95 RON AUDI A8 2018 Owners Manual

Drivin g saf ety
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
The individua l safety features of your vehicle can
work together 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 .
This chapter contains important informat ion,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of you r passengers and others . We have summar­
ized here w hat you need to know about safety
be lts, a irbags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Yo ur safety is for us
priority number 1. Al ­
ways observe the information and warnings in
this section -for your own safety as we ll as that
of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures described in this sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equ ipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your author ized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in th is
Manua l.
It is in your interest and in the in­
te rest of your passengers .
-
-Always keep the complete Owner's Litera­
tu re in you r A udi when you lend or se ll you r
vehicle so that this import ant information
will always be available to the d river and
passengers.
- Always keep the Owner 's lite rature h andy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques­
tions .
208
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,
bef ore dri ving alw ays:
.. Make sure that a ll 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 vis ibility to the outs ide .
.. Sec ure all luggage and othe r items ca refully
¢ page 65, ¢page 63 .
.. Make sure tha t noth ing ca n interfere wi th the
peda ls .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their he ight.
.. Make sure to use the right child restraint cor­
rectly to protect
children ¢ page 249, Child
safety .
• Sit proper ly in yo ur seat a nd make sure t hat
your passenge rs do the same
¢ page 54, Seats
and storage.
.. Fasten your sa fety belt and wear it p roperly . Al ­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty be lts properly
¢ page 219 .
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 responsib le for the safety of the ve ­
hicle and a ll of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impa ired, safety risks for everybody in the
vehicle increase and you a lso become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
¢ _&. . Therefore:
.. Do not let yourse lf be distracted by passenge rs
or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driving ability is im­
paired (by med ications, alcohol, drugs, etc .) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed lim its and plain common sense .
.,.

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' ~ ALWA YS adjust you r sp eed 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 pres­
s ure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal inj ury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver sea ting po sit ion is impor tan t
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 217 Correc t seat ing posit ion
F or your own s afety 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 dr iver's seat so tha t you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the f loor wh ile
keeping your knee(s) s light ly bent
c:!;> _& .
~ Adjust the ang le of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact w ith it when you drive.
~ Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
stee ring wheel and you r breast bone
<:!;> fig . 217 .
If no t possib le, see you r autho riz ed Aud i dea l­
ersh ip about adaptive equipment .
Driving safety
~ Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag
cover points at your chest and
not at yo ur face.
~ Grasp the top of the steering wheel with you r
elbow(s) slightly bent.
~ Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as
even as possible w ith the top of your head . If
that is not possible, t ry to adjust the head re­
s traint so that it is as close to this posit ion as
possible .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:!;> page 2 2 2.
~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in contro l of the ve hicle at a ll times .
F or detailed information on how to adj ust the
driver's seat,
see r:!;> page 54 .
A WARNING
-
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be se riously in­
jured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help re­ duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always ad just the driver's seat and the
steer ing whee l so that there are at least
10 inc hes (25 cm) between you r breastbone
and the steer ing wheel.
- Always ad just the d river's seat and the
steer ing wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lowe r part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering w heel on the out­
side of the steering wheel r im with yo ur
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.
- N ever hold the stee ring wheel at the
12 o' clock position o r wi th yo ur hands at
other posi tions i nside the steer ing whee l
rim or on the steering wheel hub . Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serio us injuries to the hands, arms and head
if the dr iver's airbag inf lates .
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the abi lity of the supplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a coll i-
sion .
..,
209

Drivin g saf ety
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or p lace any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are located.
- Before dr iving, always adjust the front seats
and head restraints properly and make sure
that all passengers are properly restrained .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving . Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Never dr ive with the backrest reclined or
t ilted far back! The farther the backrests are
t ilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and imp roper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢ page 249. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenge r
seat¢ page 22 7.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
F or your own safety and to reduce t he risk of in­
ju ry in the event of an accide nt, we recomme nd
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
.,. Adjust the ang le of t he seatback so that it is i n
an upright posit ion and you r back comes in f ull
contact wi th it w henever the vehicle is mov ing.
.,. 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 ad just the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
poss ible
¢ page 211.
.,. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
.,. Fasten and wear safety be lts cor rect ly
¢ page 222.
For deta iled i nformation on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 54.
210
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or k illed by the airbag as it
unfo lds. To help red uce the risk of serio us
personal injury:
- Passengers must a lways sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean aga inst or place any
p art of their body too close to the are a
where the air bags a re loc ated.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airb ag can be se ri­
ously in jured by an airbag as it unfolds wi th
great fo rce in the blink of an eye .
- Always make sure th at there are at least
10 inches (2 5 cm) between the fron t pas ­
senger's breastbone an d the instrument
panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­
ge r's knees and the lower pa rt of the inst ru­
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 d riving, always ad just the front pas­
senger seat and head restraint 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 w ill not be
ab le to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the r isk of injury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest recl ined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted bac k, the greater the r is k of injury due
to incor rec t positioning of the safety be lt
a nd imprope r seat ing pos ition .
- Ch ild ren must always ride in child seats
¢ page 249 . Special pre caut ions apply
when install ing a child sea t on the front
passenger
sea t¢ page 22 7 .

lL t:0 ....
'"" ......
'"" .... 0 0 :c ' Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
fee t on the fl oor 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 b raking
maneuver or a n accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must a lways observe the follow ­
ing:
• For adjustable head restraints: Adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as poss i­
ble with the top of your head . If that is not pos ­
sibl e, try to adjust the h ead restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possib le
c> page 211.
• Keep bo th feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
• Fasten and wear safety belts properly
c>page222 .
• Make sure that child ren are always properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age
c> page 249.
8_ WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash.
- Each passenger m ust always sit on a seat of
their own and proper ly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum p rotection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
t ioned on the body and securely latched. By
not sitt ing upright, a rear seat passenger in­
c reases the risk of personal injury from im ­
properly pos itioned safety belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly so
that it can g ive maximum protection .
1l Vehicl es with re clin in g re ar seat: This fun ction is not avail·
abl e fo r the front passe ng er 's s eat.
Dri ving safety
Proper adjustment of 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.
F ig . 218 H ead restrain t: v ie wed from t he front
The head r est raints must be correct ly adjusted to
a chieve the best p rotection.
• For adj ustab le head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
bl e wi th th e top of your he ad . If that is not pos­
s ible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this posit ion as possible.
¢ fig . 218 .
Adjusting head restraints c> page 58.
Crash - active head restraints
In the event of a re ar-end co llision, i t is poss ible
that the c rash -active head restra ints on the driv ­
er 's seat and front passenger's
seat1
) are trig­
gered . On head restraints that have been trig­
gered, the padding protrudes forwards by several
cent imeters. Drive the vehicle to your authori zed
Audi dealer w ithout delay and have the funct ion
of the act ive head restra ints restored .
8_ WARNING
-Driving without head restraints or w ith head
r est rai nts that are not prope rly a dju sted in­
creases the ris k of serious or fata l neck injury
dramat ica lly . To help reduce the risk of injury:
- Always d rive with the head restra ints in
p lace and properly adjus ted .
211

Drivin g saf ety
- 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 possib le w ith the top of your head.
If that is not possible, try to adjust the head
restra int so that it is as close to th is position
as possib le.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint wh ile driving.
If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, fi rst s top the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to ad just the head restra int.
- Children must always be p roperly restrained
in a chi ld restrain t that is appropria te fo r
their age and size
q page 249.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
sea ted.
I mp roper seating posit ions can cause se rious in­
ju ry or deat h. Safety belts can only wo rk when
t hey are p roper ly posit ioned o n the body . Im ­
p roper seating posi tions reduce t he effect iveness
of safety belts and wi ll even increase the risk of
inj ury and death by moving the safety be lt to crit­
ical areas of the body. Improper seating posit ions
also increase the risk of ser ious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and str ikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seat ing position . A driver
is responsible for the safety of a ll vehicle occu­
pants and especially fo r ch ildre n. Therefo re :
"' Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seat ing pos ition w hen the ve hicle is being used
q& .
The fo llow ing bulletins list only some sample po­
sitions that wi ll increase the risk of ser ious injury
a nd death . Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seat ing pos it ions that
are dangero us.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
- never stand up in the ve hicle
- never stand on the seats
212 -
neve r kneel on the seats
- neve r ride w it h the sea tback re clined
- neve r lie down on the seats
- never lean up aga inst the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- never s it sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- neve r put your feet on the instr ument panel
- neve r rest you r feet on the seat c ushion or bac k
of t he se at
- neve r ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Imp roper seating posi tions inc rease the risk
of ser ious personal inju ry and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
s tay in a proper sea ting posit ion and a re
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used .
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
A lways make su re that the knee airbag can in­
flate w ithout interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can inc rease the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag dep loys o r by being pushed in­
to you as the airbag dep loys .
- No persons (ch ild ren) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat . If the airbag deploys, this can res ult in
serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the dr iver's or
passenger's se at. Bu lky objects (shopping
bags, for examp le) can ham per or prevent
proper dep loymen t of the airbag . Sma ll ob ­
jects can be thrown thro ugh the vehicle if
the air bag deploys and in jure you or your
passengers.

Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
¢ page 213, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
sma ller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause ser ious in­
jury . Items in the ve hicle possess energy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the item . Veh icle speed is the most s ignif ica nt factor .
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the forces act ing o n a 10-lb
(4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
weight of the item . This means that the weight
of the item would suddenly be about
200 lbs . (90 kg). You can imagine the injuries
t hat a 200 lbs. (9 0 kg) item flying freely throug h
the passenger compartment could cause in a col­
lision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail during hard
brak ing or in a col lision and cause serious per­
sonal injury .
- Always use suitab le mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan­
gerous missiles .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down .
-
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
~ death, you should immediately in-
....
~ form the National Highway Traffic ....
~ Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
' Driving safety
addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com­
plaints, it may open an investiga­
tion , and if it finds that a safety
defects exists in a group of
vehicles, it may order a recall and
remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you,
your dealer, or Audi of America,
Inc.
To contact the NHTSA, you may
either call:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY:
1-800-424-9153) or
1-800-424-9393
or you may write to:
NHTSA
U.S. Department of Transporta ­
tion 1200 New Jersey Ave ., S.E.
West Building
Washington , DC 20590
You can also obtain other infor­
mation about motor vehicle safe­
ty from:
http:/ /www.safercar.gov
215

Audi pre sense Preventative passenger
protection
Applies to: ve hicles with Audi pre sense
Pre sense can initiate steps to protect vehicle oc­
cupants in certain dangerous situations. The
functions descr ibed are available depending on
veh icle equ ipment:
Audi pre sense ba sic
The fo llowing functions can be triggered in cer­
tain driving situat ions:
- Tightening of the safety belts (for examp le,
during heavy braking) : the front safety belts
have reversible belt tensioners. If a collision
does not occur, the safety belts loosen slightly
and are ready to trigger again.
- Closing the w indows and the sunroof*
The function of the pre sense basic is activated at
a speed of 20 mph (30 km/h) or hig her . The de­
p loyment time is adapted in the drive select dy ­
namic mode .
Audi pre se ns e front ( vehicl es with adapti ve
cruise contr ol* }
Pre sense front contains the f unctions of pre
sense basic. In add ition, the likelihood of a rear­
end collis ion with the vehicle ahead is also calcu­
lated, within the limits of the system . If the risk
of a collision is detected, t he following functions
can t rigger:
- Audi braking guard
¢page 100
-Tensioning of the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof *
Audi pre sense rear (vehicles with side
a ss is t*)
Pre sense rear contains t he functions of pre sense
basic. In addition, the like lihood of a rear-end
col lision from t he vehicle behind is a lso ca lculat­
ed, w ith in the lim its of the system. If the risk of a
collis ion is detected, the following functions can
~ tr igger :
.... N
~ -Tensioning of the safety belts
g -Closing the windows and the sunroof *
:c ' Audi pre sense
-Adjusting the seats : the settings for the powe r
head restrains, the upper sections of the backr ­
ests and the pne umatic side bolsters* change
on the front seats and the outer rear seats*. If
a co llision does not occur, the seat sett ings
that were previously used are restored .
Audi pre sen se plus
Pre sense plus contains the f unctions of pre
sense front and pre sense rear .
Error messag e
Audi pre sens e: Unavailable
Preventative passenger protect ion is not ava ila­
ble. Drive to an autho rized Aud i deale r or author­
ized Audi Se rvice Facility immed iately to have the
malfunction corrected.
& WARNING
--
Pr e sense cannot overcome natural p hys ica l
l aws .
It is a system designed to assist and it
cannot prevent a co llision. Do not let the in­
creased safety provided tempt you into tak ing
risks. This could inc rease your r isk of a colli ­
sion.
- The system can dep loy incorrectly.
- Please note that t he sensors do not a lways
detect a ll objects. T his increases the r isk of
a co llision.
- Pre sense does not react to peop le or ani­
mals or objects that are cross ing the vehi­
cle's path or are difficu lt to detect
¢page 95.
- Reflective objects such as gua rd ra ils or the
entrance to a tunnel, heavy ra in and ice can
affect the funct io n of the radar sensors and
the system's ab ility to detect a collision risk.
@ Note
The sensors can be d isplaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housi ng and
underbody. Pre sense can be impaired by this .
Have an autho rized Aud i deale r or au tho rized
A udi Se rvice Fac ility check the ir funct io n.
.,.
217

Audi pre sense
(D Tips
-Certain pre sense front functions switch off
when sport mode is swi tc h ed off or when
driving in reverse .
- The pre sense functions may not be availa­
b le if there is a malfuncti on in the ESC sys­
tem or the airbag contro l module.
- The pre sense front/plus funct ions are not
available if the re is a ma lf u nction in t he
adaptive c ruise contro l" system
c::;, page 102.
-The pre sense rear/plus f unctions are no t
available if the re is a ma lf u nction in the s ide
assist " system
c::;, pag e 102.
218

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' Safety belts
General information
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety be lts 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 s ingle most effective
means ava ilable to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobi le accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always co rrect ly wea r safety be lts
w hen the veh icle is mov ing.
- Pregnant wome n, in ju red, o r physically im­
paired persons mus t also use safety be lts.
Lik e al l vehicle oc cupan ts, they are mo re
li kely to be serio usly injured i f th ey do no t
wear safety be lts . The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mothe r -throug hout
the ent ire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Aud i has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in t he rear. In some
veh icles, there are four seat ing positions: two in
the fro nt and two in the rear . Each seati ng posi­
tion has a safety belt.
A WARNING
N ot we aring safety bel ts or wear ing them im­
pro perly in cre ases the risk of ser io us pe rsonal
inju ry and dea th.
- Never st rap more th an one pe rso n, includ ­
ing sm all c hildr en, in to any be lt.
It is espe ­
c ially dangerous to place a safety belt over a
child sitting on your lap .
Safet y be lts
- Never let more peop le r ide in the vehicle
than there are safety be lts available.
- Be s ure everyone riding in the vehicle is
proper ly restrained w ith a separate safety
be lt or ch ild restraint.
,ff. Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver
and front seat passenger to remind you about
the importance of buckling-up.
F ig. 21 9 Safety belt warnin g lig ht in t he inst rument clus·
te r -en larged
Befor e dr ivi ng off , always :
~ Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly.
"' 0 N
~
~ Make sure that your passengers a lso buckle up
and properly wear their safety belts.
~ Protect ch ildren with a c hild restraint system
appropr iate for the size and age .
The warning lig ht . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignit ion is on as a reminder to
fasten the safety belts . In addition, you will hear
a war ning tone for a certai n period of time .
Fasten your safet y belt and make su re that your
passengers also properly put on their safety
b e lts .
A WARNING
-
-Safety bel ts are the sing le m ost effec tive
means available to red uce the risk of ser io u s
i njur y and death in a utomob ile accidents.
F or your p rotection and that of yo ur passen ­
ge rs, always correc tly wear safety bel ts
when the vehicle is moving .
~
219

Safe ty belts
-Failure to pay attention to the warning light
that come on, could lead to personal injury.
Why use safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for peo­
ple riding in vehicles.
F ig. 220 Unbe lted occupants in a vehicle heading for a wall
Fig . 221 The veh icle crashes into the wall
The physical principles are simple . Both the vehi­
cle and the passengers possess energy which var­
ies with vehicle speed and body weight. Engi­
neers call this energy "kinet ic energy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the vehicle 's we ight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Vehicle speed is the most significant fac tor. If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to SO
km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of th is veh icle are not us­
ing safety
belts<=> fig. 220, they will keep mov ing
at the same speed the ve hicle was moving just
before the crash, u nti l something stops them -
here, the wall<=>
fig. 221.
220
The same principles apply to people s itting in a
vehicle that is involved in a fronta l collision. Even
at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50 km/h),
the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater
speeds, these forces are even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are a lso not
attached to their vehicle. In a frontal coll is ion
they will also keep mov ing forward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just befo re the crash.
Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to
frontal collisions, they determine what happens
i n a ll kinds of accide nts and co lli sions.
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 222 A driver not wearing a safety belt is violently
thrown forward
F ig. 223 A rear passenger not wearing a safety belt will fly
forwa rd a nd strike the driver
Unbelted occ upants are not ab le to res ist the tre­
mendous forces of impact by holding tight or
braci ng themselves . Without the benefit of safe ­
ty restraint systems, the unrestra ined occupant
will slam violently into the steering wheel,
liJJ,,