belt AUDI Q3 2016 User Guide

Automatic transmissio n
Stopp ing temporarily
.,. Press the b rake peda l to stop the vehicle, fo r
example at a traffic light. Do not press the ac­
ce lerator peda l when doing this.
... To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when stop­
ping on steep inclines ¢
,&..
.,. The park ing brake w il l release automatically
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the accelerator pedal.
Stopp ing /park ing
If the selector lever is not in the P posit ion when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could roll.
The message
S hift to P and turn off ign it ion ,
otherwi se vehicle can roll awa y
appears.
.,. Press and hold the brake pedal
c> ,&. .
.,. Set the parking brake.
.,. To engage the P selector lever posit ion, press
the button on the selector lever and sh ift into
the P position
i:> page 82.
Stopp ing on an incline
.,. Always press the brake peda l to hold the vehi­
cle in place and prevent it from "rolling back"
c> ,&. . Do not try to prevent the vehicle from
"ro lling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
c reasing the eng ine speed
i:> 0.
Starting on a hill
.,. Set the parking brake.
.,. Se lect the D posit ion .
.,. Press t he accelerator pedal carefully . If you r
safety belt is fastened, the pa rking brake is au­
tomat ica lly released a nd your ve hicle beg ins to
move .
Unde r ce rtain c ircumstances, such as driv ing in
the mountains, it may be usef ul to sw itch tempo­
rarily to the manua l shift program in o rde r to ad­
just the gea rs to the d riving conditions by hand
i:>page 85 .
On inclines, act ivate the park ing brake first and
then move the se lector lever to the P pos it ion
c>page 72. This prevents the lo cking mechanism
from being loaded too heav ily and w ill make i t
easier to move the se lec tor lever out of the P po­
sition.
84
A WARNING
- The vehicle can also ro ll when the eng ine is
stopped.
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause se­
rious injury.
- Never leave your veh icle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle w hen the engine is r unning, ac­
tivate t he pa rking brake a nd move the selec­
tor lever to P .
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle . To p re­
vent the vehicle from "creeping", yo u m ust
keep your foo t on t he b rake when the en­
g in e is ru nning and the selector lever is in D/
Sor R or "tiptronic" mode is se lected .
- Do not press the a cce le ra to r peda l when
changing the se lec to r l ever posi tion while
the vehicle is s ta tionary and the engine is
r u nning .
- Never sh ift into R or P whi le driving.
- Before d riving down a s teep sl ope, redu ce
your spee d and sh ift into a lower gea r w ith
"t i ptronic" .
- Do not ride the brakes or press the bra ke
pedal too of ten o r too long when dr iv ing
down a hi ll. Constant braking ca uses the
brakes to ove rheat and substantially re­
duces brak ing performance, increases b rak­
ing d istance or causes comp lete failure of
the brake system.
- To prevent the veh icle from rol ling back
when stopp ing on inclines, always hold it in
place with the brake peda l or park ing brake .
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An ind icator lam p. illumina tes
and a dr iver message appears¢
page 86
w hen t he clu tch is overloade d.
- If the e ngine must rema in running, never
have a ny driving posi tion engaged when
checking unde r th e hood. Make s ure these­
lec to r l ever has secu rely eng aged an d is
loc ked in P with the parking b rake set

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c> page 177. Otherwise, any increase in en­
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
(D Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal whi le a driv ing gear is se ­
lected. This can cause the automatic trans­
mission to overheat and can damage it . Set
the parking brake or press the brake pedal
to prevent the vehicle from ro lling.
- Allow ing the vehicle to roll when the eng ine
i s stopped and the selector lever is in
N po­
s ition w ill damage the automatic transm is­
s ion because i t is not lubricated under those
ci rc u ms tances.
- The transmiss ion can over heat and be dam­
aged under certain driving and traffic co ndi­
t ions s uch as frequent starts, creeping for a
l ong time, or stop -and -go traffic. When the
• indicator light turns on, stop the vehicle
at the next opportunity and let the trans­
mission cool down
c> page 86.
@ Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driver 's
safety belt is fastened and the dr iver 's door is
locked.
Hill descent control
Hill descent control assists the driver when dr iv­
ing down hills.
Hill descent contro l is activated wh en th e se lec­
tor lever is in the D or S position and you p ress
the b rake pedal. The transm ission automat ically
select s a gear that i s suitable for the incline . H ill
descent control tries to maintain the speed ach ­
ieved at the time of braking, within phys ical and
techn ical limitations . If may st ill be necessary to
adj ust the speed with the b rake pedal.
Hill descent control switches off once the hill lev ­
e ls out or you press the accelerator pedal.
Aut oma tic tr ansm iss ion
A WARNING
-Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitat io ns, so it may not be able to ma intain
a constant speed under all conditions . Always
be ready to app ly the brakes .
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode)
The tiptronic allow the driver to shi~ the gears
manually.
F ig. 92 Cente r con so le: m anu al shi ft ing w ith t he sel ect or
leve r
Fig . 93 Stee ring w hee l: manual s hift ing w ith the shi ft pad­
d les•
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into tip tronic mode wh ile stat iona ry
and wh ile driving.
"' To shift into tiptronic mode, push the selecto r
lever from the D/S setting to the right. As soon
as the transmission is switched , the M trans ­
m iss ion se tting will appear in the ins trument
cluste r display.
"' To shift up a gea r, tap the selector lever for­
ward
0 c> fig . 92 .
"'To shift down a gea r, tap the se lector lever back
0 . ~
85

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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,
- be lt force limiters for the front seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- belt height adjustment for the front seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain airbags with ejection mitigation
features,
- special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
- 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 100, ~page 54 .
.,. 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.
.,. Make sure to use the right child restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
c:> page 132, Child
safety. ..,.
95

Driving safety
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
c:> page 50, Front
seats .
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al ­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly
c:>page 104.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle, the driver as well as the driver 's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis ­
tracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve­
hicle and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
vehicle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
c:> Li').. Therefore :
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
• NEVER drive when your driving ability is im­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs , etc.).
• Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
• ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
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
sure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
96
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 107 Correct seating posit ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver's seat to the following position:
• Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
c:> .&, .
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact with it when you drive.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering wheel and your breast boner::!)
fig. 107.
If not possible, see your authorized Audi dealer
about adaptive equipment.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face.
• Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent.
• 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
possible.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:>page 107.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the veh icle at all times .

For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 50.
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 hold the steer ing 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 r isk of persona l in­
jury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steer ing whee l at the
12 o'clock position or w ith your hands at
other pos it ions 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 deploys.
- 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
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 drive with the backrest reclined or
t il ted 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 safety
seats¢
page 132 . Special precaut ions ap­
ply when installing a ch ild safety seat on the
front passenger seat
c:::;, page 112.
Driving safety
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 acc ident, we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the follow ing 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.
"' 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
possible
¢ page 51.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:::;, page 107.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c:::;, page 50.
A WARNING
--
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or killed by the airbag as it
unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean against or place any
part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
- 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.
- E ach passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat .
- Before driving, always adjust the front pas­
senger seat and head restraint properly.
97

Driving sa fe ty
-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 belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
c rease the risk of injury in a crash .
- Never dr ive with the backrest reclined or
t il ted far bac k! The farther the backrests are
t il ted back, the greater the risk of in ju ry due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and imp roper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats r=;,
page 132 . Special pre caut ions ap­
ply when installing a ch ild safety seat on the
front passenger seat r=;,
page 112.
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright wi th both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve ­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an inco rrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
ing :
~ Make su re that the seatback is secu rely latched
in the upright pos ition r=;,
page 59.
~ If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing pos it ion, slide the center head restra int up­
ward at least to the next notch
c:> page 52 .
~ Keep both feet flat in the footwell i n front of
the rear seat.
~ Fasten and wea r safety be lts p roperly
r:=;, page 107.
~ Make s ure that children are always properly re­
strained in a c hild rest raint t hat is appropriate
f or their size and age r=;,
page 132.
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 wea r the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
98
- Safety belts only offer maximum protect ion
when the seatback is securely latched in the upright pos ition and the safety belts are
properly posit ioned on the body . By not sit­
ting upright, a rear seat passenger increases
the risk of personal injury from imprope rly
posi tioned safety belts!
- Always ad just the head restra int properly so
that it can give maximum p rotection.
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.
Fi g. 10 8 Head restra int: v iewed from t he front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
~ Adjust the head res traints so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of you r head. If
that is not possible, t ry to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this pos it ion as
possible r=;,
fig. 108.
~ If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing position, slide the center head restraint up ­
wa rd at least to the nex t notch .
Adjust ing head restraints r=;,
page 51.
A WARNING -
All seats are equipped w ith head restraints.
Driving w ithout head restraints or w ith head
rest raints tha t are not prope rly adjusted in­
creases the r isk of se rious or fata l neck injury
d ra mat ic al ly. To help reduce t he risk of injury:
Ill-

-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 vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. 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 adjust the head
restraint so that it is as close to th is position
as possible.
- 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 restraint.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a ch ild restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
qpoge 132.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore 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 seating 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 posit ions
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
seat ing pos ition when the vehicle is being used
¢ ,&. .
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 posit ions that
are dangerous.
Driving safety
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 s it 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
A 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 occupants stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used .
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mot or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without in·
terference and that nothing prevents them from
returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners .
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop .
A WARNING
-
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri·
ous injury. ""
99

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.
104
-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 to remind you about the importance of buckling-up.
Fig . 11 0 Safety belt wa rning lig ht in th e in st ru ment clu s·
ter · enl arged
Before driving off , always:
.. Fasten yo ur safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly.
"' 0 ,;, .. m
.. Ma ke sure that your passengers also b uck le up
and properly wear t heir safety belts.
.. Protect your chi ldren with a ch ild restraint sys ­
tem app ropr iate for the size and age of the chil­
dren .
The wa rning lig ht . in the inst rument cluste r
li ghts up w hen the ig nition is switched on as a re­
minde r to fas ten the safety be lts . In addition,
you w ill hear a wa rn in g tone for a ce rtain per iod
of time .
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure that
your passenger s also properly put on their safe­
ty belt s.
&_ WARNING -
- Safety bel ts are the sing le mos t eff ec tive
means available to re du ce the risk of serio us
in jur y and dea th in a utomobile accidents.
F or your protection and t hat of yo ur passen­
ge rs, a lways cor rect ly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is movin g.

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-Failure to pay attention to the warn ing light
that come on, could lead to persona l injury.
Why use safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for peo­
ple riding in vehicles .
Fig. 111 Unbelted occupants in a vehicle heading for a wall
Fig. 112 The vehicle 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 "kinetic 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.
Veh icle speed is the most significant factor. If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50
km/h), the energy increases 4 t imes!
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not us­
ing safety belts
¢fig. 111, they will keep moving
at the same speed the vehicle was moving just
before the crash, until something stops them -
here, the wall¢
fig. 112 .
Safety belts
The same p rinciples apply to people sitting in a
vehicle that is invo lved in a fronta l co llision. 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 the ir vehicle. In a frontal collis ion
they will also keep moving forward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just before the crash .
Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to
frontal collisions, they determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions .
What happens to occupants not wea ring
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 113 A driver not wearing a safety belt is violently
th row n forwar d
Fig. 114 A rear passe nger not wearing a safety belt will fly
forward a nd strike the driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tre­
mendous forces of impact by holding tight or
bracing themselves . Without the benefit of safe­
ty restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant
will slam viol ently into th e steering wheel, .,.
105

Safe ty belts
instrument panel, windshield, or whatever else is
in the way
r:!> fig. 113. This impact with the vehi­
cle interior has all the energy they had just be­
fore the crash.
Never rely on 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 always there
to offer protect ion in those accidents in wh ic h
airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have a lready deployed . Unbel ted occupants can
also be thrown o ut of the veh icle where eve n
mo re severe or fatal injuries can occur .
It is also important for the rear pass engers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passengers
i n t he re ar seats endanger no t on ly themse lves
but also the drive r and other passengers
~ fig . 114. 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 . 11 5 Driver is co rrectly restrai ned in a sudde n brak ing
m aneu ver
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-
106
plied to the body in an accident , and help prevent
the uncontrolled movement that can cause seri­
ous injuries. In add ition, sa fety belts red uce the
danger of being thrown out of the vehicle.
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car and g ive
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
"tolerab le" and less likely to cause inju ry .
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 goi ng to
the cor ne r store, a lways b uckle up and make s ure
othe rs do, too. Ac ciden t st at ist ics show that veh i­
cle 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 deceler ation 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
Safe ty belts must always be correctly positioned
acros s 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 .