belt AUDI S3 2016 User Guide

e-tron
serious damage and/or a decrease of the ca­
pacity void coverage under the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Starting/driving the vehicle
Applies to veh icles: w ith plug-in hybrid drive
The vehicle is started and stopped with the
I START S TOP I button. Also note the informa­
tion here ¢
page 82.
Establishing drive ready mode
See¢.& in Introduction on page 98.
Requ irement: a charging cable must not be con­
nected to the vehicle ¢
page 121 and the selec­
tor lever must be in the P or
N position.
- Press the brake pedal.
- Press the
I START STOPI button .
When the vehicle enters drive ready mode, the
status message
e-tron READY appears briefly in
the instrument cluster display and the needle in
the power meter points to
READY r:::;, page 101 .
Driving
The vehicle starts with the electric motor after
establishing the drive ready mode and if the con­
ditions for electric drive mode have been met
¢page 103.
The conditions to drive are essentially the same
for the automatic transmission : ¢
page 89
You and your passengers should anticipate the
possibility of a sporty acce leration.
Ending drive ready mode
- Place the selector lever in the P position.
- Switch the ignition off with the
le!> START STOPI
button.
Vehicle sound
The vehicle generates electronic vehicle sound at
speeds up to approximately 2S mph (40 km/h) so
that your vehicle can be heard from the outside
when in electric drive mode. The veh icle sound
automatically fades out at higher speeds when
the sounds from the tires and wind start increas­
ing .
100
Switching the ignition on/off
You can switch the ignit ion on without establish­
ing drive ready mode.
- Press the
I START STOP ! button to switch the
ign ition on and off. Do not press the brake ped­
al while doing this.
The needle stays pointing to
OFF@ r:::;, page 101,
fig. 88 when the ignit ion is switched on.
No indicator lights stay turned on when the igni­
tion is switched off .
Ignition is switched off automatically
To prevent the battery from draining, the ignition
will switch off automatically under the following conditions:
- The vehicle must have already been driven.
- The vehicle must be stationary.
- The gaso line engine must not be runn ing .
- The driver 's door must be open .
- The driver's safety belt must be unbuckled.
- The brake pedal must not be pressed.
In this case, the activated low beam is replaced
by the parking light. The message
Side marker
lights automatically shut off in 30 minutes. See
owner's manual
appears in the instrument clus­
ter display . The parking lights w ill switch off af­
ter approximately 30 minutes or when you lock
the vehicle.
If the gasoline engine was not stopped, the mo­
tor continues running and the ignition does not
automat ically switch off
r:::;, ,& .
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of poisoning, never allow
the engine to run in confined spaces.
(D Tips
The vehicle cannot start when outside tem­
peratures are below-18
°F (-28 °()
r:::;,page 101.
-

Ass is t
Changing the speed
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise contro l
0
f
•
0
Fig. 121 Operating lever : c han gin g th e speed
.,. To increase or reduce the speed in increments,
tap the lever up or down .
.,. To increase or decrease the speed quickly , hold
the leve r up or down until the red LED @ reach­
es the desired speed
¢ page 134 , fig . 120.
After each change, the new stored speed appears
briefly in the informat ion line ¢
page 134 ,
fig .120 @.
Driving in stop-and-go traffic
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
The adaptive c ruise control system assists yo u in
stop-and-go traffic. If an object that is detected
ahead stops, your vehicle will brake and stay at a
stop, within the limits of the system.
Starting with adaptive cru ise control
l)
If yo ur vehicle b rakes to a stop because an object
is de tected ahead,
AC C autom. go appears br iefly
in the instrument cluste r display. You r vehicle is
in automat ic start mode .
As long as the message
A CC au tom . go is d is ­
p layed and the object detected ahead starts to
move , your veh icle wi ll continue driving¢& .
You can activate
AC C autom. go again for a short
time by pulling the lever to posi tion @
¢page 136, fig. 122.
The start mode ACC autom . go ends when the
b rake pedal is p ressed .
l) Th is is no t ava ila b le in s ome c ountries .
136
Criteria for switching off
The adaptive cru ise con trol switches off for safe­
ty reasons when stationary:
- when the d river 's doo r is open,
- when the vehicle is stationary for more than 3
minutes,
- when the driver's safety belt is not fastened .
A WARNING
If the message ACC autom. go1> appears, the
vehicle continues driving , even if there is an
obstacle between your vehicle and the ob je ct
ahead . This increases the risk of an accident .
@ Tips
If adaptive cruise control is act ive and your
vehicle does not start driv ing even though the
message
AC C autom . go1> appears, you ca n
start by tapping the a cce le ra tor ped al.
- If an obstacle is detected when dr iving with
adaptive cruise con trol, the system will re­
ques t you to beg in d riving
¢page 138. You
vehicle will begin dr iving more slowly. This
can also happen in situations where there is
no v is ible obstacle.
Interrupting cruise control
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fi g. 12 2 Ope rating leve r
Requ irement: adaptive cruise cont rol must b e
switched on .

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., vehicle. In this case, adapt ive cruise control
switches
off automatically .
ill ACC off: manual control!
This message appears if the veh icle rolls back
when sta rting on a slight incl ine, even though
ACC is act ive. Press the brake pedal to p revent
the veh icle from ro lling or starting to move.
ill ACC: engine speed
This message appears if the driver has not shift­
ed up or down in time when the adapt ive cruise
control is braking or accelerating, caus ing the ve­
h icle to exceed or to not reach the permitted en­
g ine speed . The adaptive cru ise cont rol turns
off.
A chime sounds as a remi nder.
•••
Three white dots appear if a sett ing cannot be se­
lected with the operating lever. For example, this
happens if adaptive cruise control cannot be acti­
vated when stopped because the dr iver has not
fastened the safety belt.
Doo r open
Adapt ive cruise control cannot be switched on
when the vehicle is stationary and the driver's
door is open.
Audi pre sense
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense basic or Audi pre sense front
With in the limits of the system, p re sense basic
and pre sense front can in it iate steps to protect
vehicle occupants in certain dangerous s itua­
tions .
Critical driving situat ions can be recogn ized by
the pre sense front via a network of different ve­ hi cle systems and can take steps to prepare the
ve hicl e o ccupants for a potential collis ion.
The pre sense front works w ith a radar sensor
and a video camera*. It also functions within the limits of the system when adaptive c ruise con­
tro l* is switched off .
Assist
General information
General information
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense front or Audi adaptive
cruise control
_&. WARNING
Also fo llow the gene ral in format ion found on
~ page 133, General information.
Audi pre sense basic
Description
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense basic
The function of the pre sense basic is activated at
a speed of 20 mph (30 km/h) or h igher .
The following functions can be triggered under certain condit ions w ith in the lim its of the sys­
tem:
- Tensioning of the safety belts (for examp le,
during heavy braking): the front safety belts have reversib le be lt tens ioners. If a collision
does not occur, the safety belts loosen slightly
and are ready to tr igger aga in.
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (for ex­
ample when over- or understeering): the win­
dows close until the re is only a small gap open
and the s unroof* closes all the way .
Audi drive select: the deployment time is adapt­ ed in dynam ic mode.
_&. WARNING ~
The pre sense basic cannot overcome natural
physical laws. It is a system desig ned to ass ist
and it cannot p revent a collision. Do not let
the increa sed safe ty p rovided tempt you into
t aking r is ks. This co uld in crease yo ur risk of a
collis ion .
- The system can dep loy inco rre ctly due to
system-specif ic limits.
(D Tips
- Certa in p re sense basic functions switch off
when ESC is swi tched off (sport mode) or
w hen driving in reverse. .,.
139

Ass is t
- The pre sense b asic functions may not be
available if there is a ma lfunction in the ESC
system or the airbag contro l module.
- Note that with pre sense basic, the reversi­
ble safety belt pretensioner on the front
passenger 's s ide deact ivates when the front
passenger's airbag is deactivated.
Audi pre sense front
Description
A pp lies to veh icles: with Audi pre sense front or Audi adapt ive
cr uise control
Pre sense front informs you if the distance to the
vehicle ahead falls below the safe distance for an
extended period of time.
It c an warn of a poss i­
b le co llision and initiate braki ng maneuve rs,
within the limits of the system.
When detected in time, the system can assess
dangerous s ituations where an object ahead
b rakes suddenly or if your own vehi cle is t raveling
at a high speed and approaching an object that is
mov ing more slowly. If detect ion is not possible,
then pre sense front does not react.
Warnings
Applies to veh icles: with Audi p re se nse front o r Aud i ada ptive
cr uise con trol
F ig . 12 5 Instrument cluster: app roach wa rning
The system recognizes var ious dange rous situa­
tions:
- Vehicles with adapt ive cruise control: the
dis­
tance warning
appears if yo u drive too closely
to an object for a long period of time. If the ob­
ject ahead b rakes strongly, you would not be
l ) Thi s is not ava ilab le in some co un tri es .
140
able to avoid a collision. The indicator light .
indicates this.
- T he
approach w arning occurs when an object
ahead is traveling more slowly or brakes
strong ly. When this warning occurs, it may only
be possible to avoid a coll is ion by swerving or
braking strongly. The message
Aud i p re sense
• c:> fig. 125 and a warning tone will warn you
about the danger. For vehicles with adaptive
cruise control, the. indicator light also turns
on .
If you do not react enough or not at all to a da n­
gerous s ituation that was detected by the sys­
tem , pre sense front provides assistance by ap­
plying t he b rakes .
- If a collision is imminent, the system will first
prov ide an
acute w arning by braking sharply .
You will also be made aware of the danger by the ins trument cluste r display
c:> fig . 125. For
veh icles with adaptive cru ise cont rol, the . in­
dic ator light a lso tu rns on .
- If you do not react to the acute warning, pre
sense front can brake w ith increasing force
w it hi n the lim its of the system
l )_ This reduces
the vehicle speed in the event o f a collis ion . The
message
Audi pre sense -Input also appears.
- At low driving speeds, pre sense front can begin
complete deceleration shortly before a
co llision
l).
- If p re sense front determines t hat you are not
braking strongly enough when a co llision is im­
m inent, it can increase the braking force.
A WARNING
-
- Pre sense front cannot overcome natura l
phys ica l laws. It is a system designed to as ­
sist and it cannot prevent a collision . The
driver m ust always intervene . The dr iver is
always responsible fo r braki ng at the correct
time . Do not let the in crease d sa fety prov id­
ed tempt you into ta king risks. This could in­
crease your risk of a collision .
- The system can dep loy inco rre ctly due to
sys tem-specific li mits.

Intelligent Technology
Intelligent Technology
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
Event Data Re corder
This vehicle is equipped wi th an Event Data Re ­
corder (EDR) . The main purpose of an E DR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash -like situa­
tions, such as an airbag deploym ent or h itting a
road obstacle, data that will assist in understand­
ing how a veh icle 's systems performed . The EDR
is designed to record data related to veh icle dy­
namics a nd safety systems for a sho rt period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less . The E DR in this
veh icle is designed to reco rd s uch data as :
- How various systems in your vehicle were oper­
at ing;
- Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened;
- How far ( if at all) the driver was depressing the
acce lerator and/or brake peda l; and,
- How fast the ve hicle was trave ling.
These data can help provide a better understand­ ing of the ci rc u mstances in which c rashes and in ­
juries occur. NOT E: EDR data are recorded by yo ur
veh icle only if a non-trivia l crash situat ion occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data (e .g .,
name, gender, age, and crash location) a re re­
corded . H owever , other pa rties , such as law en­
forcement, cou ld combine the EDR data w it h the
type o f person ally identifyi ng dat a routine ly ac­
qu ired dur ing a crash invest igat ion .
To read data reco rded by an EDR, specia l equip­
men t is req uire d, and access to the veh icle or the
E DR is needed. In ad dition to the vehicle manu­
facturer, other parties, s uch a s law enforcement,
that have t he specia l equipment, can read the in­
formation if they have access to the vehicle or the E DR.
Some s tate laws restrict the re trieva l or down­
loading of data stored by ED Rs insta lled in a vehi ­
cle fo r the express purpose of retrieving data af -
158
ter an accident or crash event withou t the own ­
er 's consent.
Audi will not access the EDR and /or sim ilar data
o r g ive it to others -
- unless t he ve hicle ow ner (o r lessee if the vehi­
cle has been leased) ag rees; o r
- upon the offic ial request by the police; or
- upon the order of a court of law or a govern-
ment agency; or
- for the defense of a lawsuit through the jud icia l
discovery process.
- Audi may also use the data for research about
veh icle operation and safety perfo rmance or
prov ide the data to a th ird party for research
purposes w itho ut identify ing t he specific vehi­
cle or info rmat ion about the ident ity of its own­
er or lessee and only afte r th e re co rded vehicle
d ata has been a ccessed.
Vehicle control modules
You r vehicle is also equ ipped with a number of
e lectronic cont rol modules for va rious vehicle
syste ms, such as engine ma nagement, em iss io n
contro l, air bag s, a nd safety be lts.
These electronic control modules record data
dur ing norma l vehicle operation t hat may be
n eeded by tra ined techn ic ians for d iagnost ic and
r ep air pur poses. The re cording capab ility of these
modules is lim ited to dat a (no sou nd is recor d­
ed). Only a sma ll amount of data is actually re ­
corded over a very limited period of time, or stor­
ed when a system fault is detected by a contro l
module . Some of the data stored may relate to
vehicle speed, direction, or braking, as well as re­
straint system use and performance in the event
of a crash . Stored data can also only be read a nd
down loaded w it h specia l equipment that is d i­
r ec tly connec ted to the vehicle.
(D Tips
Your vehicle may be e quipped w it h Aud i con­
n ect . Yo ur use of certain Aud i connect fea­
tures requires wire less services that are p ro­
v ided by a third party wireless telecomm uni­
cations provider. Fo r de tails regarding how in ­
fo rmation obtained through Aud i connect is
collecte d, processe d, transmitted, use d, an d ..,.

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 se ll 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.
- Always adjust your speed to the weather
traff ic and conditions. Follow the speed lim­
its.
- Always dr ive in such a way that you can s top
yo ur vehicle s afely.
- Always adjust your speed to the genera l
flow of traffic. Follow the speed l imits.
166
· Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant re­
straint system and work together to help reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of accident sit­
uations.
You r safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance . Advances in tech­
no logy have made a va riety of features available
to help red uce the risk of inj ury in an accident.
The following is a lis t of jus t a few of the safe ty
fea tures in yo ur Audi :
- sophisticated safety be lts fo r drive r and all pas-
senge r seat ing pos itions,
- safety belt pretensioners,
- safety bel t force lim ite rs fo r the front seats,
- safety belt he ight adjustment systems for the
front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats *,
- side c urtain airbags with eject ion mit igat ion
features,
- special LATCH anchorages for chil d rest raints,
- head rest raints fo r each seating position,
- adjustab le steer ing column .
- pre sense bas ic * (preventative passenger pro-
tect ion)
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to he lp protect you and your
passengers i n a wide range of acc idents . T hese
feat ures cannot wo rk as a system if they are not
always correctly ad justed and cor rect ly used.
Safet y is 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 tha t all lights and signals a re operat­
ing correctly .
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.

.... N
0 > CX)
rl I.Cl U"I
rl I.Cl ....
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good visibility to the outside .
.. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
r=> page 64, r=> page 63.
.. 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 accord ing to their height .
.. Make sure to use the right ch ild restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
r=> page 209, Child
safety .
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
r=> page 58, Front
seats .
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly
r=> page 176.
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 ide 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
r=> ,&. . Th erefo re :
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cell ular telephone.
.. NEV ER drive when yo ur dr iv ing abili ty is im­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions.
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch.
.,. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres­
su re or when you are stressed.
Dr iving safety
A WARNING
-Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
Correct passenger
seating pos itions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 148 Correct 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 dr iver's seat to the follow ing
position:
.,. 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
r=> ,&. .
.. 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 d is­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering wheel and your breast boner=>
fig. 148.
If not poss ible, see your authorized Audi deal·
ership about adapt ive 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 .
.. For adjustab le head restraints: Adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head . If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it ..,.
167

Driving safety
is as close to this position as possible. Move the
head restraint so that it is as close to the back
of the head as possible.
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
<=> page 179.
"'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
<=> 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
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 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 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 inflates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
properly and make sure that all passengers
are properly restrained.
168
-
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly.
- 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 seats
<=> page 209 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c> page 184.
· 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.
"' For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
<=> page 170 . Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possible.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
<=> page 179 .
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
9 page 58 .
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., 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 a irbag as it unfolds w ith
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.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­
ger's knees and the lower part of 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 pas­
senger seat properly.
- For adjustable head restraints: befo re driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly.
- Always keep you r 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 be lt 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
ti lted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must a lways ride in child seats
<=> page 209. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenge r seat¢
page 184 .
Driving safety
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
seat ing pos ition in the event of a sudden brak ing
maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the fo llow­
ing :
.,. For adjustab le head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
¢page 170 .
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 179 .
.,. Ma ke sure that ch ild ren are a lways properly re­
s trained in a child restra int that is app ropr iate
for their size and age ¢
page 209.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be serious ly 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 maxim um protection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
tioned on the body and secure ly latched. By
not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger in­
creases the risk of personal injury from im­
properly posit ioned safety belts!
- For adjustable head restraints: always ad­
just the head restraint properly so that it can give maximum protect ion .
169

Driving safety
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to veh icles: w ith adj ustable head restra ints
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. 149 Head rest ra int: v iewed fro m the fro nt
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
"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¢
fig. 149 . Move the head restraint so
that it is as close to the back of the head as
possible .
" If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing pos ition, slide the center head restraint up­
ward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints¢
page 60.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Driv ing without head restraints or with head
restra ints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the r isk of injury:
- Always dr ive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted .
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraint 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
170
-
restraint so that it is as close to this position
as possible. Move the head restraint so that
it is as close to the back of the head as pos­
sible .
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to adjust the head restraint.
- Ch ildren must always be properly restrained
in a child restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size¢
page 209.
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 death . Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body. Im­ proper seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and will even increase the risk of
i njury and death by moving the safety belt to crit­
ica l areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position. A driver
is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially for children . Therefore:
" Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
9 & .
The following bulletins list on ly some samp le po­
sitions that will increase the risk of serious injury
and death . Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions 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 lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel