belt AUDI A5 COUPE 2013 User Guide

Rocking back and forth to become
un stuck
~ Shi ft on ly between D/S and R when the ve­
hicle is at a full stop and the engine is
runn ing at idle speed.
Stopp ing
~ Press and ho ld the brake pedal unti l the ve ­
hicle has come to a complete stop .
~ Keep the brake pedal depressed so that the
vehicle cannot roll forward or backward
while it is idling¢ .&_.
~ Once stopped, do not depress the accelera-
tor pedal to rev up the engine ¢.&_ .
Pa rking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the dr iver's door, the vehicle
could ro ll. The message
T ra nsmi ssion: C ar
may roll! Shift to park!
appears.
~ Press and ho ld the brake pedal unti l the ve ­
hicle has come to a complete stop.
~ Set the parking brake firmly¢ page 77,
Parking.
~ Press and ho ld the release button in these­
l ector lever handle, move the selector lever
into P and then let go of the release button
¢ .&_ .
The engine can only be
s tart ed when these­
l ecto r lever is in the P o r N posit ions .
On slopes , activate the parking brake first and
the n move the selector lever to the P pos it ion .
This prevents too much stress from being
p laced on the lock ing mecha nism .
_& WARNING
-Unin tended veh icle movement ca n cause
serious injury .
- When the selector lever is in a dr iving
position, the veh icle may creep, even at
id le speed. Therefore do not release
the park ing brake or foo t brake until
you are ready to move, because powe r
is t ransmitted to the whee ls as soon as
a dr iving posit ion is engaged.
Tran sm iss ion 83
-Do not accelerate wh ile selecting a
driv ing position. At this time the en­
gine must be at idle speed so that un­ due stress is not placed on the clutches
i n the transmiss ion.
- Remember: Even when stopped br iefly
with the automatic t ransmission in D/S
o r R, eng ine power is being transmit­
ted to the wheels. Your veh icle cou ld
"creep" forward or backwa rd. Whe n
stopped, keep the brake pe dal fu lly de­
pressed and use the pa rking brake if
necessary to keep the vehicle from ro ll­
ing.
- If the selec to r l ever is unintentionally
moved into N while you are driving, take
your foot off the accelerator peda l and
wait for the eng ine to ret urn to idle
speed before se lecting a dr iv ing pos ition.
- Never sh ift into R or P when the vehicle is
in motion.
- Never get out of the d river's seat when
the eng ine is running.
- If you m ust get out of the vehicle, move
the selector lever secure ly into the P po­
sition and apply the parking brake firmly.
- If the engine must remain r unning, neve r
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood . Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P w it h the par king brake
fi rm ly set¢
page 209, Engine compart­
ment.
Othe rwise, any in cr ease in engine
speed may set t he vehi cle in motion,
even with the park ing brake applied .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the pa rking brake is re­
l eased a utomatically o nly when the d riv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.

may be useful to switch temporarily to the
manual shift program in order to adjust the
gears to the driving conditions by hand
Q & .
On slopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position.
This prevents the locking mechanism from be­ ing loaded too heavily and will make it easier
to move the selector lever out of P.
A WARNING
-Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running, activate the parking brake and move the
selector lever to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector
lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
while the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long. Constant
braking causes the brakes to overheat
and substantially reduces braking per­
formance, increases braking distance or
causes complete failure of the brake sys­
tem .
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens auto­
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp
[O] illu­
minates and a driver message appears
Transmission 91
Q page 93 when the clutch is overload­
ed.
(D Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the S tronic
transmission to overheat and can dam­
age it . Activate the parking brake or
press the brake pedal to prevent the ve­
hicle from rolling .
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en ­
gine is stopped and the selector lever is
in N will damage the S tronic transmis­
sion because it is not lubricated under
those circumstances.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
App lies to vehicles : wi th S tronic t ra nsmi ssio n and hill de ·
sce nt contro l
The hill descent con trol system assists the
driver when driving down declines .
Hill descent control is activated when these­
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The S tronic transmission automatically
shifts down into a gear suitable for the de­ cline. Hill descent control tries to maintain
the speed achieved at the time of braking,
within physical and technical limitations. If
may still be necessary to adjust the speed
with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the de­
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
Q page 80, hill descent control is also activat-
ed when the speed is set. .,,.

124 Driving Safely
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others. We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section -for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle. Some of the
features described in this sections may be
standard 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
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter­
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor­
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- belt force limiters for the seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain airbags,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work to­ gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor­
rectly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.,. Make sure that all lights and signals a re op­
erating correctly.
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
.,. Make sure that all windows are clean and
afford good visibility to the outside.
.,. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
qpage59 .
.,. Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
.,. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir­
rors correctly for your height.
.,. Instruct rear seat passengers to adjust the
head restraints according to their height.
.,. Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children¢
page 166,
Child Safety. "'

.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
¢page 53,
Seats and storage.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly¢
page 134 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle , the driver as well as the
driver's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants. If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you a lso become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
~ .&_.
Therefo re:
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVE R drive when yo ur driv ing ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, 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 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
pressure or when you are stressed .
& WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used.
Driving Safely 125
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 127 Correct seat ing pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
follow ing pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
wh ile keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢&_ .
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact w ith it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and yo ur breast
bone
~ fig. 12 7. If not possible, see your au­
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip­
ment.
.. Adjust the steer ing wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
.,. Grasp the top of the steering whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. App lies to vehicles with adjustable head re­
s tra ints: Ad just the head restraint so the up­
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head. If that is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this pos it ion as possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety be lts correctly
¢ page 13 7 . .,._

126 Driving Safely
• 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
¢ page 54 .
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce 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 breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury 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. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag de­
ploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver 's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air ­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving . Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in- jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 166. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat¢
page 142 .
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
injury in the event of an accident, we recom ­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
• Move the front passenger seat back as far
as possible . There must be a minimum of
10 inches (25 cm) between the breastbone
and the instrument panel¢,&. .
• 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.
• Applies to vehicles with adjustable head re­
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up­
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head. If tha t is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this position as possible.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 137.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ 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 air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:

-Passengers must always sit in an upright
posit ion and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located .
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un ­
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye .
- Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenge r's breastbone and the instru­
ment pane l.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of the ir own and properly fasten and
wear the safety bel t belong ing to that
seat .
- Before driv ing, a lways adj ust the front
passenger seat and head restra int prop­
er ly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat . Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win ­
dow, etc . The airbag system and safety
belt w ill not be ab le to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury 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 in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c::> page 166. Spec ial precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenge r seat
c::> page 142.
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 vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor­
rect seat ing pos ition in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas-
Dr ivin g Sa fely 12 7
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
1-Make s ure th at the seatback is secure ly
la tched in the upright position
c::> page 63 .
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front
of the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety be lts properly
c::> page 13 7 .
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrai ned in a child restraint that is appro ­
p riate for the ir s ize and age
c::> page 166.
.&, WARNING
P assengers who are imp roperly seated on
the rea r seat can be seriously i njured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always si t on a seat
of their own and pr operly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec­
tion when the sea tback is sec urely latch ­
ed in the upright position and the safety
be lts are properly positioned on the
body. By not s itting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
inju ry from improperly positioned safety
belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection .
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: wit h adjustab le hea d r est ra in ts
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant part of your vehicle 's occupant re­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations .
Fig. 1 28 Head restra int: v iewed fro m th e front

128 Driving Safely
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to achieve the best protection. ... Adjust the head restraints so the upper
edge is as even as possible with the top of
your head.
If that is not possible, try to ad­
just the head restraint so that it is as close to this position as possibler::!)
fig. 128.
Adjusting head restraints r::!)page 56.
_&. WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Driving without head restraints or
with head restraints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of serious or fa­
tal neck injury dramatically . To help reduce
the risk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted .
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly adjusts their head re­
straint. Adjust the head restraints so the
upper edge is as even as possible with
the top of your head . If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restraint so
that it is as close to this position as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
straint.
- Children must always be properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their age and size¢
page 166.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they are properly positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce
the
effectiveness of safety belts and will even in­
crease the risk of injury and death by moving
the safety belt to critical areas of the body. Improper seating positions also increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an air ­
bag deploys and strikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position . A driver is
responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially for children. Therefore:
... Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used ¢& .
The following bulletins list only some sample
positions that will increase the risk of serious
injury and death . Our hope is that these exam­
ples will make you more aware of seating po­
sitions that are dangerous.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
_&. WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu-
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restrained whenever the
vehicle is being used.

134 Safety belts
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety be lts are nec ­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly .
.. Read a ll the information that fo llows and
heed all of the instruct ions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of ser ious
personal in jury and death .
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means avai lab le to reduce the risk of se­
r ious injury and dea th in a utomob ile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
yo ur passenge rs, always co rrectly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
- P regnant women, injured, or physically
im paired perso ns mu st also use safety
bel ts. Lik e all veh icle occup ants, they are
more like ly to be ser iously injured if they
do not wea r safety be lts . 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 seat­
ing position has a safety belt .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or weari ng them
improp erly increases th e risk of ser ious
pe rsonal i njury and dea th.
- N ever st rap more than one pe rson, in­
cl uding small ch ild ren, into any belt.
It is
e speci ally dange rous to pla ce a safety
belt over a child s itting on yo ur lap.
- N ever le t mo re people ride in the ve hicl e
than there are s afe ty be lts avail able. -
Be s ure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained w ith a separate safe ­
ty belt or child restra int.
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle hos o warning system for the
driver and (on USA models only) front seat
passenger to remind you about the impor­
tance of buckling-up .
Fi g. 130 Safety belt warni ng lig ht in the instrument
cluster -en larged
Before driving off, always :
.. Fasten you r safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly .
.. Make s ure that yo ur passengers a lso buck le
up and properly wear their safety be lts.
.. Protect your children w ith a child rest raint
system approp riate fo r the size and age of
t he children.
The . war ning light in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignit ion is switched on as a
rem inder to faste n the safety belts. In addi­
t ion, you will hea r a warning tone for a certa in
per iod of t ime.
Fasten your safety b elt now and make sure
that your pas sengers also properly put on
their safety belts.

Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles .
Fig. 131 U nbe lted occupa nts in a ve hicle hea ding for a
wall
F ig. 1 32 The ve hicle c ras hes into t he wall
The physical principles are simp le. Both the
ve hicle and the passengers possess energy
which varies w ith vehicle speed and body
weight . Enginee rs call this energy "kinetic en ­
e rgy ."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the vehicle 's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" i n the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most sign ificant factor . If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h) , the energy inc reases 4 t imes !
Because t he passengers of t his ve hicle are not
using safety belts
r::;, fig . 131, they w ill keep
moving at the same speed the vehicle was
mov ing just before the crash, unt il something
stops them -here, the wall
c:> fig . 132 .
The same pr inc iples apply to peop le sitting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal co llision .
Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to
50 km/h) , the forces act ing on the body can Safety belts
135
reach one ton (2,000 lbs . or 1,000 kg) or
more . At greater speeds, these forces are
even
higher .
People who do not use sa fe ty belts are also
not attached to their vehicle. In a frontal coll i­
sio n they wi ll also keep moving forward at the
speed their veh icle was t ravell ing just before
the crash. Of co urse, the laws of physics don't
just app ly to frontal collisions, they determine
what happens in all kinds of acc idents and col ­
lis ions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelt ed o ccupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 133 A driver not wear ing a safety belt is vi ole ntl y
thrown forwa rd
Fig. 1 34 A rear passeng er not w ear ing a safety be lt
w ill fly forwar d and s trike the d river
Unbelted occ upants a re not able to resist the
tremendous forces of impact by holdi ng tight
or bracing themselves . Without the benefit of
safe ty restra in t systems, the unrestrained oc­
cupan t w ill slam violen tly i nto the s teer ing
whee l, instr ument pane l, w indshield, o r what­
ever else is in the way ¢ fig. 133. This impact Ill-

136 Safet y belt s
with the vehicle interior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Neve r rely on airbags a lone for p rotec tion.
Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
addit io nal p rotection . Airbags are not sup­
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Al­
though your Audi is equipped with a irbags, all
vehicle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to min i­
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash .
Remember too, that airbags wi ll deploy on ly
once and that your safety belts are always
there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have a lready deployed . Unbelted
occupants can also be thrown out of the vehi­
cle whe re even more severe o r fatal in juries
can occu r.
It is also impo rtant for the rear passenge rs to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passen­
gers in the re ar seats end anger no t on ly them­
selves but a lso the d river a nd other passen­
gers ~
fig. 134. In a frontal collision they will
be thrown forward violent ly, where they can
h it and injure the dr iver and/or front seat pas ­
senger.
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 . 135 Driver is co rrectly re st ra ined in a s udden b rak ·
i n g m an euve r
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference . Safety be lts he lp to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels applied to the body in an accident, and help
prevent the
uncontrolled movement that can
ca use serio us in juries . In addition, safety be lts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle .
Safety be lts 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 engineered into today's vehicles. By
"abso rbing" t he kinetic energy over a longer
per iod of t ime, the safety belts make the
forces o n the body more " tolerable" and less
l ikely to ca u se inju ry.
Although these examples are based on a fron­
ta l co llision, saf ety belts can a lso substantia l­
ly red uce the r isk of injury in other kinds of
cr ashes. So, whether you're on a long t rip o r
j u st going to the corner store, a lways buckle
u p and make sure others do, too. Accident sta ­
tistics show that veh icle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of be ing
injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety be lts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen ­
tal airbags to do the ir job i n a collision. Fo r
t hi s reason, wea ring a safety belt is legally re­
quired in mos t countr ies includi ng mu ch of
t h e Un ited States and C anada .
Althoug h your Aud i is equipped with a irbags,
you still have to wear the safety be lts prov id­
ed . F ront ai rbags, fo r example , a re ac tivated
o nly in some front al coll isions. The fron t air­
bags are not act ivated in a ll fron tal collis ions,
in side and rear co llisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not eno ugh deceleration
through impact to the front o f the veh icle.
The same goes for the other a irbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt and make su re everybody in your veh icle is
properly restrai ned !