belt AUDI Q5 2013 User Guide

90 On the road
-When the vehicle is locked, no one - par­
t icu larly not ch ildren should remain in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more
difficult for emergency workers to get in­
to the vehicle - putt ing lives at risk .
Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking brake is released automatically upon
starting .
Stopp ing and ap plyin g park ing b rake
.. Pu ll the switch to apply the parking brake.
Starting and automatically relea sing the
par king brake
.. When you start to drive as usua l, the park­
ing brake is automatically re leased and your
vehicle begins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signa l or stopping
in city traffic on vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the park ing brake can be ap­
plied . The veh icle does not have to be held
with the footbrake. The park ing brake elimi­
nates the tendency to creep with a drive range
engaged. As soon as you dr ive off as usual,
the park ing brake is released automatically
and the veh icle sta rts to move.
Starting on slope s
When starting on inclines, the start ing ass ist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll­
i ng back . The braking force of the pa rking
brake is not released until sufficient dr iv ing
fo rce has been bu ilt up at the whee ls.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re­
leased automatically only when the dr iv­
er 's safety belt is engaged in the bu ck le.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
• Keep the switch pulled and depress the ac­
celerator . The parking brake stays applied
and prevents the vehicle from roll ing back ­
ward .
• Yo u can re lease the switch once you a re su re
tha t you are deve lopi ng enough d riving
force a t th e wheels by depressing the acce l­
erator.
Depend ing on the we igh t of the rig (vehi cle
and t railer) and the severity of the incline, yo u
may ro ll backwa rds as yo u start . You can pre­
vent rolling backwa rds by holding the parking
brake switc h pulled out and accelerating - just
as you would when starting on a hill with a
convent ional hand brake.
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys­
tem fails or locks.
.. In an emergency, pull the switch and con ­
tinue to pull it to slow your vehicle down
w ith the park ing brake.
• As soon as you release the switch or acceler-
ate, the brak ing process stops.
If you p ull the switch and ho ld it above a
speed of abo ut 5 mph (8 km/h), the emergen­
cy brak ing funct ion is initiated . The ve hicle is
braked at all four whee ls by activating the hy­
draulic b rake system . The brake performa nce
i s sim ilar to making an emergency stop~& .
In order not to act ivate the emergency brak­
i ng by mistake, an audib le warning tone (buz­
zer) sounds when the switch is pu lled. As soon
as the switch is re leased, or the accele rato r
peda l is depressed, eme rgency b raking stops .
A WARNING
Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the norma l foot bra ke
has fai led or the brake pedal is obs tructed. .,..

lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than ap ­
proximately 1 second, witho ut the brake ped­
a l being pressed.
R elea se button
The release b utton on the selector lever pre­
vents the lever from being accidentally shifted
into certain positions. Pressing this button de ­
activates the selector lever lock. Depending
on the direction of the shift, the selector lever
locks at different positions. The positions are
h ighlighted in the illustration¢ fig.
133.
Ign ition k ey safety int erlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition
unless the se lector lever is in the P park posi­
tion . When the ign ition key is removed, the
selector lever will be locked in the P pos ition.
Driving the automatic transmission
F ig . 134 Sh ift gate on th e center conso le: se lector lev ­
er with release button
Startin g the engine
... The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
... Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
... Press and ho ld the release button in these­
lector lever handle, se lect the desired se lec­
tor lever pos ition such as D/S and release
the button.
... Wait briefly until the transmission has shift­
ed (you will feel a slight movement) .
... Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce le rate.
Automa tic tran sm iss ion 125
Stopping temporarily
... Keep the veh icle stationa ry using the brak­
ing pedal, for example at t raffic lights .
... Do not press the accelerator peda l when do­
ing this .
... To prevent the vehicle from rolling when
you start driving, set the parking brake
when stopp ing on steep inclines¢_& .
The parking brake will re lease automatically
and the vehicle w ill start moving once you
press the accelerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
cou ld rol l. The message
Transmi ssion: C ar
ma y roll ! Shift to pa rk !
appears .
... Press and hold the brake peda l until the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop .
... App ly the parking brake
¢ page 89, Park-
ing .
... Select the P selector lever posit ion ¢ _& .
Stopping on an inclin e
... Always press the brake pedal to ho ld the ve ­
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back" ¢_& . Do
not try to prevent the vehi­
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en­
gaged by increasing the engine speed ¢(D .
Sta rting on an inclin e
... Activate the parking brake .
... With the driving gear selected, press the ac ­
celerator peda l carefully . The parking brake
w ill release automatically if your seat belt is
fastened .
Under certa in circ umstances, such as driving
in the mounta ins, it may be usefu l to sw itch
temporarily to the manual sh ift program in or­
der to adjust the gears to the driv ing cond i­
tions by hand
¢ page 12 7 .
On s lopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position.
This prevents too much stress from being placed on the locking mechanism .
I),

126 Automatic transmission
8_ WARNING
-Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury .
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running,
activate the parking brake and move the
selector lever to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
while the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into
R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases
braking distance or causes complete fail­
ure of the brake system .
- To preven t the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens auto­
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp
[O] illu­
minates and a driver message appears
Q page 128when the clutch is overload­
ed.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
Q page 226, Engine compartment . 0th-erwise, any increase in engine 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 accelerator pedal while a driving gear is selected. This can cause the transmis­
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti­
vate the parking brake or press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling .
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en ­
gine is stopped and the selector lever is
in N will damage the transmission be­
cause it is not lubricated under those cir­
cumstances.
@ Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines.
Hill descent control is activated when these­
lector lever is in D /S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill de­
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical
and technical limitations. If may still be nec­
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the de­
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
When the speed is set in the cruise control
system
q page 95, hill descent control is also
activated.
A WARNING
-
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all

Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section - for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the
features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter­
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor­
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations .
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an
Driving Safely 139
accident. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi :
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- belt force limiters for the 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 and outer rear
seats*,
- side curtain airbags,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work to­ gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor­
rectly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed
and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen ­
gers,
before driving always:
.,. Make sure that all lights and signals are op­
erating correctly .
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.,. Make sure that all windows are clean and
afford good visibility to the outside .
.,. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
qpage 76.
.,. Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
.,. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir­
rors correctly for your height.
.,. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height .
.,. Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children ¢
page 178,
and~~~-~
•
•

140 Driving Safely
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 61,
Gen eral recomm endations.
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passenge rs to fasten their
safety belts properly¢
page 149 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
t ion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants . If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
9 .&,.
Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passen­
gers 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
pressure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a veh icle is being used.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 152 Correc t seat ing position
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
following position:
• Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢,&. .
• 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
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and your breast
bone ¢
fig. 152. If not possible, see your au­
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip­ ment.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
• Grasp the top of the steering 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 restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 152.

~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c:;, page 62.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag de­
ploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air ­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving . Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in-
Driving Safely 141
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c:;, page 178. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat
c:;, page 157 .
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom ­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
~ 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 restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
c:;, page 142.
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety bel ts correctly
c:;, page 152.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger 's seat, see
c:;, page 61.
A WARNING ,_
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright
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
•
•

142 Driving Safely
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
passenger's breastbone and 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 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 safety
seats
c::> page 178. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat
c::> page 15 7 .
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 :
.. If there is a passenger on the rear center
seating pos ition, slide the center head re­
straint upward at least to the next notch
c::> page 65.
.. Make sure that the seatback is securely
latched in the upright position
c::> page 67.
.. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front
of the rear seat.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
c::>page 152.
.. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age
c::> page 178.
_& 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 seatback is securely latch­
ed in the upright position and the safety
belts are properly positioned on the
body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
injury from improperly positioned safety
belts!
-Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant part of your vehicle's occupant re ­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations.
Fig. 153 H ead restra int: vi ew ed from the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust-
ed to achieve the best protection. .,.

~ Adjust the head restraints so the upper
edge is as even as possible with the top of
your head. If that is not possib le, try to ad­
j ust the head restraint so that it is as close
to this position as possible
¢fig . 153.
~ If there is a passenger on the rear center
seat ing pos ition, slide the center head re­
stra int upward at least to the next notch .
Adjust ing head restra ints ¢
page 65.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Dr iv ing without head restra ints or
w ith head restra ints that a re not properly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
t al neck injury dramat ic a lly. To help reduce
t he risk of in jury:
- Alw ays drive with the he ad restraints in
pla ce and properly adjusted.
- E very pe rson in the veh icle must have a
properly adj usted head restr aint.
- Always make sure each pe rson in the ve­
hicle properly adjus ts the ir head re­
st rain t. Ad just the head restrain ts so the
upper edge is as even as possib le with
the top of your head. If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restra int so
that it is as close to this position as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint wh ile driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the dr iver head rest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safe ly be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
st raint.
- Children must always be properly re­
st rained in a ch ild restraint that is appro­
pr iate for their age and s ize ¢
page 1 78.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re ­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
Imp rope r seat ing pos it ions can cause serious
in ju ry or death . Safety belts can on ly wor k
when they a re properly posit ioned o n the
Dr iving S afel y 143
body. Improper seating positions re duce the
effectiveness of safety belts and wi ll even in­
crease the ris k of i njury and death by moving
the safety belt to crit ica l areas of the body.
Improper seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an a ir ­
bag deploys and str ikes an occupant w ho is
not in the p roper seating posit ion. A dr iver is
responsible fo r the safety of all veh icle occu ­
pan ts and espec ially for children. The re fore :
~ Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
Q ,& .
The following bulletins list on ly some sample
pos itions tha t will increase the risk of serious
i njury and death . Ou r hope is that these exam­
ple s will ma ke yo u mo re aware o f seati ng po­
s itions tha t are d angerous.
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- neve r stand up in the vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride w it h the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out the window
- neve r put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instr ument panel
- neve r rest your feet on the seat cush ion or
back of the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- neve r ride in the cargo area
A WARNING ~
Imp ro p er seating posit ions increase the
risk of serious persona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu-
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restrained whenever the
veh icle is being used .
-
•
•

Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter exp lains why safety be lts are nec ­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly.
~ Read all the information that fo llows and
heed all of the inst ruct ions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of ser ious
personal in jury and death .
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means availab le to red uce the r isk of se­
rious injury and death in a utomob ile acci­
dents . For your prot ecti on and that of
yo ur passenge rs, always co rrec tly wear
sa fe ty bel ts when the ve hicle is mov ing.
- P re g nant women, injured, or physically
impa ired perso ns must also use safe ty
belts. L ike a ll vehicle occup ants, they are
more like ly to be ser ious ly injure d if they
do not wea r safety be lts . The best way to
protect a fet us is to protect the mother -
thro ughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating posit ions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each
seating position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
N ot wea ring safety belts or wea ring them
improperly increases the risk of ser ious
perso nal i njur y an d deat h.
- Never st rap more than one pe rson, in­
cl ud ing s mall ch ild ren, into any belt . It is
e speci ally dangerous t o pl ac e a safety
bel t over a child s itting on yo ur lap.
- N ever le t mo re people ride in t he ve hicle
th an there are s afe ty be lts availab le.
Safety belts 149
- Be s ure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained w ith a separate sa fe­
ty belt or child restra int.
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and (on USA models only) front seat
passenger to remind you about the impor­
tance of buckling-up.
Fig . 155 Safety belt warni ng lig ht in the instr ument
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, alway s:
~ Fasten your safety be lt and make sure you
are wearing it properly .
~ Make sure that yo ur passengers a lso buck le
up and properly wear their safety be lts.
~ Protect your childre n w ith a child rest raint
sys tem app ropriate fo r the size a nd age of
t h e children.
The wa rning lig ht . in the instrument cluster
li ghts up when the ig nit ion is switched on as a
reminder to fasten the safe ty belts. In addi­
tion, you will hea r a warning tone for a certa in
per iod of t ime.
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure
that your pas sengers also properly put on
th eir safety belt s.
A WARNING
- Safety belts are the s ingle mo st effec tive
means av ailable to redu ce th e ri sk of se­
rio us in ju ry and death in au tomobile acci ­
dents. Fo r you r protection and that of
your passengers, a lways correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
•
•

150 Safety belts
-Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that come on, could lead to person­
al injury.
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles.
Fig. 156 Unbelted occupants in a ve hicle heading for a
wall
Fig. 157 Th e vehicle c rash es into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the
vehicle and the passengers possess energy
which varies w ith veh icle speed and body
weight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic en­
e rgy ."
T he higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this veh icle are not
using safety belts¢
fig. 156, they will keep
moving at the same speed the vehicle was
mov ing just before the crash, until something
stops them - here, the wall ¢
fig. 157 .
The same principles apply to people sitting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision .
Even at c ity 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 .
Peop le who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle. In a frontal colli­
s ion they will also keep moving forward at the
speed their vehicle was t ravell ing 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 col­
lisions .
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. 158 A d river not wea ring a safety b elt is viol en tly
thrown fo rwa rd
Fig . 159 A rear passe nge r not wearing a safety belt
w ill fl y forward and strike the driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the
tremendous forces of i mpac t by holding tight
or bracing themselves. Without the benefit of
safety restraint systems , the unrestrained
ll-