Page 121 of 286

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 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
- Always make sure that you follow the in
structions 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 Liter
ature 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 119
accident. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi :
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- belt force limiters for the front seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain airbags ,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- 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 correctly adjusted and cor
rectly 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
qpage59.
"'Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
"'Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
"'Instruct rear seat passengers to adjust the
head restraints according to their height.
"' Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children
q page 161,
and~~fy. ~
•
•
Page 122 of 286

120 Driving Safel y
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
yo ur passengers do the same¢
page 53,
Seats and storage.
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passenge rs to fasten their
safety belts properly¢
page 129 .
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 road
without being distracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants . If your ability
to drive is impa ired, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
9 .&,.
Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passen
gers or by us ing a cellular telephone.
• NEV ER dr ive when your dr iv in g 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, 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 t ired, under
pressure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when
ever a veh icle 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. 119 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 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
¢.&_ .
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
• Adj ust 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. 119. If not possible, see your au
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip ment.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
• Grasp the top of the steer ing wheel with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
• Applies to veh icles w ith adjustab le head re
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up
per 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 posit ion as possible.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 132.
Page 123 of 286

~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
F or de tai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c:;, page 54.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be ser iously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury :
- Always adjust the dr iver'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 hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posit ions to he lp red uce the risk of pe r
sonal in jury if the drive r's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steer ing whee l at the
12 o 'clock posit ion or w it h your hands at
other pos it ions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the stee ring wheel h ub. Hold
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head i f the driver 's airbag de
ploys.
- Pointing the steering whee l toward your
face decreases the ab ility o f the supp le
menta l dr iver's airbag to protect you in a
co llision .
- Always s it in an upright position and nev
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the a rea where the air
bags are located.
- Before driv ing, a lways ad just the front
seats and head restra ints properly and
make s ure that all passengers are prop
er ly 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 recl ined o r
t il ted far ba ck! T he farther the ba ck rests
are t ilted back, the greate r the ris k of in-
Dr iving S afel y 121
jury due to incorrect pos itioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi
tion .
- Ch ildren must a lways ride in ch ild safety
seats
c:;, page 161. Special precaut ions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat
c:;, page 137 .
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 :
~ Move the front passenger seat back as far as
possible . There must be a m inimum of
1 0 inches (25 cm) between the breastbone
and the ins trument panel
c:;, &, .
~ Adjust the a ngle of the seatbac k so that it is
in an upr igh t position and yo ur back comes
in full contact wit h it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
~ Applies to vehicles with adjustab le head re
stra ints: Adjust the head restraint so the up
per edge is as even as possible wit h the top
of your head. If that is not possib le, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this pos it ion as poss ible .
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
t he fron t passenger seat .
~ Fasten and we ar safe ty be lts cor re ctly
c:;, page 132.
Fo r detailed information on how to adj ust the
fron t passenger's seat, see
c:;, page 53.
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers w ho are unbelted,
out of posi tion or too close to the airbag
can be ser iously injured or killed by the air
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
•
•
Page 124 of 286

122 Driving Safely
-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.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un
folds 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.
- 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 safety
seats<=:>
page 161 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat <=:>
page 13 7.
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 vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor
rect seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas- sengers on the
rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
" Make sure that the seatback is securely
latched in the upright position <=:>
page 63.
"Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
" Fasten and wear safety belts properly
<=:>page 132.
"Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro
priate for their size and age ¢
page 161.
,&. 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 maximum protec
tion when the seatback is securely latch
ed in the upright position and the safety
belts are properly positioned on the body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
injury from improperly positioned safety
belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection .
Proper adjustment of head restraints
-
Applies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im
portant part of your vehicle's occupant re
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations .
Fig. 120 Head restraint : v iewed from the front
Page 125 of 286

The head restraints must be correctly adjust
ed to achieve the best protection.
... Adjus t the head restrai nts so the upper edge
is as even as possib le with the top of yo ur
head. If that is not possib le, try to ad just
the head restraint so that it is as close to
th is position as possible
c> fig. 120 .
Adjusting head rest raints c> page 56 .
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re
straints . Driving without head restraints or
w ith head restra ints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa
tal neck injury dramat ically. To help reduce
the risk of in ju ry:
- Always drive wit h the head restraints in
place and proper ly adjusted.
- Every person in the veh icle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
-Always make sure each person in the ve hicle properly adjusts the ir head re
straint. Adjust the head restraints so the
upper edge is as even as possible w ith
the top of your head .
If that is not possi
ble, try to adjus t the head restra int so
that it is as close to this position as pos
sible.
- Never a ttempt to adju st head re st rain t
wh ile driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the dr iver head rest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safe ly be
fore attempting to adjust the head re straint.
- Children must always be properly re
strained in a ch ild restraint that is appro
pr iate for their age and size <=>
page 161.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
I mp roper seating positions can ca use serio us
in ju ry or death. Safety belts can on ly work
when they are properly posit ioned on the
Dr iving S afel y 123
body. Improper seating positions re duce the
effectiveness of safety belts and wi ll even in
crease the r is k of i njury and death by moving
the safety belt to crit ica l areas of the body.
Improper seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an a ir
bag deploys and str ikes an occupant w ho is
not in the p roper seating posit ion. A dr iver is
responsible fo r the safety of all veh icle occu
pan ts and espec ially for children. The refore :
... Never allow anyone to assume a n incor rect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used <=>,& .
The following bulletins list on ly some sample
pos itions that will increase the risk of serious
i njury and death. Ou r hope is that these e xam
ple s will ma ke yo u mo re aware o f seati ng po
s itions tha t are d angerous.
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- neve r stand up in the vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride w it h the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out the window
- neve r put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instr ument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cush ion or
back of the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- neve r ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
--=
Imp ro p er seating posit ions increase the
risk of serious persona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make su re that all vehicle occu-
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restrained whenever the
veh icle is being used.
-
•
•
Page 126 of 286

124 Driving Safel y
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
Appl ies to vehicles: with knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inflate without interference . Objects be
tween yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an acc ident by inte rfer
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
being p ushed into you as the airbag de
ploys .
- No persons (ch ildren) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can res ult in serious or fata l injuries .
- No objects of any k ind sho uld be carried
in the footwe ll 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 o r your passengers .
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
M ake sure tha t all pedals move freely witho ut
i nte rfe rence and that nothing prevents them
from retu rning to the ir origina l posi tions.
Only use floo r mats that leave the peda l area
free and can be secured wit h floor mat fasten
e rs.
If a b rake circuit fails, increased b rake pedal
trave l is required to bring the vehicle to a full
stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause
l oss of veh icle control and increase the risk
of ser ious injury .
- Never p lace any objects in the drive r's
footwell . An object cou ld get into the
pedal area and inte rfe re with pedal func
tion . In case of sudde n brak ing o r an ac
cident, yo u wo uld not be a ble to brake or
acceler ate !
- Always ma ke s ure that no thing can fall
or move int o the driver's footwel l.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fast eners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
.. Make s ure that the floor mats are prope rly
secured and canno t move and in terfere with
t he peda ls
£:=? &, .
Use on ly f loor mats that leave the pedal area
u nobst ructed and that are firmly secu red so
t h at t hey cannot slip o ut of position . You ca n
obta in suitab le floor mats from yo ur autho r
ized Audi dea ler .
Floor mat fastene rs are insta lled in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at
tached to these fastene rs. Prope rly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from sliding
i nto posi tions that cou ld interfere with the
peda ls o r impa ir safe ope rat io n of yo ur vehicle
i n othe r ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can result
in a loss of vehicle control and inc rease the
risk of ser ious persona l injury .
- Always make sure that floor mats are properly secu red.
- Never p lace or ins tall floor mats o r othe r
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in p lace to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing with
lill>
Page 127 of 286

the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already insta l
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals.
- Always property reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver footwell wh ile the ve
hicle is moving. Objects can become
t rapped under t he brake pedal and accel
erator peda l causing a loss of veh icle
control.
Stowing Luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com
partment.
F ig. 121 Safe load pos ition ing: place heavy objects as
low and as far forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
veh icle maneuver or in a collision .
.. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
.. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as poss ible r::!)
fig. 121.
Dr ivin g Sa fely 125
.. Secure the load with the cargo net* or with
non-elastic straps secured to the tie-downs
r::!) page 64.
.. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly t hro ugh the ve hicle causing ser ious
personal injury in the event of ha rd brak
ing or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of ser ious personal injury:
- Always put obje cts, fo r example, luggage
or other heavy i tems in the luggage com
partment .
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the t ie-down eyelets
and suitable straps .
A WARNING
Heavy loads w ill influence the way yo ur ve
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of contro l leading to serious personal
i njury:
- Always keep in mind w hen transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle handling:
- Alway s distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle We ight Rat
ing or the G ross Vehicle Weight Rating
speci fied on the safe ty comp lian ce stick
er on the left door jamb . Exceeding per
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and hand le different ly .
- Please observe information on safe driv
ing
<::!)page 119.
WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, a lways
keep the rear lid closed w hile driving.
Page 128 of 286

126 Driving Safely
-Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the sunroof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win dows, the sunroof and the rear lid are se
curely closed and locked to reduce the risk
of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Nev er let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
@ Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom-
-
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor
mal load conditions, please see chapter
r=>poge 226 .
. Tie-downs
App lies to veh icles : w ith tie -downs
The luggage comportment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the t ie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly
c> page 12 5, Loading the luggage com
portment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
-Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre
vent items from shifting or flying for ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the