seats AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2016 User Guide

Driving sa fe ty
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others. We have summar­ ized here what you need to know about safety
be lts, a irbags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1 . Al­
ways observe the i nfo rmation and wa rn ings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The information i n this section applies to all
model versions of yo ur vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures descr ibed in t his sections may be s tanda rd
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others . If you are not sure, ask
your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in th is
Manual.
It is in your interest and in the in­
te rest of your passengers.
- Always keep the comp lete Owner's Litera­
ture in your A udi when you lend or se ll your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the d river and
passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner 's literature handy so
that you can find it easily i f you have ques­
t ions.
- Always adjust your speed to the wea ther
t raff ic and conditions. Follow the speed lim­
its.
- Always dr ive in such a way that you can s top
yo ur vehicle safely.
- Always adjust your speed to the genera l
flow of traffic. Follow the speed l imits.
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· Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant re­
straint system and work together to help reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of accident sit­
uations.
You r safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance . Advances in tech­
no logy have made a va riety of features available
to help red uce the risk of inj ury in an accident.
The following is a lis t of jus t a few of the safe ty
fea tures in yo ur Audi :
- sophisticated safety be lts fo r drive r and all pas-
senge r seat ing pos itions,
- safety belt pretensioners,
- safety bel t force lim ite rs fo r the front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats,
- special LATCH anchorages fo r child res trai nts,
- head rest raints fo r each seati ng position,
- adjustab le steering column.
- pre sense bas ic * (preventative passenger pro-
tect ion)
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to he lp protect you and your
passengers i n a wide range of acc idents. These
fea tures cannot wo rk as a system if they are not
always correctly adjusted and cor rect ly used.
Safet y is e verybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
be fo re dri ving always:
.. Make sure that a ll lights and signals a re operat­
ing correctly.
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.. Secu re all luggage and other items carefully
,=;,page 58, ,=;,page 57 . .,.

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.. Make sure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals.
.. Adjust front seat , head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints accord ing to their height .
.. Make sure to use the right ch ild restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
~ page 165, Child
safety .
.,. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
¢page 53, Front
seats .
.. Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly. Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly ¢
page 135 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle , the driver as well as the driver's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve­
hicle and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
¢ ,&. Therefore :
.,. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER dr ive when your driv ing ability is im ­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weathe r 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 dr iv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal inj ury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Driving safety
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 120 Correct seating pos it ion
For 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 driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keep ing your knee(s) slightly bent¢,& .
.,. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact wi th it when you dr ive .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering whee l and your breast bone¢
fig. 120.
If not poss ible, see your author ized A udi deal­
ership about adaptive equipment.
.. 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 .
.. For adjustable head restraints: Adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
b le with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this posit ion as possible. Move the
head restraint so that it is as close to the back
of the head as possible.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 138. ..,.
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Driving safety
"' Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c;, page 53.
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
duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out ­
side of the steering wheel rim 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 hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the su pplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
properly and make sure that all passengers
are properly restrained .
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
126
-
-Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must always ride in child seats
c:;, page 165 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c:;, page 143.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident , we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
"'Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position and your back comes in full
contact with it whenever the vehicle is moving.
"'For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
c:;, page 12 7 . Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possible.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c;,page 138.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c:;, page 53 .
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or killed by the airbag as it
unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
Ill-

-Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri­
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas­
senger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­ ger's knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front pas­
senger seat properly.
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly.
-Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
c> page 165. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c> page 143.
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
;;§ seating position in the event of a sudden braking
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maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
ing:
Driving safety
.,. For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
c>page 127.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
c> page 138.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and ager:!;>
page 165.
A WARNING
-
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
tioned on the body and securely latched. By not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger in­
creases the risk of personal injury from im­
properly positioned safety belts!
- For adjustable head restraints: always ad­
just the head restraint properly so that it
can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to: vehicles with adjusta ble head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor ­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 121 Head restraint: viewed from the front
127

Driving sa fe ty
The head restraints must be correc tly adjusted to
achieve the best protection .
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as poss ible with the top of your head.
If
that is not possible, try to adjust the head re ­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
poss ib le
~ fig . 121.
.,. If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing pos it ion, slide the center head restra int up­
ward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints
c::> page 55.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Dr iv ing without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not proper ly adjusted in­
creases the risk of ser ious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the r is k of injury:
- Always dr ive with the head restraints in
place and properly ad justed .
- Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
prope rly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra int so the uppe r edge is as
even as possib le w ith the top of you r head.
If that is no t possib le, t ry to adjust the head
restra int so th at it is as close to th is position
as possib le. Move the head restraint so that
it is as close to the back of the hea d as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
whi le driving. If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to ad just the head restra int.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a chi ld restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
c::> page 165.
128
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated .
Improper seating positions can cause ser ious in­
jury or death . Safety be lts ca n only work when
they are properly positioned on t he body . Im­
prope r seat ing pos itions red uce the effectiveness
of safety bel ts a nd will even increase t he risk of
i njury and deat h by mov ing the safety bel t to cr it­
ic al areas of the body. Improper seating positions
a lso increase the risk of se rio us in jury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occ upant
who is not in the proper seating posit ion. A dr iver
i s responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and espec ially for children. Therefore :
.,. Never allow anyone to assume an incor rect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
Q A .
The following bulletins list on ly some samp le po ­
s itions that will increase the r isk of serious injury
and death . Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
a re dangerous .
Therefore, whene ver the vehicl e is m oving:
-never stand up in the vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- neve r kneel on the seats
- neve r ride w it h the seatback recl ined
- never l ie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- neve r put your feet o ut the window
- neve r put your feet on the instr ument panel
- neve r res t your feet on the seat c ushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area

Transport Canada M otor Vehicle Safety Investig a­
tions Laboratory
80 Noel Street
Gatin eau, QC
J8Z OAl
For additional road safety infor­
mation, please visit the Road
Safety website at:
http:/ /www.tc.gc.ca/eng/
road safety/menu. htm
Active rollover
protection system
Function
The rollover protection system protects vehicle
occupants in the event of a rollover.
----Fig. 123 Rear seats: rollbar dep loy men t range
~ The active rollover protection system consists of: ..... 0
S: -two rollbars 00
Driving safety
-the safety belts with belt tensioners
- the windshield frame
- the rollover sensors
The active rollover protection system provides
additional safety in the event of a rollover. With ­
in milliseco nds, sensors dep loy two rollbars lo­
cated beh ind the head restraints in the rear seats
Qfig . 124.
The rollbars, reinforced windshield frame and
belt tensioners help protect front and rear pas­
sengers in the event of a rollover.
The rollover protection system functions when
the power top is both open and closed .
A WARNING
Do not use the area behi nd the rear seat head
r estraints
Q fig. 123 as a storage area. T h is is
the area where the rollbars deploy. If the roll­
over protection system is triggered, objects
place there can be propelled through the ve ­
hicle and make it more difficult for the roll­
bars to deploy. This increases the risk for seri­
ous or life-threatening in juries.
When is rollover protection deployed?
Rollover protection deploys in a collision or roll­
over.
Depending on the collision, sensors throughout
the vehicle and the control modu le trigger the
rollover system to deploy.
For safety reasons, rollover protection also de­
ploys during front, side and rear collisions above
a certain level of severity.
133

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Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correctly.
~ Read all the information that follows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death .
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically im­
paired persons must also use safety belts.
Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts. The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mother -throughout
the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of four seating positions:
two in the front and two in the rear. Each seating position has a safety belt .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small children, into any belt.
It is espe­
cially dangerous to place a safety belt over a
child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
Safety belts
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safety
belt or child restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle hos o warning system for the driver
and front seat passenger (on USA models only)
to remind you about the importance of buckling­
up .
Fig. 127 Safety belt warn ing light in the instrument clus ­
te r -enlarged
Before driving off, always:
.. Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly.
.,, N
"' 0 ..:, ., m
~ Make sure that your passengers also buckle up
and properly wear their safety belts .
~ Protect children w ith a ch ild restraint system
appropr iate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignit ion is on as a reminder to
fasten the safety belts. In addition, you wil l hear
a warning tone for a certain period of time.
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that your
passengers also properly put on their safety
belts.
A WARNING
-
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
F or your protection and that of your passen­
gers, a lways correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving .
- Failure to pay attention to the warning light
that come on, could lead to personal injury.
135

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Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even
when they deploy, airbags provide on ly additional
protection. Airbags are not supposed to dep loy in
all kinds of accidents. A lthough your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the dr iver, must wear safety belts cor ­
rectly in order 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 protect ion in those accidents in w hich
a ir bags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have already deployed. Unbelted occupants can
also be thrown o ut of the vehicle where even
more severe or fatal injur ies can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly . Unbelted passengers
in the rear seats endanger not only themse lves
but also the driver and other passengers
¢fig . 131. 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!
Fig. 132 Dr iver is correctly restra ined in a sudden b raking
maneuver
Safety belts 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 se ri­
ous injur ies. In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of being thrown out of the vehicle .
Safety belts
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give
them the benefit of being slowed down more
gently or "softly" through the "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety features engi­
neered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the
kinetic ene rgy over a longer period of time, the
safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tolerab le" and less likely to ca use injury .
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision, safety be lts can also substantially re ­
duce the r isk of injury in other k inds of crashes.
So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to
the corner store, always buckle up and make sure
others do, too. Acciden t statist ics show that vehi­
cle occupants properly wearing safety belts have
a lower risk of being injured and a much better
chance of surviving an accident . Properly using
safety belts also greatly increases the ability of
the supp lemental airbags to do their job in a col­
lision. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most count ries including much
of the United States and Canada .
Although your Aud i is equipped with airbags, you
still have to wear the safety belts provided. Front
airbags, for example, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not act i­
vated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear col­
lisions , in roll overs or in cases where there is not
enough deceleration through impact to the front
of the vehicle. The same goes for the other air bag
systems in your Audi . So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned
across the strongest bones of your body.
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and de­
scribed in this chapter.
.,. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
137

Safety belts
_& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death . Safety belts can work only
when used correctly.
-Always fasten your safety belts correctly be­ fore driving off and make sure all passen­
gers are correctly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must
always be positioned properly on the body.
- Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small children, into any belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sitting
on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front of
the seat while the vehicle is being driven.
- Never let any person ride with their feet on
the instrument panel or sticking out the
window or on the seat.
- Never
remove a safety belt while the vehicle
is moving . Doing so will increase your risk of
being injured or killed .
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts
over rigid or breakable ob-
jects in or on your clothing, such as eye
glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause
injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat hard­
ware .
- Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of position.
- Several layers of heavy clothing may inter­
fere with correct positioning of belts and re­
duce the overall effectiveness of the system.
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latching
securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that cre­
ate slack in the shoulder belt. However, spe­
cial clips may be required for the proper use
of some child restraint systems.
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an acci­
dent . Inspect belts regularly.
If webbing,
bindings, buckles, or retractors are dam-
138
aged, have belts replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Safety belts that have been worn and loaded
in an accident must be replaced with the
correct replacement safety belt by an au­
thorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be
necessary
even if damage cannot be clearly
seen . Anchorages that were loaded must al­
so be inspected.
- Never
remove, modify , disassemble, or try
to repair the safety belts yourself .
-Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly and can impair the func­
tion of the inertia reel¢
table Internal
cleaning on page 226.
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 133 Be lt buckle and tongue on the driver's seat
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear­
er's body .
.. Adjust the front seat and head restraint proper­
ly¢
page 53, Front seats.
.. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench
is in an upright position and securely latched in
place before using the belt
q ,&. .
.. Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest and pelvis¢,&..
.. Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
¢fig. 133.
.. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle. .,,._

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Automatic safety belt r etractors
Every safety be lt is equ ipped wi th an automatic
be lt retractor on the shoulder belt. Th is feature
l ocks the belt when the belt is p ulled out fast,
during hard braking and in an accident. The belt
may also lock when you drive up or down a steep
h ill or through a sharp curve. During normal driv­
ing the belt lets you move freely .
Safety be lt pret en sioner s
The safety belts are equipped with a belt preten­
sioner that helps to tighten the safety belt and
remove slack when the pretensioner is activated
c:> page 141. The function of the pretensioner is
monitored by a warning light
c:> page 17.
Con vertible loc king retractor
Every safety belt exc ept the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertible locking retrac­
tor that
mu st be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child seat. Be sure to read the
important information about this featu re
c:> page 176.
A WARNING
Improperly posit ioned safety be lts ca n cause
ser ious injury in an accident ¢
page 139,
Safety belt position.
-Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upr ight and belts are
prope rly pos itioned on the body.
- Never a ttac h the safety belt to the buckle
for ano ther sea t. Att aching the bel t to the
wrong buck le w ill reduce safety belt effec­
tiveness and can cause serious persona l in ­
jury .
- A passenger who is no t properly restrained
can be se riously in jured by the safety be lt it­
self when it moves from the stronger parts of the body into cr itical areas like the abdo­
men .
- Always lock the convert ible lock ing retractor
when you are secur ing a child seat in the ve­
hicle
c:> page 177.
Safet y bel ts
(D Tips
For information on safety belt pretensioners,
refer to
r=:; page 141 .
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi­
mum protection from safety belts.
F ig. 134 Safety be lt pos it ion
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust
the position of the safety belt to match your body s iz e.
- he ight -adjustable front seats .
A WARNING
'"' -Improperly posi tioned safety belts can cause
se rious pe rsonal injury in an acc ident.
- The s hou lder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possib le and
should fit well on the body . Ho ld the belt
above the latch tongue and pull it evenly
a cross the chest so tha t it sits as low as pos­
sible on the pe lvis and there is no p ressure
on the abdomen . The belt should a lways fit
snug ly
r=:; fig. 134. Pu ll on the belt to tighten
if necessary.
- The lap be lt portion of the safety belt must
be positioned as low as possible across pel­
vis and never over the abdomen . Make s ure
the belt lies flat and snug
c:> fig. 134. Pull on
the bel t to tighten if necessary .
- A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious
in ju ries by s hifting its position on your body
from the stro ng bones to more vulnerable,
soft tissue and cause se rious i nju ry .
~
139