belt AUDI Q5 2016 User Guide

Automatic transmissio n
(N eu tra l) for more than approx imately 1 second,
w ithout th e brake peda l being pressed.
Release button
The release button on the se lec to r lever preven ts
the lever from being accidentally sh ifted into cer­
tain posit ions . Press ing t his but ton deactivates
the selector lever lock . Depending on the direc­
tion of the shift, the selector lever locks at differ ­
ent positions. The positions are high lighted in
the illustrat ion ¢
fig. 135 .
Ignition key safety int erlock
The key cannot be removed from the igni tion un ­
less the selector lever is in the P park pos ition .
When the ignition key is removed, the selector lever will be locked in the P pos ition.
Driving the automatic transmission
F ig. 1 36 Shi ft gat e on t he c en te r co nsole : se lecto r lev er
w ith release b utto n
Starting the engine
~ The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
~ Press and hold the brake pedal.
~ Press and hold the release button in the selec­
tor lever handle, se lect the des ired selector lev­
er posit ion such as D/S and release the button.
~ Wait briefly until the transmission has shifted
(you w ill feel a slight movement) .
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal and ac­
cele rate .
Stopp ing temporarily
~ Keep the veh icle stationary us ing the braking
pedal, for example at traffic lights .
124
~ Do not press the acce lerato r pedal when doing
this.
~ To prevent the veh icle from ro lling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when stop­
ping on steep incl ines¢ &_.
The parking brake wi ll re lease automatically and
the ve hicle w ill start moving once you press the
acce lerator pedal.
Stopping /par king
If the se lector lever is not in the P position whe n
you open the driver's door, the vehicle cou ld roll.
The message
Tr ansmis sion: Car may roll! Shift
to park!
appears.
~ Press and hold the brake peda l un til the vehicle
has come to a comp lete stop .
~ Apply the parking brake¢ page 90, Parking .
~ Select the P selector lever posit ion ¢ &_ .
Stopping on an incline
~ Always press the brake pedal to ho ld the vehi ­
cle in p lace and prevent it from "rolling back"
¢ &_ . D o
not try to prevent the vehicle from
"rolling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
creas ing the engine speed ¢(D .
Starting on an incline
~ Ac tivate the pa rk ing br ake.
~ With the d riving gear selected, press the accel ­
erator pedal carefully. The parking brake will
release a utomatica lly if your seat belt is fas­
tened.
Under certain circumstances, such as driving in
the mounta ins, it may be useful to switch tempo ­
rarily to the manual sh ift program in order to ad­
j ust the gears to the dr iv ing cond it ions by hand
¢ page 126.
On slopes, activate the parking b rake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position.
This prevents too m uch stress from being placed
on the locking mechanism.
A WARNING
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause se­
rious injury .

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,...., -Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running, ac­ tivate the parking brake and move the selec­
tor lever to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To pre ­
vent the vehicle from "creeping", you must keep your foot on the brake when the en­
gine is running and the selector lever is in D/
5 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, reduce
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 brak­
ing distance or causes complete failure of
the brake system .
- To prevent 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 automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload . An indicator lamp
[ijJ illuminates
and a driver message appears
c> page 126
when the clutch is overloaded .
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood.
Make sure these­
lector lever has securely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
c> page 220. 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 while a driving gear is se-
Automatic transmission
lected. This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it. Activate the
parking brake or press the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped and the selector lever is in N will
damage the transmission because it is not
lubricated under those circumstances.
(!) Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down decline s.
Hill descent control is activated when the selec­
to r lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transmission automatically selects a gear
tha t is suitable for the incline. Hill descent con­
trol tries to maintain the speed achieved at the
time of braking, within physical and technical
limitations. It may still be necessary to adjust the
speed with the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
levels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
When the speed is set in the cruise control sys­
tem
c> page 95 , hill descen t control is also ac ti­
vated .
A WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions . Always
be ready to apply the brakes.
125

Driving sa fe ty
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safe ty first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings 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
be lts, a irbags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1 . Al­
ways observe the i nfo rmation and wa rn ings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The information i n this section applies to all
model versions of yo ur vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures descr ibed in t his sections may be s tanda rd
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 th is
Manual.
It is in your interest and in the in­
te rest of your passengers .
- Always keep the comp lete Owner's Litera­
ture in your A udi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the d river and
passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner 's literature handy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques­
t ions.
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 occident si t­
uations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advan ces i n tech­
nology have made a var iety of features avai lab le
to help reduce t he risk of injury in an accident .
134
The following is a list of just a few of the sa fety
features in your Audi :
- sophis tica ted safety be lts fo r dr ive r and all pas-
senge r seat ing pos itions,
- belt fo rce limi ters for the front seats,
- be lt pretensione rs fo r 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 LAT CH anchorages for ch ild rest rai nts,
- adj ustab le steer ing column.
T hese ind iv idual safety features , can work to­
gether as a system to help protect you and your
passengers in a wide range of acc idents. These
features cannot wo rk as a system if they are not
a lways correc tly ad justed a nd cor rect ly used.
Safety i s everybody' s responsibil ity!
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 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 .
.,. Secure all luggage and othe r items ca refully
i=> page 77 .
.,. Ma ke sure that noth ing ca n interfere wi th the
pedals.
.,. Adjust front seat, head rest raint and mirrors
correctly for yo ur height.
.,. Instruct passeng ers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their he ight.
.,. Make sure to use the rig ht child restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
c> page 171 , Child
safety . ..,.

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Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
¢page 63,
General information .
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly¢
page 143 .
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
h icle and all of its occupants . If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road ¢,& .T herefo re:
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
o r by using a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER dr ive when your dr iv ing ability is im­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe a ll traff ic 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
Impai red dr iv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal inju ry and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Dr iving safety
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
F ig. 151 Cor rect seating pos ition
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 fo llowing
pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keep ing 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 contac t wi th it when you dr ive.
.. Adj ust the steer ing wheel so that there is a d is­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the steering whee l and your breast bone¢
fig. 151.
If not possible, see your author ized A udi 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 .
.. Ad just the head res tra int so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of yo ur head.
If
that is no t possib le, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 146.
.. Always keep both feet i n the footwell so that
you are in control of the ve hicle at all t imes .
135

Driving safety
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see ¢
page 64.
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 steering wheel on the out­
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in­
jury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the 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. 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 su pplemen­
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
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats¢
page 171. Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat
¢page 151.
136
-
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the 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 re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible
¢ page 137.
.,. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 146.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 63.
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.
- 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 pas­ senger seat and head restraint properly.

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..... ..... -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 will not be able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury 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 injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats¢
page 171 . Special precaut ions ap­
ply when installing a ch ild safety seat on the
front passenger seat ¢
page 151.
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve­ hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
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:
~ If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing position, slide the center head restraint up­
ward at least to the next notch ¢
page 67.
~ Make sure that the seatback is securely latched
in the upright position
¢page 69.
~ Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 146.
~ Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age ¢
page 171.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash .
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat .
Driving safety
- Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position and the safety belts are properly positioned on the body . By not sit­
ting 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 impor­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 1S2 Head restraint: vi ew ed from t he front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted 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 possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible
¢ fig . 152.
~ If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing position, slide the center head restraint up ­
ward at least to the next notch .
Adjusting head restraints¢
page 67.
A WARNING
-All seats are equipped w ith head restraints.
Driving without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fata l neck injury
dramatically . To help reduce the risk of injury: ..,
137

Driving sa fe ty
-Always drive with the head restraints i n
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra ints so the upper edge is as
even as possib le w ith the top of your head.
If that is not possib le, 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 stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to ad just the head restr aint.
- Children must always be p roperly restrained
in a chi ld restrain t th at is appropria te fo r
their age and size~
page 171.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated.
I mp roper seating positions can cause se rious in­
ju ry or deat h. Safety belts can only wo rk when
they are p roperly posi tioned o n the body . Im­
p roper seating posi tions reduce t he effe ct iveness
of sa fety belts and w ill even increase the r isk o f
in jury 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 strikes an occupant
who is not in the prope r seat ing position. A driver
is respo nsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially fo r children. Therefo re:
~ Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seat ing pos ition w hen the veh icle is being used
~ .&. -
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po­
sitions that will inc rease the risk of serious inju ry
and death. Ou r hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seat ing pos it io ns that
a re dangero us.
138
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is moving :
-neve r stand up in the vehicle
- neve r sta nd on the seats
- neve r kneel on the seats
- never ride w ith the seatback recl ined
- neve r lie down on the rear seat
- neve r lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out t he window
- neve r put your feet o ut the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- neve r 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
Imp roper seating positions inc rease the risk
of ser ious personal injury and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
stay in a proper seating posit ion and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is be ing used .
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must alway s be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any o ther object.
Mak e su re t hat all pedals move free ly w ithout in­
te rfe rence and t hat nothing prevents them from
r etur ning to their orig inal positions.
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal a rea free
and can be secured wi th floor ma t faste ne rs.
If a brake circuit fails, i ncreased brake pedal trav­
el is requ ired to bring the vehicle to a fu ll stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that ca nnot move freely ca n cause loss
of vehicle contro l and increase the r is k of seri­
ous injury.

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..... ..... Safety belts
General information
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts 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 single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, o r physically im­
paired persons must also use safety belts.
Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts. The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mother -throughout
the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat­ ing position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small children, into any belt.
It is espe­
cially dangerous to place a safety belt over a
child sitting on your lap.
- Never let mo re people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available .
Safety belts
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safety
belt or child restraint.
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 importance of buckling­
up .
Fig. 154 Safety belt warning light in the instrument clus ­
te r -enlarged
Before driving off, always:
.. Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly.
.,, N
"' 0 ..:, ., m
"' Make sure that your passengers also buckle up
and properly wear their safety belts.
"' Protect your children with a ch ild restraint sys­
tem appropr iate for the size and age of the chil­
dren .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignit ion is switched on as a re­
minder to fasten the safety be lts. In addition,
you w ill hear a warn ing tone for a certain period
of time.
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their safe­
ty belts.
A WARNING
-
-Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents .
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, a lways correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
143

Safe ty belts
-Failure to pay attention to the warn ing 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 . 1 55 Unbe lted occupants in a veh icle headi ng for a wall
F ig . 1 56 The veh icle c rashes into the wall
The physical principles are simple . Both the vehi­
cle and the passengers possess energy wh ich 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 50
km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because t he passengers of th is veh icle are not us­
ing safety belts<=>
fig. 155, they will keep mov ing
at the same speed the vehicle was moving just
befo re the crash , u nti l something stops them -
here, the wall
r=> fig. 156.
144
The same principles apply to people sitting in a
veh icle that is invo lved in a frontal 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 collis ion
they will also keep mov ing fo rward 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
i n a ll kinds of accide nts and co llisions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbel ted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in ­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fi g. 1 57 A driver not wear ing a safety be lt is vio len tly
throw n forward
Fi g. 158 A rea r passe nge r not we arin g a sa fety be lt w ill fly
forwa rd and str ike the drive r
Unbelted occ upants are not ab le to res ist the tre­
mendous forces of impact by holding tig ht or
braci ng themselves . Without the benefit of safe ­
ty restraint systems , the unrestra ined occupant
will slam violently into the steering wheel,
liJJ,-

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ument panel, windshield, or whatever e lse is
in the way
<=) fig. 157. 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 on ly additional
protection. Airbags are not supposed to dep loy in
all kinds of accidents. A lthough your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the dr iver, 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 w hich
airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have already deployed. Unbelted occupants can
also be thrown o ut of the vehicle where even
more severe or fatal injur ies can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety bel ts correctly . Unbelted passengers
in the rear seats endanger not only themse lves
but also the driver and other passengers
¢ fig. 158. In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and
injure 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!
Fig. 159 Dr iver is correctly restra ined in a sudden b raking
maneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a big differ­
ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy levels ap-
Safety belts
plied to the body in an accident, and help prevent
the uncontrolled movement that can cause seri­
ous injuries. In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of be ing 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 engi ­
neered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the
kinetic ene rgy over a longer period of time, the
safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tolerab le" and less likely to ca use injury .
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision, safety belts can also substantially re ­
duce the r isk of injury in ot her k inds of crashes.
So, whether you're on a long trip or just go ing to
the corner store, always buckle up and make sure
others do, too. Acc iden t statist ics show that vehi­
cle occupants properly wea ring 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 supp lemental airbags to do their job in a col­
lision. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most count ries 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 example, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not acti­
vated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear col­
lisions, in roll overs or in cases where there is not
enough deceleration 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!
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned
across the strongest bones of your body.
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and de­
scribed in this chapter.
.,. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged .
145