist*
¢page 105
Transmission
¢ page 116
USA model s:
Electromechanical parking brake
¢ page 19
Canada model s:
Electromechanical parking bra ke
¢page 19
BRAKE/((i)) Brake system
If this indicator light tu rns on, there is a mal­
function in the brake system.
• (USA models) , • (Canada models)
Please stop vehicle and check brake fluid lev­
el!
Stop the vehicle and check the brake fluid lev­
e l. See an a uthorized Audi dea le r or author ­
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance if nec­
essary.
• (USA models) , • (Canada models)
Warning! Brake servo inoperative!
If the b rake assist (bra ke booste r) is not wo rk­
in g, you must use press the brake pedal hard­
e r to brake. See an authorized Aud i dealer or
authorized Audi Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance.
• (USA models) , • (Canada models )
Warning! Fault in brake sy stem . Please con­
tact Service
If the ABS indicator light (;I (USA models) /
KO) (Canada models), the ESC ind icator
light
Jil and the brake system indicator
light . (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
turn on and this message appears, the ABS,
ESC and braking distrib ution are ma lf u nction­
ing ¢.&. .
Drive to your authorized Aud i dealer o r au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the ma lfunction corrected ¢.&. .
• (USA models) , • (Canada models)
Parking brake system fault! See owner's
manual
- If the ind icator light and the message ap­
pear
when the vehicle is stationary or after
switching the ignition on ,
check if you can
re lease the parking brake. If you cannot re­
lease the parking brake, see your authorized
Aud i dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty . If you can release the parking brake and
the message still appears, see an author ized
Aud i dea ler or a uthorized Audi Service Facili­
ty immediately to have the ma lfunction cor­
rected.
- If the ind icator lig ht and message appear
while driving , the hill start assist or emer­
gency braking function may be malf uncti on­
ing . It may not be possib le to set the park­
ing brake or release it once it has been set.
Do not park your vehicle on hills and see an
author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Service Facility for assistance.
(USA mode ls) : I f the . and
liJ indicator
lights turn on together, take your vehicle to an
authorized Aud i dea ler or a uthorized Audi
Serv ice Facility immed iately to have the brake
pads inspected ¢
page 22.
There is also a warning tone when the lights
turn on.
A WARNING
-- Follow the warn ings on¢ page 214,
Working in the engine compartment
be­
fore opening the hood and check ing the
brake fluid level.
- If the brake system indicator light does
not turn off or it turns on while dr iving,
the brake fluid leve l in the reservo ir is
too low, and this increases the risk of an
accident. Stop the vehicle and do not
continue driving. See an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized Aud i Service Facility
for assistance. ..,.

M N ,....
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,...., ..,., ,....,
-If the brake system indicator light turns
on together with the ABS and ESC indica­
tor lights, the ABS/ESC regulating func­
t ion may be malfunct ion ing . Funct ions
that stabilize the vehicle are no longer
available . Th is could cause the rear of the
vehicle to swerve, wh ich increases the
risk that the vehicle will slide. Drive care­
fully to the nearest authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility and
have the malfunction corrected .
PARKl<® >f' l®i Electromechanical p arking
brake
If the . (USA models) I. (Canada models)
indicator light turns on, the park ing brake was
set .
• (USA models) /. (Canada models) Cau­
tion: Vehicle parked too steep
When the indicator light blinks and this mes­
sage appears, there is not enough braking
power to keep the veh icle from rolling. The
brakes have overheated. The vehicle could roll
away even on a small incline.
• (USA models) /. (Canada models)
Please press brake pedal to release parking
brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the
[2] button at the same
time , or start dr iv ing wi th hill s tart assist
¢ page 83 , S tarting from a stop.
Ill Parking brake!
There is a parking brake malfunction. Drive to
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected .
Ill Parking brake: limited functionality!
There is a parking brake malfunction. Drive to
an author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected.
litJ;):t :);Q3~ (USA models ) / ~ (Canada mod­
els) Please release parking brake
Instruments and indicator lamps 19
Release the parking brake if this message ap ­
pears.
j:lj;J:t:);JJJ~ (USA models) /~(Canada mod­
els) Parking brake auto release unavailable
If this message appears , press the brake pedal
first and then release the pa rking brake .
j:(;j;)J:);J:1:0 (USA models) / ¢@'A els) Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
When the indicator light blinks and this mes­
s a ge appears, there is not enough braking
power to keep the vehicle from rolling. The
brakes have overheated. Th e veh icle could roll
away even on a sma ll incline .
IIJ;):11:);J:1:0 (USA models) /~(Canada mod­
els) Parking brake is applied
If this message appears, press the brake pedal
first and then release the parking brake if nec ­
essary.
(D Tips
For additional informat ion on the parking
brake, refer to¢
page 82.
-L Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant lev­
el!
The coolant level is too low or the coo lant
temperature is too high.
Do not continue driving and switch the engine
off . Check the coolant level¢
page 220.
- If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
¢page 221. Only continue driving once the
ind icator light turns off .
- If the coolant level is correct, the problem
may be caused by a malfunction in the radia ­
tor fan. Do not continue driving. See an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine run at idle fo r a few minutes to
cool down . .,..
•

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~- Steering lock
• Do not drive vehicle : ste ering defective
There is a malfunct io n in the electron ic steer­
in g lock . You canno t turn the ign ition on .
Do
not tow your vehicle beca use it ca nnot be
steered. See an authorized Aud i dea ler or a u­
thor ized Audi Se rv ice Facility for assistance .
Ill Steering lock: system fault! Please con­
tact Service
There is a malfunct ion in the electron ic s teer ­
ing lock .
Dr ive to an a uth o rize d Aud i de aler or auth or­
iz ed A udi Service Faci lity immed iate ly to h ave
the ma lf u nction co rrec ted.
~ WARNING
Do not tow your ve hicle when t he re is a
ma lf u nction in t he e lectronic steering lock
- this increases t he risk of an acc ident.
-.e Engine start system
-
• Engine start system malfunction. Please
contact Service
Do not switch the ignit io n off because you
may not be able t o switch it on aga in.
D rive to an a uth o rized Aud i dea le r o r a uth or ­
ized A udi Service Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction co rrected.
l3 Engine start system malfunction . Please
contact Service
Th ere is a malfunct io n in th e engi ne s tart ing
s y st em.
- Vehicles with an ignition <=>
page 77, Auto­
matic start malfunction
- Vehicles with a conve nience key
¢ pag e 79, Automatic start malfunction
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or a uth or ­
i zed A udi Service Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction corrected .
Instruments and indicator lamps 21
~ Engine
• Engine stopped: brake servo and power
steering not pos sible
T he re is a malfunction in the eng in e or i n the
fuel sup ply sys tem .
More force is needed to steer and brake t he
moving veh icle when the eng ine is stopped . If
t h e ve hicle is rolli ng, try to stop i t caref ully on
the side of the ro ad away fro m moving t raffi c.
S ee a n author ized Audi dealer or au thor ized
A udi Serv ice F acili ty for a ssistance .
A WARNING
If th e engine stops w hile driving, you will
need to use mo re fo rce to brake the vehi ­
cle. T his increases the r isk of an accident .
There w ill still be power steer ing i f th e ig­
n it ion is switched on while t he ve hicle is
rolling and there is sufficie nt battery
cha rge . Ot herwise, you must use greater
fo rce when steer ing.
r;,/ fr, Electronic stabilization control
(ESC) and(@)) anti-lock braking system
(ABS)
If the DJ ind icator light blinks while driving,
the ESP or ASR (anti-slip regulation) is active ly
regulating.
If the
DJ ind icator light tu rns on, the system
has switc hed the ESC off . In t his case, yo u can
switch the ign ition off and then on to switch
the ESC on aga in. The ind icator lig ht tu rns off
whe n the system is fu nctioni ng fu lly.
Stabilization control (ESC): sport . Warning!
Restricted stability
If the B ind icator light tu rns on, ES C sport
mode was switched on using the
I" OF F! bu t­
ton <=>
page 189. You can t urn the ESC on
again by press the
I ~ O FF ! button again.
Stabilization control (ESC): off . Warning!
Restricted stability
If t he II in dica tor light tu rn s on, the ESC was
rest ricted or swi tc h ed o ff usin g th e
i .i, OFF I but to n <=> page 189. T he message ESC .,..
•

22 Instruments and indicator lamps
OFF also appears. You can turn the ESC on
again by press the
I~ O FF I button again.
The system switches on when the ignition is
switched on. The
fl indicator light turns off
when the system is functioning fully.
Stabilization control (ESC) malfunction! See
owner's manual
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS) malfunc­
tion! See owner's manual
ABS malfunction! See owner's manual
If the J..fd indicator light and the ABS indicator
light
ml (USA models)/ ii] (Canada models)
turn on and this message appears, there is a malfunction in the ABS system or electron ic
d ifferential lock. This also causes the ESC to
malfunction. The brakes still function with
their norma l power , but ABS is not active .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
If the . (USA models) I. (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicato r light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regulating function
may have failed . Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer avai lab le . This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, which
increases the risk that the vehicle will
slide. Drive carefully to the nearest author­
ized Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i Service
Facility and have the ma lfunction correct­
ed .
(D Tips
For addit ional information on ESC and
ABS, refer to<=:> page 188.
BRAKE/ {01 Brake pads
1111 (USA models ) / llJ (Canada models)
Brake pads!
l) - : USA mod els onl y
If the warning light illuminates, immediate ly
contact your authori zed Audi dealer or quali ­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed. Both sets of brake pads on an axle must
always be replaced at the same t ime.
A WARNING Co....- -
Driving with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and ser ious personal injury.
- If the warn ing light
llJ or the warning
light
llll1l with the message Brake
pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster
disp lay, immediately contact you r au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
' ·~ Hill hold
Hill hold assist: unavailable
If
the 111 ind icator light tu rns o n and this
message appears, hill hold is not available.
111 Manual control!
If this message appears, press the brake ped­
al.
Continue driving with the help of the parking
brake.
<=:> page 82
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
App lies to vehicles : wit h gasoli ne e ngi ne
If the (3i indicator light turns on there is a
malfunction in the engine control.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualified repair facility to have the engine
checked.
If the (3i indicator light turns on when you
start the engine, there is an automatic start
malfunction . To start the engine, follow these
steps:
- Vehicles with a mechanical ignition
<=:> page 77, Automatic start malfunction

....,
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On-board computer display
The on-boa rd comp uter display monitors the
d iffe rent memory levels:
- Sho rt-term memory (on-board computer
1)
- Long-term memory (on-board computer 2)
-Eff iciency p rogram
The fo llowing information can be displayed in
on-boa rd compute r
1 and 2 one after the oth­
er.
- Date
- Estimated range based on current fuel leve l
- T rave l time
- Average consumption
- Average speed
- Distance
- Current fuel consumption
On-board computer D (short -te rm
mem ory )
The sho rt-term memory co llects d riving infor­
mation from the time the ignition is switched
on until it is switched off . If you continue driv ­
ing
w ith in two hours after switc hing the igni­
tion off, the new values a re included when cal­
culating the cu rrent trip information .
If stop­
ped for more the two hours, the short term
memory is automatically erased once you be ­
g in d riving.
On-board computer fJ (long-term
memory )
Unlike the short-term memory , the long -term
memory is not erased automa tica lly. You can
selec t the time pe riod for evaluat ing t rip in ­
formation yo urself.
Efficiency program ii
The eff ic iency program can help you to use
l ess fuel ¢
page 28.
(D Tips
-The on-board computer is controlled by
the left but ton fields on the multifunc­
tion steering wheel.
- For information on using the other but­
ton fields, such as the aud io, telephone*
Dr iver in formation system 2 7
and navigation* f unct ions, see the M MI
owner's manual.
Operation
Applies to veh icles: w ith driver information system
T he dr iver information system is controlled
with the multifunction steering wheel.
F ig . 1 0 Mu lt ifun ction s tee rin g w heel : d river i nforma ­
t ion s ystem c ontro ls
F ig . 1 1 Driv e r in forma tion syst em: calling up the vehi­
cle funct io ns me nu
In add ition to information about the on-board
computer (on -board computer 1, 2 and the ef­
ficiency program), informa tion about othe r
systems can also be show n in the display .
You can identify which level (on-board com­
puter 1, 2 or the efficiency program) is shown
i n the d isp lay based on the sma ll
0, fJ or th e
no zzle
ii .
The tab@¢ page 26 , fig. 9 is displayed once
you press the b utton
(D ¢ fig. 10 on the mul ­
tif unctio n steer ing wheel.
Operating
.. Switch the ignit ion on. The last select func­
tion is disp layed.
.,. To switch between the tabs, press the rocker
button @to the left or right¢
fig. 10. IJJJ,

80 Driving
Steering lock1
)
The steering locks when you turn the engine
off using the
I START ENGINE STOPI* button,
move the selector lever into the P position
and open the driver's door.
The locked steering helps prevent vehicle
theft.
Emergency off function
If it is absolutely necessary, the engine can al­
so be turned off while driving at speeds lower
than 6 mph (10 km/h).
If you press the
I START ENGINE STOPI* button while driving,
the message
Pressing start/stop button
again will switch off engine!
appears. To
switch the engine off, press the
I STAR T ENGINE STO PI* button twice in a row
briefly or press and hold for longer than two
seconds.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine before the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop. The
full function of the brake booster and the power steering is not guaranteed. You
must use more force to turn or brake, if
necessary. Because you cannot steer and
brake as you usually would, this could
lead to accidents and serious injuries .
- Please note that the brake booster and
power steering only work when the en­
gine is running. When the engine off, you
must use more force to steer or brake
the vehicle. Because the usual steering and braking capability is not available,
the risk of accidents or injuries increases.
- Always take the vehicle key with you when leaving the vehicle, even for a
short period of time. This applies partic­ ularly when children remain in the vehi­
cle. Otherwise the children could start
the engine or operate electrical equip­
ment such as power windows.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehi­
cle with the selector lever in the P posi-
ll This function is not available in all cou ntr ies.
tion. Otherwise, there is the risk that the
vehicle could roll.
- After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 minutes - even with the ignition
switched off. It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as a result of heat buildup or if
the engine compartment is heated by sunlight and the engine is hot.
(D Note
If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, heat builds
up in the engine compartment after the
engine is switched off - there is a risk of
damaging the engine. For this reason, let
the engine run for at idle for approximate­
ly two minutes before shutting it off.
Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction
Applies to vehicles: with convenience key
It may not be possible to start the engine un­
der certain circumstances, for example if the
battery in the vehicle key is drained, if inter­
ference is affected the key or if there is a sys­
tem malfunction.
Fig. 81 Steer ing colum n/remote control key : start ing
the e ngine
if t h ere is a malfu nction
As long as the message y>l) Key not recog­
nized. See owners manual
appears, you can
sta rt your vehicle using the emergency start
function . .,.

84 Driving
Emergency braking function
This is used if the conventional brake system
fails or locks up.
... To brake your veh icle in an emergency, pu ll
the @switch ¢
page 82, fig. 82 and hold it
pulled .
... As soon as you releas e the @ switch or ac-
cele rate, the braking p rocess stops.
Pulling and holding the @switch while driv­
in g at a speed of about 2 mph (3 km/h) or
h igher in itiates the emergency b rak ing func­
tion . The vehi cle is braked at all fou r whee ls
by activat ing the brak ing hydrau lics. The brake
performance is s imilar to heavy bra ki ng. ¢.&.
To help prevent act ivat ing the emergency
b rak ing by mis take, an audib le wa rning tone
(b uzzer) sounds when the @switch is pulled.
E me rgency braking s tops as soo n as the @
switch is released or the accelerator peda l is
p ressed.
&_ WARNING
Emergency braking shou ld only be used in
an emergency, when the normal brake
pedal has failed or the brake pedal is ob­
structed . Du ring emergency braking, your
vehicle will brake similar to heavy braking.
ESC and the assoc iated components (ABS,
ASR, EDL) cannot overcome the laws of
physics. In corners and w hen road or
weather conditions are bad, a full brake
application can cause the vehicle to skid or
the rear end to b reak away, which increas­
es the risk of an acc ident.
Hill hold
Applies to vehicles: with H ill Hold
Hill hold makes it easier to start on hills .
Requirement: The driver door must be closed
and the engine must be r unning .
The system is act iva ted when the brake pedal
i s pressed wh ile the veh icle is s ta tionary .
To prevent the vehicle from ro ll ing back when
start ing , the bra ke power is he ld for a br ief moment afte
r releasing the brake pedal. D ur­
ing t his time, you can easi ly begin to move
you r vehicle .
A WARNING
"---
-The intelligent technology of Hi ll Hold
cannot overcome the limitations im­ posed by natural physical laws . The in­
creased comfort offered by H ill Hold
should not cause you to take safety r is ks.
- Hill Hold cannot hold the vehicle in all
h ill sta rt situations (fo r example, if the
g round is slippery o r icy).
- If you do not beg in moving immediately
after releasing the brake pedal, the vehi­
cle could begi n to roll ba ckward unde r
certain ci rc u ms tances. Press the brake
pedal or set the pa rk ing brake immedi­
ately.
- If the eng ine "stalls", press the b ra ke
pedal or set the pa rking brake immedi ­
ately.
- Starting on inclines in stop-and-go t ra f­
fic: To help prevent the vehicle from ro ll­
in g back when starting, press and ho ld
the brake pedal fo r several seconds when
the vehicle is stationary.
(D Tips
You can find o ut if yo ur vehicle is equ ipped
with Hill Hold by checking at an a uthorized
A udi dealer or qualified repair facility.
Speed warning system
Introduction
The speed warning system helps you to stay
under a specified maximum speed .
The speed warning system war ns you if you
are exceeding the maximum speed that you
have set . You will hear a warning tone when
yo ur speed exceeds the stored value by ap­
proximate ly 3 mph (3 km/h). The . (U SA
models)/ . (Canada models) ind icator light
and the message
Speed limit e xceeded! ap­
pear in the instrument cluster display at the
same time. The./. indicator light turns ..,.

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A WARNING ,~
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the r isk of a
loss of control leading to ser ious personal
injury:
-Always keep in m ind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
vehicle handling:
- Always distr ibute the load as even ly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as poss ible.
- Never exceed the Gross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left do or jamb. Exceeding per­
missib le we ight standards can cause the
vehicle to s lide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing co
page 126.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from be ing drawn into the veh icle, always
keep the rea r lid closed while dr iving.
- Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
cl osed.
- If you absolutely must drive w ith the rear
l id ope n, observe the follow ing notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power top,
- Open all air ou tlets in the instrument
panel,
- Sw itch off the air recircu lation,
- Set the fresh ai r fan to the h ighest
speed.
A WARNING
Alw ays m ake s ure th at the doors, all win­
dows, the power top an d the re ar lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce th e
Dri ving s afe ty 133
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used .
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and loc ked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child cou ld craw l into the vehicle thro ugh
the luggage compartment and close the
rea r lid becoming t rapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious pe rsonal inj ury.
- Never let ch ildren play in or around the
veh icle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compa rtment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restra ined in one of
the vehicle's seating pos it ions.
(D Tips
- Air circulati on helps to reduce window
fogging . S tale a ir escapes to the outside
through ven ts in the t rim panel. Be sure
t o keep these slots free an d ope n.
- T he tire pressure m ust correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
t ire pressure label. T he tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pilla r.
T he tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended co ld tire inflation pressures fo r
the vehicle at its maxim um capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures f or nor­
ma l load cond itions, p lease see chapter
co
page 235.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the t ie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly co
page 132, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean th at
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi-
cle w ill become heavy m issiles that can cause .,.. •
•

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-Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that come on, could lead to person­
al injury.
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles .
Fig. 1 31 Unb elt e d oc cupan ts in a ve hicle h ead ing for a
wall
Fig. 132 T he vehicle c ras hes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the
veh icle and the passengers possess energy
which varies w ith veh icle speed and body
weight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic en­
e rgy."
T he higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor . If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the ene rgy increases 4 t imes!
Because the passengers of th is veh icle are not
using safety belts
c:::;, fig. 131, they will keep
mov ing at the same speed the vehicle was
mov ing just befo re the crash, unt il something
stops them - here, the wall ¢
fig. 132 .
Safety belts 139
The same principles apply to people s itting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal coll ision .
Even at c ity speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to
SO km/h), the forces acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or
more . At greater speeds, these fo rces are even
highe r.
Peop le who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle . In a frontal colli­
s ion they will also keep moving forward at the
speed their veh icle was travel ling just before
the crash . Of co urse, the laws of physics don't
just app ly to frontal collisions, they determine
what happens i n all k inds of a cc ident s and col­
li s ions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed . Always wear your safety belts!
Fi g. 1 33 A drive r not wear ing a safety bel t is v io len tly
t hrown forward
Fig . 1 34 A rear pa sse nger not wearing a safety be lt
w ill fl y forw ar d a nd str ike t he dr ive r
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the
tremendous forces of impact by holding tight
or bracing themselves . Without the benefit of
safety restra int systems, the unrestra ined ..,_