airbag off AUDI A7 2014 Owners Manual

CD
@
®
©
®
®
(j)
Door handle
Audi side assist display
Power locking sw itches
Memory function buttons .. .. .
Aud i side assist button ...... .
A ir vents with thumbwheel
Control lever for:
- T urn signal and high beam
- Audi act ive lane assist . .. .. .
@ Mu ltifunction steering wheel
with:
- Horn
- Driver's airbag
- Driver information system but-
tons ... ..... ....... ... .. .
- Audio/video , telephone, navi­
gation and voice recognition
buttons
- Steering wheel heating . ... .
- Shift padd les (automatic
transmission) ..... ... ... . .
® Instrument cluster ......... .
@ Head-up Display ........... .
@ Windshield washer system
lever ..................... .
@ Buttons for:
- MMI display
- Reset bu tton for tr ip odome-
te r .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .
@ Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction ............... .
~ Knee airbag ........... .. .. .
@ Steer ing whee l adjustment, de­
pending on equipment:
- mechan ical .......... .. .. .
- electrical .... .. ..... ... .. .
@ Leve r for:
- Cru ise control system ... .. .
- Adaptive cruise contro l .. .. .
@ Button for sw itch ing the Head­
up Disp lay on/off, adjusting the
h eight .. ............. .. .. .
@ Instrument illumination ... .. .
@ Eng ine hood release ........ .
98
37
57
98
46
95
153
24
74
113
11
29
48
2 7
78
166
75
75
84
86
29
47
227
In strument s and control s 9
@ Data Link Connector for On
Board Diagnostics (OBD II)
@ Light switch ... .. . .. .... ... .
@ Buttons for :
- All-weather lights
- Night vision assistant .... .. .
- Rear fog lights .. .. .. ..... .
@ Power exterior m irror adjust-
ment ...... .. .. ..... ..... .
Rea r lid switch . .. . ......... .
Power w indows . .. .. ... .... .
MMI display
E mergency flashe rs
@ G love compartment ........ .
@) Front passenger's airbag .... .
@ Valet parking feature ..... .. .
@ Drives (MMI)
@ B uttons/Indicator lights fo r
- Start-Stop-System ........ .
- Parking system .. .. ..... .. .
- PASSENG ER AIR BAG OF F .. . .
- Rear spoiler .. .. . ......... .
- Electron ic Stabilization Con-
t rol .................... .
@ Climate controls, depending on
vehicle equipment:
- Three-zone cl imate control ..
- F our-zone automatic climate
cont rol ...... ........... .
@ Storage compartment or ash-
t ray wit h cigarette lighter .. ...
@ I S T ART ENGINE STOPI button
@ MM I controls
@ 12-volt socket, (upho lder
@ E lectromechanical parking
brake .................... .
@ Selector lever (a utomatic trans­
mission)
(D Tips
30
44
44
105
44
so
38
41
4S
61
1S3
42
81
116
162
199
198
70
72
59 ,59
76
60,60
79
109
- Some of the equipment or fea tures
show n in the genera l ill ustration may be
standard equipment on your vehicle or
may be opt ional eq uipment depending
on your model. Always ask your

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
II! Engine start system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a ma lfunction in the en­
gine start system.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dea le r immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
~ Air suspension
Appl ies to vehicles: with air suspension
• Air suspension: system fault. Can contin­
ue slowly with max. 35 mph .
There is a malfunct ion that can result in re­
stricted dr iv ing stab ility.
Carefully drive at a maximum speed of 35
mph (60 km/h) to your authorized Audi dealer
or qua lified workshop to have the malfunction
cor rected.
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle
can only be moved with restrictions
Carefully drive to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop immediately to have
the service mode deactivated .
II Air suspension fault
There is a system ma lfunction that can result
in restricted driving stability or reduced
ground clearance.
Dr ive to your a uthorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a sys­
tem malfunct ion . Wait until the air suspen­
sion system has restored normal ground clear­
ance. Otherwise, conditions such as an uneven
road surface can lead to vehicle damage.
G:;/ !f Safety systems
The fl (USA models) ;EI (Canada models) in­
dicator light monitors the safety systems (e.g .
airbags, pretensioners) and illuminates for a few
seconds each time you switch the ignition
on .
If the fl (USA models);EI (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi­
nates while you are driving, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a malfunction somewhere
in the system.
If the light does not illum inate
when you switch the ign ition on, th is also
means there is a malfunct ion.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer immediately. Otherwise the safety sys­
tems may not work properly in an acc i­
dent.
& Central indicator light
If the indicator light. or n turns on, check
the message in the instrument cluster .
nlft Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC)
If the JjJ indicator light blinks while driving,
the ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) is active ­
ly regulating.
If the
$.J indicator light turns on, the system
has switched the ESC off. In this case, you can
switch the ign ition off and then on to switch
the ESC on aga in. The indicator light turns off
when the system is functioning fu lly.
If the
1B indicator light turns on, ESC was re­
stricted using the
1 .$ OFF I button c> page 196.
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS): Fault! See
owner's manual
If the G) indicator light and the ABS indicator
light
fJ] (USA mode ls) ;flJ (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, the ABS or electronic differential lock is malfunctioning.
This also causes the ESC to malfunction . The
brakes still function with their normal power,
but ABS is not active .
liJI,

@ Tips
If your vehicle has been standing for an ex­
tended period, please note the follow ing:
- The proximity sensors are deactivated af-
ter a few days to save power. You then
have to pull on the door handle once to
unlock the vehicle and a second time to
open the veh icle.
- To prevent the battery from being dis­
charged and to preserve your veh icle's
ability to start for as long as possible,
the energy management system gradu­
ally switches off unnecessary conven­ i ence funct ions. It is possible that you
will not be able to unlock your vehicle us­
i ng these conven ien ce f unctions.
- Fo r De clarat ion of Compliance to United
Sta tes FCC and Indus try Canada regula­
tions
¢page 288.
Operating locks with the key
In the event of a failure of the power locking
system, the driver's door can be locked and unlocked at the lock cylinder.
Fig. 2 2 Key turns for opening and clos ing .
... Remove the mechanical key¢ page 33.
... Turn the mechanical key to position @
¢ fig. 22 to unlock the driver's door.
... Turn the key to position @ to lock the dr iv­
er's door¢ &,.
,& WARNING
Read and follow a ll WARNINGS ¢ & in
General description on page 34.
Op enin g an d clos ing
Locking and unlocking the vehicle from
inside
Fig . 23 Dr ive r's door: power locking switch
Fig. 2 4 Rear power locking switch
... Press the button~ to lock the vehicle¢&, .
.,. Press the button
Im to unlock the vehicle.
If you lock the vehicle using the power locking
switch, p lease note the following:
- You cannot open the doors or the rear lid
from the
outside ( increased security, for ex­
ample when you are stopped at a red light).
- The d iodes in the power locking switches il-
luminate when all the doors are closed and
locked.
- Front doors: you can unlock and open the
doors from the inside by pulling on the door
handle .
- Rear doors: pull the door handle
once to re­
lease the lock. Pull the handle
again to open
the door .
- If you have a crash and the airbag is activat­
ed the doors automatically unlock .
,
A WARNING
-The power lock ing switch works with the
ig nit ion off and automat ica lly locks the
enti re veh icle when it is actuated.
3 7

_& WARNING
-Automatic headlights are only intended
to assist the driver . They do not relieve
the driver of his responsibility to check
the headlights and to turn them on man­
ually according to the current light and
visibility conditions. For example, fog
cannot be detected by the light sensors.
So always switch on the headlights
io
under these weather conditions and
when driving in the dark.
- Crashes can happen when you cannot see
the road ahead and when you cannot be
seen by other motorists. Always turn on
the headlights so that you can see ahead
and so that others can see your car from
the back.
- Please observe legal regulations when
using the lighting systems described.
(D Note
The rear fog lights should only be turned
on in accordance with traffic regulation, as
the lights are bright for following traffic.
(D Tips
- The light sensor* for automatic head­
light range control* is located in the rear
view mirror mount. You should therefore not apply any stickers to the windshield
in this area in order to prevent malfunc­
tions or failures.
- In the event of a light sensor malfunc­
tion, the driver is notified in the instru­
ment cluster display ~
page 23 .
-You will hear a warning tone if you open
the driver door when the exterior lights
are switched on.
- In cool or damp weather, the inside of
the headlights, turn signals and tail
lights can fog over due to the tempera­
ture difference between the inside and
outside. They will clear shortly after
switching them on. This does not affect
the service life of the lighting.
Clear vision 45
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle are in an emer­
gency situation .
Fig. 35 Center consol e: eme rge ncy flash er sw itc h
.,. Press the switch & ~ fig. 35 to turn the
emergency flashers on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn signals blink at the same time. The turn
signal indicator lights
II Nin the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
flasher switch
& blink likewise. The emergen­
cy flashers also work when the ignition is
turned off.
The emergency flashers will turn on automati­
cally if you are in an accident where the airbag has deployed.
@ Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers
when:
- you a re the last vehicle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- your vehicle has broken down or you are
in an emergency situation, or when
- your vehicle is being towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another vehicle
behind you.
Adjusting the exterior lighting
The settings ore adjusted in the MMI.
.,. Select: !CAR ! function button> (Car)* sys­
tems control button > Vehicle settings > Ex-
terior lighting. ..,.

Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
your seat properly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
- your body is properly supported thus reduc­ ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection
¢ page 149.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child seat on the front pas­
senger's seat. Always fo llow the information
regarding chi ld safety provided in
¢ page 175, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the f loor when
the vehicle is in motion -never put your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out of the window or on top of the seat cush­
ion. This applies especially to the passen­
gers . If your seating position is incorrect,
you increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident. If the
airbag inflates and the seating position
is incorrect, this could result in persona l
injury or even death.
- It is important for both the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of a t
Seat s an d sto rage 53
least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the airbag system can­
not protect you properly. In addition, the
front seats and head restraints must be adjusted to your body height so that they
can give you maximum protect ion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the s teer­
ing wheel o r instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your sea t may move unexpected ly, caus­
ing sudden loss of vehicle cont rol and
personal injury . If you adjust yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, yo u are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjus t the dr iver's
seat in the fo llowing manner:
.,. Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so
that you can easily push the peda ls to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees s lightly bent
i:::> A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page 53.
.,. Adjust the backrest so that when you sit
w ith your back against the backrest, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible , try to adjust
the head res traint so that it is as close to
this pos ition as possib le
i:::> page 56. Move
the head restraint so that it is as close to the
back of the head as possible .
A WARNING
Never place any objects in the dr iver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal funct ion. In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate.

54 Seats and storage
Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position.
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is de­
ploying, do not sit any closer to the instru­
ment panel than necessa ry and always wear
the three-point safety belt provided adjusted
correctly. We recommend that you adjust the
passenger's seat i n the fol low ing ma nner:
~ Bring the back rest up to an (a lmost) upr ight
posit ion.
D o not ride w ith the seat reclined.
~ Adjust the head restraint so the uppe r edge
i s as even a s poss ible with the top of yo ur
head.
If that is not possible, try to a dju st
the head rest raint so that it is as close to
this position as possible ¢
page 56. Move
the head restraint so that it is as close to the
back of the head as possib le.
~ Place your feet on the floor in front of the
passenger's seat.
Front seats
Controls
Moving the seat forward or ba ck and adjust­
ing the height, backrest angle and seat an­
gle .
fig . 46 Front seat: ad justing th e seat
@ -Moving the seat forward/back: press the
button forward/back ¢ .&. .
@ -Moving the seat up/down: press the but ­
ton up/down¢ &,. To adjust the front section
of the seat, press the front button up/down
¢ &, .To adjust the rear section of the seat ,
press the rear button up/down¢&, .
@ -Turn the massage function* on/off . You
can se lect the type of massage using the mul­
t ifunct ion button ¢
page 55 .
© -Backrest forward/back: p ress the bu tton
f orward/back ¢ .&. .
(D -Lumbar support*: press the button in the
c orrespond ing position¢ .&. or m ultifunction
button*¢ .&., ¢
page 55 .
_& WARNING
--
-Never adjust the driver's or front pas -
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving .
If you do th is while the veh icle is moving,
you will be out of position. A lways ad just
the driver's or front passenger's seat
when the vehicle is not mov ing.
- Be careful when adjusting the seat
he ight. Check to see that no one is in the
way, or ser ious injury co uld result!
- Because the seats can be e lectrically ad­
justed with the ignition off, never leave
children unatte nded in the veh icle. Uns u­
perv ised use of the e lectr ic seat ad just­
men ts may cause serious injury.
- To r educe the risk of injury in the case of
sudden b raking o r accident, front pas­
sengers mus t never r ide in a movi ng ve­
h icle with the ba ckrest reclined. Sa fety
be lts and the airbag system only offer
maximum protection when the backrest
is upright and the safety belts are prop­
erly positioned on the body. The more
the backrest is reclined, the greater the
risk of personal injury from an incorrect
seating position and imprope rly pos i­
tioned safety belts.

Multifunction button
Applies to vehicles: with memory function
You con adjust the massage function, Lumbar
support, side bolsters and seating surface us­ ing the multifunction button .
Fig. 47 MMI disp lay : sea t sett ings
Operating
.. The MMI displays the possible seat settings
@ when you turn the multifunction button
(D c:> page 54, fig. 46 to the left or right
~ fig. 47 , c:> ,& .
.. To select a seat setting, turn the multifunc­
tion button
(D until the desired seat setting
is highlighted with a red border.
• The arrows @ indicate the possible adjust­
ments. For example, to move the lumbar
support down, press the multifunction but ­
ton
(D down . The corresponding arrow ©
lights up.
T he follow ing seat settings @ are possible:
Massage function* -Massage type Wave,
Knocking, Stretch, Lumbar, Shoulder or Off .
You can set the massage strength level from 1
to 5. You can turn the selected massage on/
off using the button @~
page 54, fig . 46 .
Lumbar support -Moving the lumbar support
up/down and making it firmer/softer
c:> .&. .
Side bolsters * -Increasing/reducing the side
support in the seat using the side bolsters on
the seating surface and backrest
c:> A .
Seating surface -Making the seating surface
l onger/shorter
c:> .&. .
Seats and storage 55
A WARNING
-Never adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat while the vehicle is moving.
If you do this while the veh icle is moving,
you will be out of position . A lways adjust
the driver's or front passenger's seat
when the vehicle is not moving.
- Be careful when adjusting the seat
he ight. Check to see that no one is in the
way, or serious injury could result!
- Because the seats can be electrically ad­
justed with the ignit ion off, never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. Unsu­
pervised use o f the electric seat adjust­
ments may cause serious injury.
- To reduce the risk of injury in the case of
sudden braking or accident, front pas­
sengers must never ride in a moving ve­
hicle with the backrest reclined. Safety
belts and the airbag system on ly offer
maximum protection when the backrest
is upright and the safety belts are prop­
erly positioned on the body . The more
the backrest is reclined, the greater the
ris k of persona l inju ry from an incorrect
seating position and improperly posi­
tioned safety belts.
(D Tips
- The massage function switches off auto­
matically after approximately 10 mi­
nutes.
- Th e side bolsters* deflate when the driv­
er's doo r is opened. This allows you to
enter and exit comfortably. The side bol­
sters inflate again once you begin driv­
ing.

76 On the road
column will continue moving as long as you
are pressing the switch.
There must be at least 10 inc hes (25 cm) be­
tween you r chest and the center of the steer ­
ing whee l.
If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering whee l, see if
adapt ive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steer ing wheel.
F or detai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
<::> page 54 .
In vehicles with the memory f unction* , the
steering column settings are stored together
with the seat position.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause se rious personal injury.
- Adjust the steer ing whee l column on ly
when the vehicle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of veh icle cont rol.
-
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that the re is a min imum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel ¢
page 1311 fig. 148. If
you can not maintain this min imum dis­
tan ce, the airbag system cannot protect
yo u properly.
- If p hys ica l limi tations prevent y ou from
sitting 10 in ches (25 cm) o r more from
the steering wheel, check with yo ur au­
tho rized Aud i dealer to see if adaptive
equipment is availab le .
- If the steerin g wheel is aligned wi th you r
face, the supp lemental drive r's airbag
cannot prov ide as much protect ion in an
acc ident. A lways make sure that the
steering wheel is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
t ions to reduce the risk of pe rsonal injury
if the d river 's airbag deploys.
- Never hold the steer ing whee l at the 12
o'clock posit ion or w it h your hands i nside the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub. Hold
ing the steer ing wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er 's airbag deploys.
Easy entry feature
Applies to vehicles: with electrically adjustable steering
wheel
The easy entry feature makes it easier to en­
ter and exit the vehicle by automatically ad­
justing the steering wheel.
.. Select in the MM I: ICAR I fu nction button>
(Car )* sys tem s control b utton > V ehicle set­
ting s
> Seat s > Driver 's seat > Easy entry >
On .
When the easy ent ry feature is turned on, the
steering wheel moves up to the park position
when you switch
off the ignition. After you en­
ter the veh icle, the steering wheel moves to
the stored position as soon as you sw itch on
the ignit ion.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
This button switches on the ignition and
starts the engine.
Fig . 79 Center console: S TART ENGINE S TOP b utto n
Switching the ign ition on /off
• To switch the ign ition on/off, press the
I STAR T ENGINE ST OPI button . Do not p ress
the brake pedal while doing this . Diesel
veh icles are preheated while the ignit ion is
sw itched on . ..,.

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
position 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
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument 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 passenger seat and head restraint prop­
erly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor 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 will not be able 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
tion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
~ page 175. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat¢
page 149.
Driving Safely 133
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 seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident , your pas­
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.,.. 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 restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible¢
page 134 .
.,.. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
.,.. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢ page 143 .
.,.. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age~
page 175.
_& 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 protec­
tion when the safety belts are properly
positioned on the body and securely
latched . By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the risk of per­
sonal injury from improperly positioned
safety belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection.
•
•

142 Safety belts
occupant will slam violently into the steering
wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or what­
ever else is in the way
c::> fig. 153. This imp act
with the vehicle interior has all the energy
t hey had just before the crash.
Never rely on a irbags alone for protection.
Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
additional protection. Airbags are not sup­
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Al­
though your Audi is equipped with airbags, all
vehicle occupants, including the driver , must
wear safety belts correctly in order to mini­
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
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 already deployed . Unbelted
occupants can also be thrown out of the vehi­
cle where even more severe or fatal injuries
can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passen­
gers in the rear seats endanger not only them­
selves but also the driver and othe r passen­
gers ~
fig. 154. In a frontal collision they will
be thrown forward violently, where they can
hit and injure the driver 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 !
Fig. 155 Driver is co rr ect ly re strain ed in a sudd en brak­
ing maneuve r
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference. Safety belts help to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help
prevent the uncontrolled movement tha t can
cause serious injuries . In addition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle .
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 engineered into today's vehicles. By
"absorbing " the kinetic energy over a longer
period of ti me, the safety belts make the
forces on the body more "tolerable" and less
likely to cause injury.
Although these examples are based on a fron­
tal collision, safety belts can also substantial­
ly reduce the r isk of injury in other kinds 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. Accident sta­
tistics show that vehicle 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 supplemen­
tal airbags to do their job in a collision . For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­
ed. Front airbags , for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions. The front air­
bags are not activated in all frontal collisions,
in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is no t enough decelera tion
through impact to the front of the vehicle .
The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi . So, always wear your safety belt
and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!