belt AUDI Q7 2017 Owner´s Manual

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:E: ' Audi pre sense city
Description
Appl ies to: ve hicles with Audi pre sense c ity
W ith in the limits of the system, pre sense c ity
can warn you of impending coll is ions w ith
vehicles and pedestrians and initiate the applica­
b le braking maneuver if needed. Pre sense city is
active at speeds of approximately 6 mph (10 km/ h) and higher.
A pedestrian warning can occur at speeds up to
50 mph (85 km/h), and vehicle warnings can oc­
cur at speeds up to 155 mph (250 km/h). A pre
sense city braking maneuver is possible at speeds
up to SO mph (85 km/h).
Warnings
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with Audi pre sense c ity
The system recognizes various dangerous situa­
tions . The
early warning occurs if:
- a vehicle driving ahead brakes suddenly,
- your own vehicle approaches a significantly
slower vehicle or stationary vehicle in the direc­
tion of travel.
- a pedestrian is standing in the lane or is moving
into the lane.
When this warning occurs, it may only be possi­ ble to avoid a collision by swerving or braking
strong ly. The message
Audi pre sense.
¢ page 119, fig. 115 and a warning tone will
warn you about the danger .
Additionally, a jerk on the brakes may occur as an
acute warning when there is an impending colli­
sion. If you do not react to the acute warning, pre
sense city can brake to the point of complete de­
celeration within the limits of the system. This reduces the vehicle speed in the event of a colli ­
sion. The message
Audi pre sense. also ap­
pea rs .
The following functions are triggered in conjunc­
tion with pre sense basic/rear:
- Revers ible tensioning of the front safety belts .
- Closing the windows and sunroof*.
- Inflating the side bolste rs* in the seat backrest
and seat surface.
Assistance systems
Audi drive select*: the function is not active de­
pending on the mode selected .
A WARNING
--Pre sense city cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It is a system designed to assist and it cannot prevent a collision in every circum­
stance . The dr iver must always intervene.
The driver is always responsible for braking
at the correct time. Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks.
This could increase your risk of a coll is ion.
- The system can dep loy incorrectly due to
system-specific limits.
- To reduce the r isk of an accident, please
note that the camera does not always detect
eve ry object.
- Pre sense city does not react to animals,
crossing or oncoming veh icles, objects such
as bars, railin gs or railcars, and objects that
are difficult to detect¢.&.
in General infor­
mation on page 108.
- In trailer mode, the braking behavior of the
trai ler can be d ifferent than usual during au­
tomatic braking.
A_ WARNING
Pre sense city may be restricted or not availa­
ble in the following example situations:
- in heavy fog, rain, spray or snow
- when there are visua l obst ruct ions, such as
g la re, reflections or variations in light
- when it is dark
- if the camera window or the windshield is
dirty, iced over, damaged or covered
- when dr iv ing on snow, ice or loose ground
- in curves
- if the ESC was restricted or switched
off
- when towing a trailer
-when the driver's seat belt is unfastened
- up to ten seconds after switching on the ig-
nition
(D Note
Impacts or damage to the camera mount on
the w indshield can displace the sensor. Pre
sense city can be impaired by this. Have an
121

Intelligent Technology
What you should know
Maintaining the starting ability is the highest
priority .
A lot of stress is placed on the vehicle battery
when dr iv ing short d istances, dur ing c ity dr iving,
and at cold times of the year . A lot of energy is
used but little is gene rated .
It is also critical
when the engine is not ru nning but e lectr ica l
eq uipment is swi tched o n. In this case , energy is
used bu t none is generated.
In s ituations like this, energy management will
actively regu late the d istribution of ene rgy.
Long pe riods without use
If you do not drive your vehicle for several days or
weeks, e lectrical equipment is gradually scaled
back or switched off . This reduces energy use and
ensu res t he veh icle w ill be able to sta rt afte r long
pe riods of time. Some convenience functions ,
such as inte rior lighting or powe r seat adjust­
men t, may not be available under ce rta in ci rc u m­
s tances. These convenience functions will be
ava ilable aga in once you switch the ign ition on
and start the engine .
With the engine switched off
The vehicle battery will d rain if yo u use I nfota in ­
ment functions such as listening to the rad io
while the engine is switched
off .
If t he ve hicle's ability to s tart may be impaired by
the energy use, a message will appear in the In ­
fotainmen t system disp lay . T he message indi­
ca tes that the system wi ll switch off automatica l­
ly soon. If you would like to continue using the
functions, yo u m ust start the eng ine.
With the engine running
A lthough elect rical energy is generated whi le
d riving, the vehicle battery can d rain. This can
happen if little energy is generated but much is
used, and the charge level of the veh icle battery
is not optima l.
To restore the balance of energy, components
that require large amounts of energy are tempo­ rarily sca led back or switched
off . Heating sys­
tems in part icu lar require a great deal of energy .
154
If you notice, for example, that the seat heating*
or rear window defogger is not working, then it has been temporarily reduced or switched
off.
These systems are availab le again as soon as the
energy supply has been restored.
In addition, you may notice that the idle speed
has slight ly increased . That is normal and no
cause for concern. By increasing the idling speed,
the addit ional required energy will be generated
and the vehicle battery w ill be charged .
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
E v ent Data Recorder
This vehicle is equ ipped with an Event Data Re­
corder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa­
tions, such as an airbag deployment or hitt ing a
r oad obstacle, data that will ass ist in understand­
i ng how a vehi cle's systems pe rformed. The EDR
i s des igned to record data related to vehicle dy­
nam ics and safe ty systems for a short per iod of
time, typica lly 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this
vehicle is designed to record such data as:
- How va rious systems in yo ur vehicle were ope r­
a ting;
- Whethe r or not the d rive r and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened;
- How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
acceler ator and/or bra ke pedal; a nd,
- How fast the vehicle was traveling .
These data can help provide a better understand­ i ng of the c ircumstances in wh ich crashes a nd in­
juries occur . NOTE : EDR data are recorded by your
vehicle on ly if a non-tr iv ial crash situation occurs;
no data are re co rded by the E DR unde r no rma l
driv ing cond itions and no persona l da ta (e.g.,
name, gender, age, and crash location) are re­
corded. However, other parties, such as law en­
forcement, could combine the EDR data with the
type of persona lly identifying data rout inely ac-
quired during a crash investigation . ..,.

To read data reco rded by an EDR, specia l equip ­
ment is required, and access to the vehicle or the
EDR is needed. In add it ion to the veh icle man u­
facturer, other parties, such as law enforcement, that have the specia l equipment, can read the in­
formation if they have access to the vehicle or the E DR .
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
l oading of data stored by ED Rs insta lled in a vehi­
cle for the express purpose of retrieving data af­
ter an accident or crash event without the own­
er 's consent.
Aud i will not access the EDR and/or s imilar data
or give it to others -
- unless the veh icle owner (or lessee if t he vehi ­
cle has been leased) agrees; or
- upon the off icia l request by the police; or
- u pon the order o f a court of law or a govern -
ment agency; or
- f or the defense o f a laws uit throug h the judicial
discovery process.
- Audi may also use the d ata for researc h abou t
vehicle operation and sa fe ty performa nce or
provide the data to a third party for research
purposes without identifying the specific vehi ­
cle or information abo ut the identity of its own­
er or lessee and on ly after the recorded vehicle
data has been accessed.
Vehicle contr ol modules
Your vehicle is also equipped with a n umber of
e lectronic contro l mod ules for vario us veh icle
systems, such as eng ine management, emission
control, a irbags, and safety belts.
These electronic control modules record data
d uring normal vehicle ope ration that may be
needed by trained technicians for diagnostic and
repair purposes. The recording capability of these
modules is limited to data (no sound is record­
ed). On ly a small amoun t of data is ac tually re­
corded ove r a ve ry limited per iod of t ime, o r stor­
ed when a system f ault is detected by a control
mod ule. Some o f th e d ata stored may re late to
~ ve hicl e spee d, di rect io n, or brak ing, as well as re-,.....
~ stra int system use and performance in the event N
8 of a c rash. Store d data can also only be read and 0 :E: ' Intellig ent Technology
down loaded with specia l equipment that is di­
rectly connected to the vehicle .
(D Tips
Your vehicle may be e quippe d w ith Audi con­
nect. Your use of cert ain Au di connec t fea ­
tures requires wire less serv ices that are pro­
v ided by a third party wireless telecomm uni­
cations provide r. Fo r details regarding how in­
fo rmation obtained throug h Aud i connect is
collected, p rocessed, transmitted, used, and
shared, please see you r contract with the
wireless telecommun ications provi der and the
"About A udi conne ct" tab in yo ur vehicle's In­
f ota inment sys tem:
I M ENU I but ton> Audi
connect >
right control bu tton > About Audi
connect .
155

Driving sa fe ty
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safe ty first!
The individua l safety features of your vehicle can
work together as a system to help protect you
and your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if they
are not always correctly adjusted and correctly
used .
This chapter contains important informat ion,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others . We have summar­
ized here what you need to know about safety
be lts , a ir bags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Yo ur sa fe ty is for us
priority number 1 . Al­
ways observe the information and wa rnings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The informa tion in this section applies to all
model ve rsions of your vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures described in th is sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equ ipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your author ized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structio ns and heed the WARNINGS in th is
manual. It is in your inte rest and i n the in­
te res t of your passengers .
- Always keep all of the Owner 's L ite rature
ma nuals in yo ur Audi when you lend o r sell
yo ur vehicle so tha t t his importa nt info rm a­
t ion w ill always be avail able to the dr iver
and passenge rs.
- Alw ays keep t he Owner 's Lite ratu re hand y
so that you can find i t easi ly if yo u have
questions .
256
· 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 d riv ing always:
.. Make sure that a ll lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly .
.. Make sure tha t the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.. Sec ure all luggage and othe r items ca refully
¢ page 261.
.. Mak e sure tha t noth ing ca n interfere with the
pedals .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
st raints according to their he ight.
.. Make sure to use the right child restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
~ page 295 , Child
safety .
.. Sit proper ly i n yo ur seat a nd make sure t hat
your passengers do the same¢
page 59, Front
seats .
.. Fasten yo ur sa fety belt and wear i t properly . Al ­
so instruct yo ur passenge rs to fasten their safe­
ty be lts prope rly ¢
page 265 .
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 ve­hicle and a ll of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impa ired, safety risks for everybody in the
vehicle increase and you a lso become a hazard to
everyone else on the road ¢
,&.. Therefore:
.. Do not let yourse lf be distracted by passenge rs
or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driving ability is im­
pa ired (by med ications, alcohol, drugs, etc .) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, r ules of the road and
speed lim its and plain common sense . .,.

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:E .. 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 inj ury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig . 2 24 Co rrec t seating position
F or 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 dr iver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the f loor wh ile
keeping your knee(s) s lightly bent~
_A.
.. Adjust the ang le of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact w ith it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering wheel and you r breast bone~
fig. 224 .
If not possib le, see your autho rized Aud i dea le r
abo ut adapt ive eq uipment.
Dr iving safety
.. 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 restra int so the upper edge is
as even as possible w ith the top of your head . If
that is not possible, t ry to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this posit ion as
possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
~page 268 .
.. Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the veh icle at a ll times.
For detailed information on how to adj ust the
driver's seat, see
~page 59.
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 d uce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always ad just the driver's seat and the
steer ing wheel so that there are at least
10 inc hes (25 cm) between you r breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out­
side of the steering wheel r im 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 ho ld the stee ring wheel at the
12 o'clock position o r with yo ur hands at
o ther posi tions ins ide the s teer ing whee l
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serio us injuries to the hands, arms and head
if the dr iver's airbag dep loys .
- 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 aga inst or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are located .
.,
257

Driving safety
-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 295 . Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 2 73.
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 63.
.,. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts correct­
ly¢
page 268.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see¢
page 59 .
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:
258
- 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.
-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 295. Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 2 73.
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 are passengers on the outer rear seats,
adjust the head restraints so the upper edge is ..,.

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:E 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. If there is a passenger in the center
rear seat, slide the head restraint upward
i=> page 63.
• Make sure that the seatback is secu rely latched
in the upright pos ition
c:> page 68 .
• Keep both feet flat i n the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
• Fasten and wear safety be lts properly
c:> page 268 .
• Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their si ze and age
c:> page 295 .
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 .
- Safety belts only offer max imum p rotection
when the seatback is securely latched in the
upr ight position and the safety be lts a re
prope rly pos itioned on the body. By not sit ­
t ing upright, a rea r seat passenger increases
the risk of personal in jury from improperly
posit ioned safety belts !
- Alw ays adjust the head rest raint prope rly so
that it can g ive maximum protection.
Dr iving safety
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore an impor­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
F ig . 22S Head restra int: v iewed from t he front
The head rest raints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
• Adj ust the head restraints so the upper edge is
as even as possib le 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 posit ion as
possible . Position* the head restraint as close
as possible to the back of your head .
• If there are passengers in rear seat, fold the
head restraints up on the occupied seats .
Ad justing head restraints
c:> page 63.
A WARNING
-A ll seats are equipped w ith head restraints .
Driving w ithout head restraints or w ith head
r est raints that are not prope rly adj usted in­
creases the r is k of se rious or fata l neck injury
dr amat ic al ly. To help reduce the risk of injury:
- Always d rive with the head restra ints in
p lace and properly adjusted .
- Every person in the veh icle must have a
p roperly adjusted head restraint .
- Always make sure each person in the veh icle
p rope rly adjusts the ir head restraint. Ad just
the hea d restraints so the upper edge is as
even as possible wi th the top of your hea d.
If that is not poss ible, try to ad just the head
rest raint so that it is as close to this position
as poss ible.
~
259

Driving sa fe ty
-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, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to adjust the head restra int.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a child restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
¢ page 295.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated .
Improper seating positions can cause serious in­
jury or deat h. Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body . Im­
proper seating positions reduce the effect iveness
of safety belts and w ill even increase the r isk of
i njur y and dea th by moving the safety be lt to crit­
ical areas of the body. Impro per sea ting posit ions
a lso increase the risk of ser ious injury and dea th
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seat ing position. A driver
is responsib le for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially for children. Therefore :
~ Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating pos ition when the vehicle is being used
c> .&, .
The fo llowing bulletins list only some sample po ­
sitions that will increase the risk of serio us inj ury
and death. Our hope is that these examp les will
make you more aware of seating posit ions that
are dangerous.
The ref ore, when ever th e vehicle i s moving:
- never stand up in the ve hicle
- never s tand on the seats
- never knee l on the seats
- never r ide with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on t he seats
- never lean up against the instrument pane l
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit s ideways
- never le an out the w indow
- never put yo ur feet out the window
260
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- neve r rest your feet on the seat c ushion or back
o f the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- neve r ride in the ca rgo area
A WARNING
I mp roper seating positions inc re ase the risk
of ser iou s personal inju ry and de ath whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
s tay in a proper sea ting posit ion and are
pro perly restrained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used .
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can in­
flate w ithout interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can inc rease the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the ai rbag dep loys o r by being pushed in­
to you as the airbag dep loys.
- No persons (ch ild ren) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat . If the airbag deploys, this can res ult in
serio us or fat al injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried i n
the footwell area in front of the dr iver's or
passenger's seat. Bu lky objects (shopping
bags, for examp le) can hamper or prevent
proper dep loyment of the airbag . Sma ll ob­
jects can be thrown thro ugh the vehicle if
the airbag deploys and injure you or your passengers.

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:E: ' 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 serio usly 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
Applies to: Vehicles with five seats: Your vehicle
has two front seats and three rear seats. Each
seating position has a safety belt.
Applies to: Vehicles with seven seats: Your
vehicles has two front seats, three seats in the second row and two seats in the third row. Each
seating 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-
Safety belts
cially dangerous to place a safety be lt over a
child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more peop le ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available .
- Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
proper ly restrained with a separate safety
belt or ch ild restraint .
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle hos a warning system for the driver
and front seat passenger to remind you about the importance of buckling-up.
Fig. 227 Safety belt warn ing ligh t in the instrument clus ­
ter -enlarged
Before driving off, always:
~ Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly.
"' 0 ,:.
~
~ Make sure that your passengers also buckle up
and properly wear their safety belts.
~ Protect children with a child restraint system
appropr iate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignition is switched on as a re­
minder to fasten the safety belts. In addition,
you w ill hear a warn ing tone for a certain period
of time.
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that your
passengers also properly put on their safety
belts .
A WARNING ,.____ -
-Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
inj ury and death in automobile accidents.
F or your protection and that of your
265

Safe ty belts
passenge rs, a lways correct ly wear safety
belts when the vehicle is moving.
- Failure to pay attention to the warning light
that comes 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 .
Fig. 2 28 Unbe lt ed occupants in a vehi cle headi ng for a wall
Fig . 229 T he ve hi cle c rashes into the wa ll
The physical principles are simple . Both the vehi­
cle and the passengers possess energy which var­ ies w ith vehicle speed and body weight . Engi­
neers call this energy "k inetic energy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
g reater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Veh icle speed is the most signific ant fac tor .
If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50
km/h) , the energy increases 4 t imes!
Because the passengers of th is veh icle are not us­
i n g safety belts~
fig. 228, they will keep mov ing
at the same speed the ve hicle was mov ing j ust
266
before the crash, until something stops them -
here, the wall¢
fig. 229 .
The same principles apply to people s itting in a
vehicle that is invo lved i n 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) o r more. At g reater
speeds, these forces are even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are a lso not
attached to their vehicle. In a frontal collision
they will also keep mov ing 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
i n a ll kinds of accide nts and co llisions .
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!
F ig . 23 0 A drive r not wea ring a safety belt is vio lent ly
throw n forward
Fig . 2 31 A rea r passe nge r not we aring a sa fety be lt w ill fly
forwa rd an d str ike t he drive r
Unbelted occupants a re not ab le to res ist the tre-
mendous forces of impac t by holding tig ht o r
Ill-