124 Driving Safel y
• Make sure to use the right child restraint
correct ly to protect children¢
page 168,
Child Safety .
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 53,
General recommendations.
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly .
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts proper ly
r:::;, page 133 .
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 respons ible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants.
If you r ability
to drive is impa ired, safety r isks for everybody
i n the vehicle increase and yo u also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
r::::> .&_ .
Therefore:
• Do no t let yourself be distracted by passen
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEV ER drive when your driving ability 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 condit ions .
• Take frequent breaks on long trips . Do not
dr ive for more than two hours at a stretch.
• Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are stressed.
_8. 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. 146 Correct 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
r:::;, A.
• 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
r:::;, fig. 146. If not possible, see your au
thorized Audi dealership about adaptive equipment.
• 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.
• For adjustable head restra ints: Adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of yo ur head . If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re
straint 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 . .,,.
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 136.
~ 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 54 .
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. 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 properly and make sure that all
passengers are properly restrained.
Driving Safely 125
-For adjustable head restraints: before
driving, always also adjust the head re
straints properly.
- 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 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 168. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat ¢
page 142.
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.
~ For adjustable head restraints: adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
¢ page 127. Move the head re
straint 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 136.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 53. .,..
•
•
126 Driving Saf ely
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or k illed by the air
bag as it unfolds . To help reduce the r isk of
ser ious personal injury:
- Passengers must always s it in an upr ight
posit ion 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
sit ion 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 pane l.
- 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 the ir own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt be longing to that
seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat properly .
- For adjustable head restraints: before
dr iv ing, always also adjust the head re
straints properly .
- 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 w ill not be able to protec t you prop
erly and can even increase the risk of in
jury in a crash.
- Never drive with the backrest recl ined or
t ilted far bac k! The farther the back rests
are t ilted back, the greater the risk of in
jury d ue to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢
page 168. Specia l precautions apply
-
when instal ling a child seat on the front
passenger seat¢
page 142.
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 in jury 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:
.,. For adjustab le head restra ints: adjust the
head restra int so the upper edge is as even
as poss ible 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 poss ible
c;, page 127.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts proper ly
c;, page 136.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro
priate fo r the ir s ize and age
c::;, page 168 .
A WARNING
-Passengers who are imp roperly seated on
the rea r seat can be se riously in jured in a
crash.
- Each passenge r must always sit on a seat
of their own and p roperly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum pro te c
tion when the safety belts are properly
positioned on the body and securely
latched. By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the r isk o f per
sonal injury from improperly pos itioned
safety belts!
- For ad justab le head restra ints: always
adjust the head restraint properly so that it can g ive maximum protect ion.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: with adj ustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore on im
portant port of your vehicle's occupant re
straint system and con help to reduce the risk of injuries in occident situations.
F ig . 147 H ead r estr ain t: v ie w ed fro m the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust
ed to achieve the best protection .
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the uppe r edge
is as even as possib le with 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 position as possible
q fig . 147. Move
the head restraint so that it is as close to the back of the head as possible.
Adjusting head restraints
¢ page 56.
_&. WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re
straints. Driving without head restraints or
w ith head restraints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa
tal neck injury dramat ica lly. To help reduce
the risk of inju ry:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every pe rson in the veh icle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int .
-Always make sure each person in the ve hicle properly adjusts their head re
straint. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is as even as possib le w ith
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-
Dr ivin g Sa fely 12 7
sible. 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
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be
fore attempting to adjust the head re
s traint .
- Ch ildren must always be prope rly re
strained in a child restraint that is appro
pria te fo r their age and size
¢ page 168.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only re
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore
properly seated .
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death . Safety belts can only work
when they are properly positioned on the
body . Improper seating positions reduce the
effectiveness of safe ty belts and will even in
c rease the r isk o f injury and dea th by moving
the safety belt to critica l areas o f the body .
Improper seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an air
bag deploys and str ikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position. A driver is
responsible for the safety of all veh icle occu
pants and espec ially for children . The refore :
.,. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
q _& .
The following bulletins list only some samp le
pos itions that will increase the risk of serio us
injury and death. Our hope is that these exam
ples will make you more aware of seating po
s itions that are dangerous.
Th erefore , whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride wit h the seatback reclined
- neve r lie down on the rear seat
130 Driving Safely
&_ WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving .
- 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 power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
&_ WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win
dows, the power roof* and the rear lid are
securely 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.
- Never 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.
(D) 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::!) page 232.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly ¢
page 129, Loading the luggage com
partment.
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.
&_ 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
forward as dangerous missiles .
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie -downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying for
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas senger compartment.
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a tie-down.
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause
a crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notify
ing Audi of America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com
plaints, it may open an investi
gation, and if it finds that a
safety defects exists in a group
of vehicles, it may order a recall
and remedy campaign. Howev
er, NHTSA cannot become in
volved in individual problems
between you, your dealer, or
Audi of America, Inc.
To contact the NHTSA, you may
either call:
Driving Safely 131
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY:
1-800-424-9153) or
1-800-424-9393
or you may write to:
NHTSA
U.S. Department of Transporta
tion 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.
West Building
Washington, DC 20590
You can also obtain other infor
mation about motor vehicle
safety from:
http://www.safercar.gov
Applicable to Canada
If you live in Canada and you
believe that your vehicle has a
defect that could cause a crash,
injury or death, you should im
mediately inform Transport
Canada, Defect Investigations
and Recalls. You should also no
tify Volkswagen Group Canada,
Inc.
Canadian customers who wish
to report a safety-related de
fect to Transport Canada, De
fect Investigations and Recalls, may either call Transport Cana-
da toll-free at: ""
•
•
'
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are nec
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly.
~ Read all the information that follows and
heed all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se
rious injury and death in automobile acci
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
impaired persons must also use safety
belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are
more likely to be seriously injured if they
do not wear safety belts. The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of four seating positions:
two in the front and two in the rear. Each seat ing position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, in
cluding small children, into any belt. It is
especially dangerous to place a safety
belt over a child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
Safety belts 13 3
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safe
ty belt or child restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and front seat passenger (on USA mod
els only) to remind you about the importance
of buckling-up.
Fig. 148 Safety belt warning light in the instr ument
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, always:
~ Fasten your safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly.
~ Make sure that your passengers also buckle
up and properly wear their safety belts.
~ Protect children with a child restraint sys-
tem appropriate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignition is on as a reminder
to fasten the safety belts. In addition, you will
hear a warning tone for a certain period of
time .
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their
safety belts.
A WARNING
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se
rious injury and death in automobile acci
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
•
•
136 Safety belts
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body.
,.. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter.
,.. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly 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 correctly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must always be positioned properly on
the body .
- Never strap more than one person , in
cluding small children, into any belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sit ting on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front
of the seat while the vehicle is being driv
en .
- Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument panel or sticking out
the window or on the seat.
- Never remove a safety belt while the ve
hicle is moving. Doing so will increase
your risk of be ing injured or killed.
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these
may cause injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Do not wear the shoulder pa rt of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of pos i
tion . -
Several layers of heavy clothing may in
terfere with correct positioning of belts
and reduce the overall effectiveness of
the system .
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latch
ing securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that
create slack in the shoulder belt . Howev
er, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint sys
tems .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an
accident. Inspect belts regularly .
If web
bing, bindings, buck les, or retractors are
damaged, have belts replaced by an au
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work
shop.
- Safety belts that have been worn and
loaded in an accident must be replaced
with the correct replacement safety belt
by an authorized Audi dealer . Replace
ment may be necessary even if damage
cannot be clearly seen . Anchorages that
were loaded must also be inspected.
- Never remove, modify, disassemble, or
try to repair the safety belts yourself.
- Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts
may not work properly and can impair
the function of the inert ia reel
c::> ta
ble Cleaning interior on page 205 .
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 154 B elt buck le and to ngue o n th e drive r's se at