AUDI TT ROADSTER 2019 Owners Manual

8S8012721BA
Airbag system



by being pushed into you as the airbag in-
flates.
— Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets, or even large, bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
“AIRBAG” on the seat backrests.
— Such objects and accessories can become
dangerous projectiles and cause injury
when the supplemental side airbag de-
ploys.
— Never carry any objects or pets in the de-
ployment space between them and the air-
bags or allow children or other passengers
to travel in this position.
— Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
— The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
— Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the
original seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized
Audi dealer.
— If children are seated improperly, their risk
of injury increases in the case of an accident
= page 210, Child safety.
— Never attempt to modify any components of
the airbag system in any way.
— Ina side collision, side airbags will not func-
tion properly if sensors cannot correctly
measure increasing air pressure inside the
doors when air escapes through larger, un-
closed openings in the door panel.
— Never drive with interior door trim panels
removed.
— Never drive when parts have been removed
from the inside door panel and the open-
ings they leave have not been properly
closed.
— Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly closed.

— Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additional speakers or
other equipment is installed in the inside
door panels.
— Always have work on the doors done by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work-
shop.


209

Child safety

Child safety
Important information
Introduction
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
=> page 183, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts?. But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not fully
developed. In many respects children are at
greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adults.
Because children's bodies are not fully developed,
they require restraint systems especially de-
signed for their size, weight, and body structure.
Many countries and all states of the United
States and provinces of Canada have laws requir-
ing the use of approved child restraint systems
for infants and small children.
Ina frontal crash at a speed of 20-35 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13 lbs (6 kg)
infant will be more than 20 times the weight of
the child. This means the weight of the child
would suddenly be more than 260 lbs (120 kg).
Under these conditions, only an appropriate child
restraint properly used can reduce the risk of seri-
ous injury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be used properly to be effective. Used im-
properly, they can increase the risk of serious in-
jury in an accident.
If you must install a child restraint on the front
passenger seat in exceptional circumstances, be
sure to read and heed the important information
and warnings > page 190. Infants and other chil-
dren who are properly restrained in an appropri-
ate child restraint that is for their size and age
can benefit from the protection that supplemen-
tal side airbags provide in some kinds of crashes.
For more information please see information pro-
vided by the:
— National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), currently at : http://www.safercar.gov
(for the USA)
— Transport Canada Information Centre, currently
at: http://www.tc.gc.ca (for Canada)
210
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in-
structions in order to be sure the seat is right for
your child's size > page 213, Important safety
instructions
for using child safety seats. Please
be sure to read and heed all of the important in-
formation and WARNINGS about child safety, Ad-
vanced Airbags, and the installation of child re-
straints in this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad-
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they work
when infants and children in child restraints are
on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
amount of important information, we cannot re-
peat it all here. We urge you to read the detailed
information in this owner's manual about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
and the very important information about trans-
porting children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS - they are
extremely important for your safety and the safe-
ty of your passengers, especially infants and
small children.

ZA WARNING
All vehicle occupants and especially children
must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly re-
strained child could be injured by striking the
interior or by being ejected from the vehicle
during a sudden maneuver or impact. An un-
restrained or improperly restrained child is al-
so at greater risk of injury or death through
contact with an inflating airbag.

ZA WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with
Advanced Airbags can be seriously injured or
even killed when an airbag inflates. A child in
a rearward-facing child safety seat installed
on the front passenger seat will be seriously
injured and can be killed if the front airbag in-
flates.
— The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, or
door.

8S8012721BA
Child safety


— Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat if the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%; light does not
turn on and stay on. Have the system in-
spected immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.


ZA\ WARNING
— Forward-facing child seats installed on the
front passenger seat may interfere with the
deployment of the airbag and cause serious
personal injury to the child.
— If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require the following special pre-
cautions to be taken:
— Always make sure that the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by its
manufacturer for use on a front passenger
seat with a front and side airbag.
— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child seat or
infant carrier.
— Never put the forward-facing child re-
straint up against or very near the instru-
ment panel.
— Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down
adjustment range and move it back to the
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible, before installing the
forward-facing child restraint.
— Always make sure that the safety belt up-
per anchorage is behind the child restraint
and not next to or in front of the child re-
straint so that the safety belt will be prop-
erly positioned.
— Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
— Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child
seats). These may influence the electrical

capacitance measured by the capacitive
passenger detection system and can also
fly around in an accident and cause serious
personal injury.
— Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heat-
er for child seats) on the front passenger
seat if the device is connected to the 12-
volt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
— Ifa seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never install any child restraint sys-
tem on this seat.
— Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth-
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
— Always make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF #; light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
— Never install a forward-facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat if the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light does
not turn on and stay on. Have the system
inspected immediately by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa-
cility.
— Always buckle the child seat firmly in place
even if a child is not sitting in it. A loose
child seat can fly around during a sudden
stop or in a collision.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restraint in a vehi-
cle > page 182, Safety belts, > page 189,
Airbag system and > page 210, Important
information.


G) Tips
Always replace child restraints that were in-
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.
211

Child safety

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Your vehicle is equipped with a front “Advanced
Airbag System” in compliance with United States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time
your vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has
been certified to meet the “low-risk” require-
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas-
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the
“suppression” requirements of the Safety Stand-
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restrained on the front pas-
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad-
vanced Airbag system, a child should always ride
in the seat properly restrained for its age and
size. The airbag on the passenger side makes the
front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
child to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a child in a forward-facing child safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat.
The vehicle's Advanced Airbag System has a ca-
Pacitive passenger detection system in the front
passenger seat cushion that can detect the pres-
ence of a baby or a child ina child restraint sys-
tem on this seat.
The capacitive passenger detection system regis-
ters the changes that result in an electrical field
when a child, a child restraint, and a baby blanket
are on the front passenger seat. The change in
the measured capacitance due to the presence of
a child, a child restraint, and a baby blanket on
the front passenger seat is related to the child re-
straint system resting on the seat. The measured
capacitance of a child restraint system varies de-
212
pending on the type of system and specific make
and model.
The electrical capacitance of the various types,
makes, and models of child restraints specified
by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
ministration (NHTSA) in the relevant safety
standard are stored in the Advanced Airbag Sys-
tem control unit together with the capacitances
typical of infants and a 1-year old child. When a
child restraint is used on the front passenger seat
with a typical 1 year-old infant, the Advanced Air-
bag System compares the capacitance measured
by the capacitive passenger detection system
with the data stored in the electronic control
unit.
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system
Regardless of the child restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been certified to meet Safe-
ty Standards and has been certified by its manu-
facturer for use with an airbag. If in exceptional
circumstances you must use it on the front pas-
senger seat, carefully read all of the information
on child safety and Advanced Airbags and heed
all of the applicable WARNINGS. Make certain
that the child and child restraint are correctly rec-
ognized by the capacitive passenger detection
system in the front passenger seat, that the front
passenger airbag is turned off, and that the air-
bag status is always correctly signaled by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; light.
Many types and models of child restraints have
been available over the years, new models are in-
troduced regularly incorporating new and im-
proved designs and older models are taken out of
production. Child restraints are not standardized.
Child restraints of the same type typically have
different
weights and sizes and different “foot-
prints”, the size and shape of the bottom of the
child restraint that sits on the seat, when they
are installed on a vehicle seat. These differences
make it virtually impossible to certify compliance
with the requirements for advanced airbags with
each and every child restraint that has ever been
sold in the past or will be sold over the course of
the useful life of your vehicle.

8S8012721BA
Child safety

For this reason, the United States National High-
way Traffic Safety Administration has published a
list of specific type, makes and models of child
restraints that must be used to certify compli-
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehi-
cle with the suppression requirements of Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These child
restraints are:
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints

Model Manufactured on or
after

Evenflo Medallion 254 |December 1, 1999

Evenflo Generations
352xxxx
September 25, 2007

Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007

Graco Toddler Safety
Seat Step 2
September 25, 2007


Model Manufactured on or
after

Graco Platinum Cargo | September 25, 2007


Angel Guard Angel September 25, 2007
Ride AA2403FOF

Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints


Model Manufactured on or
after
Century SmartFit 4543 | December 1, 1999

Cosco Arriva
22-013PAW and base
September 25, 2007


ZA WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure
that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re-
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
— Never install a reward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat if the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; light does not
turn on and stay on.
— Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer immediately.



22-999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Ad- |December 1, 1999
just Right 212
Evenflo First Choice December 1, 1999
204
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999

Graco Snugride September 25, 2007

Peg Perego Primo Viag- | September 25, 2007
gio SIP IMUNOOUS

Subpart C - Forward-facing and convertible
child restraints

Model Manufactured on or
after

Britax Roundabout
ESLO2xx
September 25, 2007

Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999

Cosco Summit Deluxe
High Back Booster
September 25, 2007



22-262
Cosco High Back Boos- | September 25, 2007
ter 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
37 9Xxxx


@ Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have
been statically tested by Audi only for the Ad-
vanced Airbag function.
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Correct use of child safety seats substantially re-
duces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety of
everybody in the vehicle, especially children:
> Always use the right child safety seat for each
child and always use it properly > page 215.
> Always carefully follow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the child safe-
ty seat.
> When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the child safety seat from moving
=> page 219.
213

Child safety

> Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward and sideways
more than 1 in (2.5 cm).
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
child should always ride in the seat properly re-
strained for its age and size.


Z\ WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
— All vehicle occupants and especially children
must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly
restrained child could be injured by striking
the interior or by being ejected from the ve-
hicle during a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
— Commercially available child safety seats are
required to comply with U.S. Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213 (in
Canada CMVSS 213).
— When buying a child restraint, select one
that fits your child and the vehicle.
— Only use child restraint systems that fully
contact the flat portion of the seat cush-
ion. The child restraint must not tip or
lean to either side. Audi does not recom-
mend using child safety seats that rest on
legs or tube-like frames. They do not pro-
vide adequate contact with the seat.
— Always heed all legal requirements per-
taining to the installation and use of child
safety seats and carefully follow the in-
structions provided by the manufacturer
of the seat you are using.
— Never let more than one child occupy a child
safety seat.
— Never let babies or older children ride ina
vehicle while sitting on the lap of another
passenger.

214

— Holding a child in your arms is never a sub-
stitute for a child restraint system.
— The strongest person could not hold the
child with the forces that exist in an acci-
dent. The child will strike the interior of
the vehicle and can also be struck by the
passenger.
— The child and the passenger can also injure
each other in an accident.
Never install rear-facing child safety seats or
infant carriers on the front passenger seat.
A child will be seriously injured and can be
killed when the passenger airbag inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag System.
The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof.
If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require that the following special
precautions be taken:
— Make sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed and certified by its manu-
facturer for use on a front seat with a pas-
senger front and side airbag.
— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
— Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position of the passenger
seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and
as far away from the airbag as possible be-
fore installing the child restraint.
— Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
— Always make sure that the backrest is in
the upright position.
— Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heat-
er for child seats) on the front passenger
seat if the device is connected to the 12-
volt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.

8S58012721BA
Child safety


— If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never install any child restraint sys-
tem on this seat.
— Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth-
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
— Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child
seats). These may influence the electrical
capacitance measured by the capacitive
passenger detection system and can also
fly around in an accident and cause serious
personal injury.
— Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or ina collision.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS when-
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used > page 182, Safety belts,
=> page 189, Airbag system and > page 210,
Child safety.



ZA WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure
that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%; light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re-
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
— Never install a reward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat if the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light does not
turn on and stay on.
— Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer immediately.

Child safety seats
Tat h
Babies and infants up to about one year old and
20 lbs or 9 kg need special rearward-facing child
restraints that support the back, neck and head
in a crash.

2 ©
S
> c a
the passenger seat
> When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the child safety seat from moving
=> page 219.
» Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward and sideways
more than 1 in (2.5 cm).
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs or 9 kg) are
best protected in special infant carriers and child
safety seats designed for their age group. Many
experts believe that infants and small children
should ride only in special restraints in which the
child faces the back of the vehicle. These infant
seats support the baby's back, neck and head ina
crash > fig. 163.

ZA\ WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a crash.
— Never install a rear-facing child restraint in
the forward-facing direction. Such restraints
are designed for the special needs of infants
and
very small children and cannot protect
them properly if the seat is forward-facing.

215

Child safety


— Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%; light comes
on and stays on. If the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF #¥; light does not come on and stay
on the inflating airbag will hit the child safe-
ty seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof. Have the airbag system inspected
immediately by your Audi dealer.
— Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heater
for child seats) on the front passenger seat
if the device is connected to the 12-volt
socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
— If a seat heater has been retrofitted or oth-
erwise added to the front passenger seat,
never install any child restraint system on
this seat.
— Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or other
liquids on the front passenger seat cushion.
— Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child
seats). These may influence the electrical
capacitance measured by the capacitive pas-
senger detection system and can also fly
around in an accident and cause serious per-
sonal injury.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS when-
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used > page 182, Safety belts,
=> page 189, Airbag system and > page 210,
Important information.



216
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can
help protect toddlers and children over age one
who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs (9 and 18 kg)
inacrash.

BFV-0192

Fig. 164 Schematic overview: installation of the seat using
the vehicle's safety belt system
> When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the child safety seat from moving
> page 219.
> Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than 1 in (2.5 cm) > page 219.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an in-
fant restraint if it is more than one year old and
weighs more than 20 lbs (9 kg).
Toddlers and children who are older than one
year up to about 4 years old and weigh more than
20 lbs (9 kg) up to 40 Lbs (18 kg) must always be
properly restrained in a child safety seat certified
for their size and weight and > fig. 164.

Z\ WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision or oth-
er emergency situation.
— Children on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in-
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat willbe |>

8S8012721BA
Child safety


seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Ad-
vanced Airbag System.
— The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center arm rest, door
or roof.
— Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light comes
on and stays on. If the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF $¥; light does not come on and stay
on have the airbag system inspected imme-
diately by your Audi dealer.
— The rear side of the child safety seat should
be positioned as close as possible to the
backrest on the vehicle seat.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS when-
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used > page 182, Safety belts,
=> page 189, Airbag system and > page 210,
Important information.


Z\ WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the front
passenger's seat, the child's safety and well-
being require that the following special pre-
cautions be taken:
— Make sure the forward-facing seat has been
designed and certified by its manufacturer
for use ona front seat with a passenger
front and side airbag.
— Always follow the manufacturer's instruc-
tions provided with the child safety seat or
infant carrier.
— Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position of the passenger
seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as
far away from the airbag as possible before
installing the child restraint.
— Always make sure that nothing prevents the
front passenger's seat from being moved to
the rearmost position in its fore and aft ad-
justment range.



— Always make sure the backrest is in an up-
right position.
— Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heater
for child seats) on the front passenger seat
if the device is connected to the 12-volt
socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
— If a seat heater has been retrofitted or oth-
erwise added to the front passenger seat,
never install any child restraint system on
this seat.
— Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or other
liquids on the front passenger seat cushion.
— Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child
seats). These may influence the electrical
capacitance measured by the capacitive pas-
senger detection system and can also fly
around in an accident and cause serious per-
sonal injury.
— Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF 3; light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; light
does not come on and stay on have the air-
bag system inspected by your authorized
Audi dealer.
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs and
80 lbs (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4 ft 9
in (57 in/1.45 m) tall.



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¥
z o
Fig. 165 Passenger seat: child properly restrained ina
booster seat
217

Child safety

The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4 ft 9 in (57 in/
1.45 m) tall and weigh about 80 lbs (36 kg).
Booster seats raise these children up so that the
safety belt will pass properly over the stronger
parts of their bodies and the safety belt can help
protect them ina crash.
> Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to restrain
a child on a booster seat.
> The shoulder belt must lie as close to the cen-
ter of the child's collar bone as possible and
must lie flat and snug on the upper body. It
must never lie across the throat or neck. The
lap belt must lie across the pelvis and never
across the stomach or abdomen. Make sure the
belt lies flat and snug. Pull on the belt to tight-
en if necessary.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs or
18 kg) are best protected in child safety seats de-
signed for their age and weight. Experts say that
the skeletal structure, particularly the pelvis, of
these children is not fully developed, and they
must not use the vehicle safety belts without a
suitable child restraint.
It is usually best to put these children in appro-
priate booster seats. Be sure the booster seat
meets all applicable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the
child and reposition both the lap and shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass across
the child's body in the right places. The routing of
the belt over the child's body is very important
for the child's protection, whether or not a boos-
ter seat is used.
Never use the lap belt portion of the vehicle's
safety belt alone to restrain any child, regardless
of how big the child is. Always remember that
children do not have the pronounced pelvic struc-
ture required for the proper function of lap belt
portion of the vehicle's three point lap and
shoulder belts. The child's safety absolutely re-
quires that a lap belt portion of the safety belt be
fastened snugly and as low as possible around
the pelvis. Never let the lap belt portion of the
218
safety belt pass over the child's stomach or abdo-
men.
Ina crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of
an eye and with considerable force. In order to do
its job, the airbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be there to protect the occupant as the occu-
pant moves forward into the airbag.
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too
close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating
airbag. When an occupant is too close, he or she
will be struck violently and will receive serious or
possibly even fatal injury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especially
any children, who must be in the front seat be-
cause of exceptional circumstances, be properly
restrained and as far away from the airbag as
possible. By keeping room between the child's
body and the front of the passenger compart-
ment, the airbag can inflate completely and pro-
vide supplemental protection in certain frontal
collisions.

ZA WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster
seat improperly, incorrectly installing a boos-
ter seat or using the vehicle safety belt im-
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death in a collision or other emer-
gency situation. To help reduce the risk of se-
rious personal injury and/or death:
— The shoulder belt must lie as close to the
center of the child’s collar bone as possible
and must lie flat and snug on the upper
body. It must never lie across the throat or
neck. The lap belt must lie across the pelvis
and never across the stomach or abdomen.
Make sure that the belt lies flat and snug.
Pull on the belt to tighten if necessary.
— Failure to properly route safety belts over a
child's body will cause severe injuries in an
accident or other emergency situation
=> page 182.
— The rear side of the child safety seat should
be positioned as close as possible to the
backrest on the vehicle seat.