airbag AUDI R8 SPYDER 2011 User Guide

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 for 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
- Make certain that you follow the instruc­
tions 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 litera­
ture 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 99
accident. The following is a listing of just a
few of the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- safety belt pretensioners ,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags,
- side airbags in the seats
- adjustable head restraints,
- 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 properly adjusted and
properly 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 af­
ford good visibility to the outside.
~ Secure all luggage and other items carefully
r=:> page 70.
~ Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
~ Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
~ Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height .
~ Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children¢
page 138,
Child Safety.
~ Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 66,
Seats and storage. .,..
•
•

100 Driving S afel y
• Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly .
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly ¢
page 109.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver 's ability to concentrate on the rood
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 ¢
.&,.
Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone .
• NEVER dr ive when your dr iving ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.) .
• Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense.
• ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traff ic
and weathe r condit ions.
• 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 vehicle 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. 106 Correc t seat ing posit ion
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 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. 106 .
• 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
¢.&_ .
• Grasp the top o f the steer ing whee l w ith
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 .
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face.
• 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 yo u drive.
• Fasten and wear safety be lts correctly
¢ page 110.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle a t all
times .

For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see ¢
page 66, Seats and stor­
age.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it deploys. 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 adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- 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 in­
flates
- 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
Driving Safely 101
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 seats
¢
page 138 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat¢
page 117.
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
¢ page 102.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
"'Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 112.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 66, Seats
and storage.
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 deploys. 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.
•
•

102 Driving Safely
-Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it de­
ploys 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.
-Always make sure that there are at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of 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
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 seats
¢ page 138. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
¢ page 117.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Fig. 107 Head restra int: v iewed 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 possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
c:;, fig . 10 7.
Adjusting head restraints¢ page 68.
A WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with im­
properly adjusted head restraints increases
the risk of serious injuries in a collision. To
help reduce the risk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly adjusts their head re­
straint . Adjust the head restraints so the
upper edge is as even as possible with
the top of your head. If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restraint so
that it is as close to this position as pos­
sible,
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
straint.
- Children must always be properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their age and size
c:;, page 138.

Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they are properly posit ioned on the
body. Improper seating positions reduce the
effectiveness of safety belts and will even in­
crease the risk of injury and death by moving
the safety belt to critical areas of the body.
Improper seating positions also increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an air­
bag deploys and strikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position. A driver is
responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially for children . Therefore :
... Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
c> _& .
The following bullets list only some sample
positions that will increase the risk of serious
injury and death. Our hope is that these exam­
ples will make you more aware of seating po ­
sitions that are dangerous .
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
Driving Safely
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Sitting incorrectly places occupants at
risk of being critically injured if the air ­
bags deploy and strike them .
- Before you start driving, seat yourself
properly and always maintain this seat­
ing position during the trip . Before each
trip, instruct your passengers to seat
themselves properly and to maintain this
seating position during the trip
c> page 66, Seats and storage .
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by interfer­
ing with the way the airbag deploys or by
being pushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys.
- No persons (children) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried
in the footwell area in front of the driv­
er's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham­
per or prevent proper deployment of the
airbag. Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
and injure you or your passengers.
-
103
•
•

110 Safety belts
-Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that comes on could lead to person­
al injury.
Why safety belts?
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. 113 D river is proper ly restrai ned in a sudden brak­
ing maneuver .
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference. Safety belts help to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
cause serious injuries. In addit ion, safety belts
reduce the danger of being 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 engineered into today's vehicles. By
"absorb ing" the kine tic energy over a longer
period of time, the safety belts make the
forces on the body more "tolerable" and less
likely to cause injury.
A lthough these examples are based on a fron­
tal collision, safety belts can also substantial­
ly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or
just going to the corner store, always buckle up and make sure others do, too. Accident sta­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wear ing safety be lts have a lower risk of being injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident . Prope rly using safety be lts a lso
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen­
ta l airbags to do their job in a collision. For
th is reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the Un ited States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with a irbags,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­ ed. Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions . The front air­
bags are not act ivated in all frontal coll is ions,
in sid e and rear collisions , in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough deceleration
through impact to the front of the vehicle.
T he same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear yo ur safety belt
and make sure everybody in your veh icle is
proper ly restrained!
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be properly posi­
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body .
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
descr ibed in th is chapter .
.,. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged .
_&. WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
imprope rly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly.
- Always fasten your safety belts correctly
before driving off and make sure all pas­
sengers are properly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on
the body.
- Never strap more than one person, in­
cluding sma ll children, into a ny sing le
safety belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sit­
ting on your lap.

112 Safet y belt s
movin g ju st before the crash, unti l something
stops them· here, the wall
r::!;> fig. 115.
The same pr inc iples apply to people sitting in
a veh icle that is involved in a fronta l co llision .
Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50
km/h), the forces acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs., or 1,000 kg) or
more. At higher speeds, these forces are even
greater .
Peop le who do not use safety be lts are a lso
not attached to their vehicle. In a fronta l colli ­
sion they will also keep mov ing forward at the
speed their vehicle was trave lling just before
the crash . Of course, the laws of physics don't
just apply to frontal coll is ions, they determ ine
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!
Fi g. 11 6 A driver not wear ing a safety belt is violently
t h rown forward
Unbe lted occupants are not able to res ist the
tremendous fo rces of impact by holding tight
or brac ing themselves. Without the benef it of
safety restraint systems, the unrestrained oc·
cupant w ill slam vio lent ly into the steering
wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or what­ eve r else is in the way¢
fig. 116. This impac t
with the veh icle inter ior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Neve r rely on airbags a lone for p rotection.
E ven when they deploy, airbags provide only
addit ional p rotec tion. A irbags are no t sup- posed to deploy in all k
inds of accidents . Al­
though your Audi is equipped with airbags, all
vehicle occupants, includ ing the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to mini­
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always
there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to dep loy or
when they have already dep loyed. Unbelted
occupants can a lso be th rown out of the veh i­
cl e where even more severe or fatal injuries
ca n occ ur.
How are safety belts
worn correctly?
Fastening safety belts
Seat first · everybody buckle up!
Fig . 11 7 Head restraint adjustment and belt position
Fig. 11 8 Belt buck le an d tongue on the dri ver's seat
To p rov ide max imum protect ion, safety belts
must a lways be posi tioned co rrec tly on the
wea rer's body.
.. Adjust the front seat and head rest raint
p rope rly
r::!;> page 66, Seats and storage.

114 Safety belts
vulnerable, soft tissue and cause serious injury.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
¢page 110.
Pregnant women must also be properly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make
sure that expectant mothers always wear
safety belts correctly -throughout the preg­
nancy .
Fig. 120 Safety belt position during p regnancy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the
wearer's body
¢ page 113.
.,. Adjust the front seat and head restraint cor­
rectly¢
page 66, Seats and storage .
.,. Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it even­
ly across the chest so that it sits as low as
possible on the pelvis and there is no pres­
sure on the abdomen
c> fig. 120 c> ,& .
.,. Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
¢page 112, fig. 118.
.,. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is se­
curely latched in the buckle.
_& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious personal injury in an acci­
dent.
- Expectant mothers must always wear the
lap portion of the safety belt as low as
possible across the pelvis and below the
rounding of the abdomen. -
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c> & in Fas­
tening safety belts on page 113.
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only a~er the vehicle has stopped.
Fig. 121 Releasing the tongue from the buck le
.,. Push the red release button on the buckle
c> fig . 121 . The belt tongue will spring out
of the buckle
c> ,& .
.,. Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position .
_& WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehi­
cle is moving. Doing so will increase your
risk of being injured or killed.
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause
severe injuries .
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause se­ rious injury or death. Safety belts can only
work when they are correctly positioned on
the body. Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and will even
increase the risk of injury and death by mov­
ing the safety belt to critical areas of the
body . Improper seating positions also in­
crease the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occu­ pant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion. A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occupants and especially for chil­
dren. Therefore:

~ Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect
sitting position in the vehicle while traveling
¢A .
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants are correctly restrained and stay in
a correct seating position whenever the
vehicle is being used .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important information
¢page 110.
Safety belt preten­
sioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear end collisions and in a
rollover above a particular severity, safety
belts in use are tensioned automatically.
The safety belts for the front seating positions
are equipped with safety belt pretensioners.
The system is activated by sensors in front,
side and rear-end collisions and in a rollover of
great severity . This tightens the belt and takes
up be lt slack ¢&.
in Service and disposal of
safety belt pretensioner on page 115.
Taking
up the slack helps to reduce forward occupant
movement during a collision .
(D Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be
activated once.
- In minor frontal and side collisions in
,
rear-end collisions and in accidents in­
volving very little impact force, the safe­
ty belt pretensioners are not activated.
- When the safety be lt pretensioner is ac­
tivated, a fine dust is released . This is
normal and is not caused by a fire in the
vehicle.
- The relevant safety requirements must
be observed when the vehicle or compo-
Safety belts 115
nents of the system are scrapped. An au­
thorized Audi dealer is familiar with
these regulations and will be pleased to
pass on the information to you.
- Be sure to observe all safety, environ­
mental and other regulations if the vehi­
cle or individual parts of the system, par­
ticularly the safety belt or airbag, are to
be disposed . We recommend you have
your authorized Audi dealer perform this
service for you.
Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioner
The safety belt pretensioners are parts of the
safety belts on your Audi. Installing, remov­
ing, servicing or repairing of be lt pretension­
ers can damage the safe ty belt system and
prevent it from working correctly in a colli­
sion .
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol­
lute the environment.
A WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing a safety belt
pretensioner from activating when needed
or activating it unexpectedly :
- The belt pretensioner system can be acti­
vated only once. If belt pretensioners
have been activated, the system must be
replaced.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the safety belt system.
- Safety belt systems including safety belt
pretensioners cannot be repaired. Spe­
cial procedures are required for removal,
installation and disposal of this system.
- For any work on the safety be lt system,
we strongly recommend that you see
your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
~
•
•

116 Safety belt s
technician who has an A udi approved re­
pair manual, training and special
equipment necessary.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -specia l hand ling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/haza rdouswaste/per­
chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules,
safety belts w ith pretens ioners are scrap­
ped, all applicable laws and regulat ions
m ust be observed. Yo ur autho rize d Aud i
dea le r i s familiar with these requ iremen ts
and we recommend that you have your
dea ler perfo rm this service for you.