seats AUDI A6 2016 User Guide

..... N
0 CJ ' M I.Cl ......
-Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat hard­
ware.
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged belt hardware can break in a
crash. Inspect the belts periodically. Belts
showing damage to webbing, bindings,
buckles, or retractors must be replaced .
(D Note
-If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is folded forward, you
could damage the head restraints on the
rear seat.
- Slide the belt guide on the outside safety
belt all the way up before folding the back­
rest back forward. Make sure the seat belt is
not pinched or damaged when the rear seat
backrest if folded back . Other objects
should be removed from the rear seat bench
to protect the seatback from damage.
Tie-downs and cargo net
The cargo net* prevents small objects from slid­
ing.

~
Fig. 70 Locat ion of the tie-downs in th e l uggage compart­
ment
Fig. 71 Luggage compartment: cargo net*
Seats and storage
.,. To secure objects with the luggage compart­
ment net*, fold the tie-down bracket upward
¢ fig. 70.
.,. Insert the hooks on the luggage compartment
net* into the tie-downs¢
fig. 71.
.,. Read and heed all WARNINGS ¢page 131,
Storing cargo correctly.
&, WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fai l during hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per­
sonal injury.
-Always use suitable retaining straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward .
- Never attach a chi ld seat tether strap to a
tie-down .
- For strength-related reasons, the mounting
hooks can only be used to secure objects
weighing up to 10 lb. (5 kg). Heavier objects
will not be adequately secured -there is a
risk of injury.
-
65

mode switches off. The temperature shou ld be
set to approximate ly 72 °F (22 °C).
The
IAU TOI button switches the defroster off.
IQiD REAR I Switching the rea r window defo gger
on /off
The rear window heate r o nl y operates when the
engine is running. It sw itches off automatical ly
afte r a few minutes, depend ing on the outs ide
temperature.
To prevent the rear w indow heater from switch­
ing off automatically , press and ho ld the
llliil R EAR I
button fo r more than 2 seconds . T his remains
stored until the ignition is switched off.
~ Ad justing seat h eating *
Pressing the button switches the seat heating on
at the highest setting (level 3) . The L EDs ind icate
the temperature level. To reduce the tempera­
ture, press the button aga in. To switch the seat
heating off, p ress the button repeated ly until the
LED turns off.
Afte r 10 minutes, the seat heating automatically
switches from level 3 to level 2.
Air vents
You can open or close the center and rear vents in
the cockpit and the vents in the rear center con­
sole using the r idged thumbwhee ls . T he levers
adj ust the d irection of the airflow from the ven ts.
Warm and c old
A WARNING
- You shou ld not use the recircu lation mode
for an extended period since no fres h air is
drawn in. With the a ir-conditioning switch­
ed off, the windows can fog up, which in­
creases the risk of an accident.
- Individuals w ith reduced sensit ivity to pa in
or temperature could develop b urns when
using the seat heat ing funct ion. To red uce
the risk of i njury, these individu als sho uld
not use seat heating.
(!;) Note
To avoid damage to the heating elements in
the seats, do not knee l on the seats o r place
heavy loads on a small area of the sea t.
Basic settings
Applies to vehicles: with three-zo ne climate control
The climate control system basic settings are ac­
cessed in the Infotainment system.
~ Select : the I CAR I functio n button > (Car) * Sy s-
tem s
contro l button > A C.
Auxiliary he ater*
In veh icles with diesel engines, the auxiliary
heater helps to warm the vehicle interior more
quickly . T he auxiliary heater is controlled auto ­
matically in the
Auto setting .
69

At both of these settings, the climate control sys ­
tem runs continuously at maximum cooling or heating power. T here is no temperature regula­
tion .
Adjusting the blower~
You can adjust the volume of air generated by the
b lower to your preference. To have the blower
r e gulated automatica lly, press the
IAUTO I but­
ton .
~ Adjusting air distribution
You can manually select the vents where the air
will flow. To have the air distribution regu lated
automatically , p ress the
IAU TO ! button.
~ Adjusting seat heating*/seat ventilation*
Pressing the button switches the seat heating/
seat ventilat ion on at the highest setting (leve l
3). The LEDs indicate the temperature level. To
r educe the temperature, press the button again .
To switch the seat heating/seat venti lation off,
press the button repeatedly until the LED turns
off.
Afte r 10 minutes, the seat heating automatically
switches from level 3 to level 2.
l The windshield and side windows are defrosted
or cleared of condensation as quickly as possible.
The maximum amount of air flows mainly from
the vents below the windshield. Recirculation
mode switches off . The temperature shou ld be
set to approximate ly 22
° C.
The IAU TOI button sw itches the defroster off.
IQ:il REAR I Switching the rear window defogger
on/off
The rear window heate r o nl y operates when the
engine is running. It sw itches off automatically
after a few minutes, depending on the outs ide
temperature.
To prevent the rear w indow heater from switch­
ing off automatically, press and hold the
lljjjl REAR I
button for more than 2 seconds. This remains
stored until the ignition is switched off.
Warm and cold
I SYNC ! Synchronization
When synchronization is switched on, the set­
tings for the driver's s ide are applied to the front
passenger's side (except for seat heating/ventila­
tion *). The s ettings in the rear are also synchron ­
i z ed. Synchronization switches off if the settings
are adjusted on the front passenger's side or in
the rear.
You can synchronize the settings in a row by
pressing and holding a control. For example, to
apply the settings for the front passenge r's side
to the driver's side, press and hold the control on
the front passenger's s ide . The same applies to
the rear.
Residual heat*
With the ign ition turned off, you can activate the
residual heat function by pressing the~ button
<=> fig. 75. The residual heat from the coolant is
used to heat the veh icle inter ior . The residual
heat function sw itches off automat ica lly after
about 30 minutes.
Air vents
You can open or close the center and rear vents in
the cockpit and the vents in the rear center con ­
sole and door pillars using the ridged thumb­
whee ls. Th e levers adjust the direction of the air­
flow from the vents.
_&. WARNING
-You should not use the recirculation mode
for an extended period since no fresh air is
drawn in. With the air-conditioning switch­
ed off, the windows can fog up, which in­
creases the risk of an accident.
- Individuals with reduced sensitivity to pain
or temperature could develop burns when
using the seat heat ing funct ion. To reduce
the risk of injury, these individuals should
not use seat heating .
(D Note
To avoid damage to the heating elements in
the seats, do not kneel on the seats or place
heavy loads on a small area of the seat.
71

Driving
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween your chest and the center of the steering
wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 inches (25
cm) from the steer ing wheel, see if adaptive
equipment is available to help you reach the ped­
als and increase the distance from the steering
wheel.
For detai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 54 .
In vehicles with the memory function*, the steer­
ing column sett ings are stored together with the
seat position.
A WARNING
Improper use of steer ing whee l adjustment
and improper seating position can cause ser i­
ous pe rsonal injury.
- Adjust the steering wheel column only when
the vehicle is not moving to prevent loss of
vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so
that there is a minimum of 10 inches (25
cm) between your chest and the steer ing
wheel
r::.> page 126, fig. 143. If you cannot
mainta in this min imum distance, the airbag
system cannot protect you properly.
- If phys ica l limitations prevent you from sit­
t ing 10 inches (25 cm) or more from the
steering wheel , check with your authorized
Audi dealer to see if adaptive equ ipment is
available.
- If the steering wheel is aligned with your
face, the supp lemental driver's airbag can­
not provide as m uch protection in an acci­
dent. Always make sure that the steering
wheel is aligned w ith your chest.
- Always hold the steer ing whee l with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of personal injury if
the driver's airbag deploys .
- Never hold the steer ing wheel at the 12
o'clock posit ion or w ith your hands inside
the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub . Holding the steer ing whee l the
wrong way can cause ser ious injuries to the
hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag
deploys.
74
-
Easy seat entry
Applies to vehicles: with power steering wheel adjustment
Easy seat entry makes it easier to enter and exit
the vehicle by adjusting the steering column au­
tomatically .
.,. In the Infotainment system, selec t: the ICARI
function button > (Car )* Systems control but ­
ton
> Vehicle settings > Seats > Driver's seat>
Easy seat entry> On.
When easy seat entry is switched on, the steer ing
column goes back up into the park position when
the ignit ion is switched off . After enter ing the ve­
hicle, the steering col umn returns to t he sto red
pos ition once the ign it ion is swi tched on.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
The I START ENGINE STOP I button switches the
ignition on and starts the engine .
Fig. 80 Cente r conso le: S TART ENGINE STOP b utt on
Starting the engine
.,. Press the brake pedal and move the selector
lever to the P or
N position.
... Press the
!STAR T ENGINE ST OP ! button. The
engine will start.
.,. It is possible that there will be a slight delay
when starting the engine in diesel vehicles in colder temperatures . Therefore, you must hold
the brake pedal down until the engine starts.
The indicator light turns on while the engine is
preheating
1,1 . ..,.

Driving safety
Basics
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 summar­
ized here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags, child restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Al­
ways 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 fea­
tures descr ibed 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 in­
terest of your passengers .
-
-Always keep the complete Owner's Litera­
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
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 ques­
tions.
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.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in tech­
nology have made a var iety of features available
to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
Driving safety
The following is a list of just a few of the safety
features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all pas-
senger seat ing pos itions,
- safety belt pretensioners,
- safety belt force limiters for the front seats,
- safety belt height adjustment systems for the
front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats*,
- side curtain airbags with ejection mitigation
features,
- special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
- head restraints for each seat ing position,
- adjustab le 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 correctly used.
Safety is everybody'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,
before driving always:
.,. Make sure that all lights and signals are operat­
ing 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
¢ page 64, ¢ page 61 .
.,. 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 according to their height.
125

~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times.
F or 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 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 steer ing wheel at the
12 o'clock posit ion 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 supplemen­
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.
-
Driving safety
-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
¢ page 166 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child 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 in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the fol lowing 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
¢
page 128 . 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
¢page 137.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 53 .
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbe lted, 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 pa rt of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located. ..,.
127

Driving safety
-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 dr iving, 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 pane l, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety be lt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash .
- Never dr ive with the backrest reclined or
ti lted far back! The farther the backrests are
ti lted 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
<='> page 166. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
<='> 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 ve­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the r isk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, you r passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
ing:
128
.,. For adjustab le 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
<='> page 128.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
<='> page 137.
.,. Make sure that children are a lways properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age
c:::> page 166.
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
Applies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore 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. 144 Head restraint : viewed from t he front

The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection. .,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as possible 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 ible ¢
fig. 144. Move the head restraint so
that it is as close to the back of the head as
possible.
... If there is a passenger on the rear center seat ­
ing posit ion, slide the center head restraint up­
ward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints
c> page 56.
_& WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints .
Dr iving without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the risk of injury:
- Always dr ive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra int so the upper 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 position
as possib le. Move the head restraint so that
it is as close to the back of the head as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to adjust the head restra int.
- Children must always be properly restrained in a ch ild restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
c> page 166 .
-
Driving safety
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 serious in­
jury or death . Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body . Im­
proper seat ing positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and will even increase the risk of
injury and death by moving the safety belt to crit­
ical areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag 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
c> .,& .
The following bulletins list only some sample po ­
sitions that will increase the risk of serious injury
and death . Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions 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 recl ined
- 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
129

Safety belt s
Safety belts
General information
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safe ty belts correctly saves lives!
This chapte r explains why safety be lts a re neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correct ly.
.. Read all the information that follows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
&_ WARNING
Not wea ring safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of ser ious personal
injury and dea th .
- Safety belts are the s ingle most effective
mea ns ava ilab le to reduce the risk of serious
injury and dea th in automob ile accidents .
For yo ur protect ion and that of your passe n­
gers, alw ays co rre ctly wea r sa fety be lt s
when the veh icle is moving .
- Pregnant wom en, in ju re d, o r physically i m­
paired persons mus t also use s afety be lts.
L ik e all vehi cle o ccu pants, they are mo re
li kely to be serio usly injure d if th ey do no t
wea r safety be lts. The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mothe r -th roughout
the ent ire pregnancy .
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat­
i n g position has a safety belt.
&_ WARNING
N ot wea ring safety bel ts or weari ng them im­
properly increases th e r isk of ser ious personal
inju ry and dea th.
- N ever st rap more tha n one perso n, includ­
ing small ch ildren, into a ny be lt .
It is espe­
ci ally dan gerous to pla ce a sa fety bel t over a
c hild s itting on you r lap.
- N ever le t mo re people ride in t he vehicle
t h an t he re are saf ety bel ts availab le.
134
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safety
be lt or ch ild restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver
and front seat passenger (on USA models only)
to remind you about the importance of buckling­
up .
Fig. 14S Safety be lt wa rning lig ht in the inst rument clu s­
ter -en larged
Before driving off, alway s:
.. Fasten your sa fety belt and make sure you are
wearing it prope rly .
(0
"'
"' 9
"' .. Make sure that your passengers a lso buckle up
and proper ly wea r th eir safety belts .
.. Protec t ch ild ren w ith a c hild restraint system
app ropr iate for the size and age .
The wa rning lig ht . in the inst rument cluste r
li ghts up w hen the ig nition is o n as a rem inder to
fasten the safety belts. In addition , you w ill hear
a war ning tone for a cert ain period of time.
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that your
passengers also properly put on their safety
belts.
&_ WARNING
-
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means av ailable to re duc e the ris k of ser ious
in jur y and de ath in a utomo bile acciden ts.
F or your protection and that o f yo ur p assen ­
ge rs, a lways cor rect ly wear safety belts
when t he vehicle is moving .
- Fa ilure to pay atte ntion to the wa rning light
that come on, cou ld lead to personal in jury.

Safe ty belts
Never rely o n airbags alone for protection . Even
when they deploy, airbags provide only additional
protection. A irbags are not supposed to dep loy in
all kinds of accidents. A lthough your Audi is
equipped w ith airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the driver, 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 a lways there
to offer protect ion in those accidents in wh ic h
airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have a lready dep loyed. Unbel ted occupants can
a lso be thrown o ut of the veh icle where eve n
mo re severe or fatal injur ies can occur .
It is also important for the rear pass enge rs to
wear safety belts co rrectly. Unbelted passengers
i n t he rea r seats endanger no t on ly themse lves
but also the drive r and other passengers
~ fig . 149. In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and
in jure 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 . 1 50 Driver is correctly restrai ned in a sudde n braking
m aneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a b ig d iffer­
ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy levels ap­
plied to the body in an accident, and he lp prevent
the uncont rolled moveme nt that can cause seri­
ous injur ies. In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of being thrown out of the veh icle .
136
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car an d give
them the benefit of being s lowed down more
gently or "soft ly" thro ugh the "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety feat ures engi­
neered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the
k inet ic energy over a longer per iod of t ime, the
safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tole rab le" and less likely to cause inj ury.
Although these examples are based on a frontal
collision, safety be lts ca n also substantially re ­
duce the r isk o f injury in ot her kinds of crashes.
So, whethe r yo u're on a long trip or just going to
the cor ne r store, a lways b uckle up and make s ure
othe rs do, too. Ac ciden t stat ist ics show that veh i­
cl e o ccupants prope rly wearing safety bel ts have
a lowe r risk of being injured and a m uch better
chance of surviving an acc ident . Properly using
safety be lts also great ly increases the ability of
the supp lemental airbags to do their job in a col­
li sion. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most countries 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 examp le, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not act i­
vated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear co l­
li sions, in roll overs or in cases where the re is not
eno ugh deceleration throug h impa ct to the front
of the vehicle. The same goes for the other a irbag
systems in your Audi. So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly rest rained!
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 be lts are always
ready fo r use a nd are not damaged .