2015 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET airbag

Driving safety
Basics
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 summar­
ized here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags , chi ld restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Al­
ways observe the informat ion and warn ings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers .
The information in this section app lies to all
model ve rsions of your vehicle . Some of the fea ­
tures described in this sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
eq uipment on others .
If you are not sure, ask
your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
struct ions and heed the WARNINGS in this
Manual. It is in your interest and in the in­
terest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owne r's Litera­
ture in your Aud i when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important info rmation
will always be ava ilable to the driver and
passenge rs.
-
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques ­
tions.
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.
M
6 Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
~ should not be left to chance. Advances in tec h-,...., \!) 1.1'1
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nology have made a var iety of fea tures available
to help reduce the r isk o f injury in an accident.
Dr ivin g s afet y
The following is a list of just a few of the sa fety
features in your A udi:
- sophisticated s afety be lts fo r drive r and a ll pas-
senger seat ing pos itions,
- be lt fo rce limi ters for the front seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- head restra ints for each seating posit ion,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- special LATCH anchorages for child rest raints,
- ad justab le steer ing column.
These ind iv idual safety features, can wo rk to­
gether as a system to he lp p rotect you and you r
passengers in a w ide range of accidents . T hese
f ea tures cannot work as a system if they are not
always cor rect ly adjusted and correctly used .
Safet y is eve rybod y's res pon sibilit y!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
f1,1l driver .
For you r safety and the safety of your passen ­
gers,
b efore driv ing alway s:
.,. Make sure that all lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly .
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is co rrect .
.,. Make s ure that all w indows are clean and afford
good vis ibility to the outs ide.
.,. Sec ure all luggage and other items caref ully
qpage 64.
.,. Make s ure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals.
.,. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
.,. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to the ir height .
.,. Make su re to use the r ight child restraint cor­
rectly to protect ch ildren
q page 152, Child
safety.
.,. Si t properly in your seat and ma ke s ure that
your passengers do the same
q page 59, Seats
and storage. .,.
113

Driving safet y
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten the ir
safety belts properly ¢
page 124.
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 rood without being dis­
tracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve ­
hicle 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 ¢,&. .Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
• NEVER drive when your driv ing 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, t raff ic and
weather cond itions .
• Take frequent breaks on long trips . Do not dr ive
f or more than two hours at a stretch.
• Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres­
sure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
114
.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 129 Co rrect seat ing posit ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver's seat to the following pos ition:
• Adjust the driver 's seat so that you can easily
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 upright position so that your back comes in
full contact with it when you dr ive.
• Ad just the steering wheel so th at there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering whee l and your breast bone¢
fig. 129 .
If not possible, see your authorized A udi dealer
about adaptive 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 steer ing wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent.
• App lies to veh icles with adjustable head re­
straints: Adjust the head res traint so the upper
edge is as even as possible with the top of your
head . If that is not possible, try to adjust the
head restraint so that it is as close to this posi­
tion as possible.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 127.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times .

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For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 60.
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 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 deploys.
- 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
and head restraints properly and make sure
that all passengers are properly restrained.
- 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 safety
seats
¢page 152. Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 132.
Driving safety
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:
.,. Move the front passenger seat back as far as
possible . There must be a minimum of 10 in­
ches (25 cm) between the breastbone and the
instrument panel¢.&, .
.,. 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.
.,. Applies to vehicles with adjustable head re­
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the upper
edge is as even as possible with the top of your
head . If that is not possible, try to adjust the
head restraint so that it is as close to this posi­
tion as possible .
.,. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:> page 127.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 59.
A WARNING ~
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or killed by the airbag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious per­
sonal 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 airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front passen­
ger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
115

Driving safet y
-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, a lways adjust the front pas­
senger seat and head restraint properly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument pane l, out of the window, etc . The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in ­
c reas e the risk of injury in a crash.
- Never dr ive with the backrest recl ined or
t ilted far back! The farther the backrests are
t il te d back, the greater the r isk of injury due
to incorrect pos itioni ng of the safety bel t
and improper se ating posi tion.
- Children m ust always ride i n child safety
seats ¢
page 152. Special preca utions ap­
ply when installing a ch ild safety sea t on the
front passenger seat ¢
page 132.
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 b e properly r estrained wh enever the ve­
hicle i s in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
ing:
"' Make sure that the seatback is securely latched
in the upright pos ition
¢ page 66 .
"' Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
"' Faste n and wear safety belts prope rly
¢ page 127.
"' Make sure that ch ildren are always properly re­
stra ined in a chi ld restraint that is appropria te
f o r their size and age ¢
page 15 2.
A WARNING
Passengers who a re improperly seated on the
rear se-at can be se riously i njured in a crash .
116
-Each passenger must always sit on a seat o f
their own and proper ly fasten and wea r the
safety belt belong ing to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the seatback is securely latched in the
upright pos ition and the safety belts are
properly positioned on the body. By not sit­
ting upr ight , a rear seat passenger increases
the risk of pe rsonal injury from imprope rly
posi tioned safety belts!
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor ­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to redu ce the risk of injuries in
accident si tua tions.
F ig . 1 30 Head res tra in t: v iewed from th e fro nt
T he head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve t he best protection.
"' Adjust the head restraints so the upper edge is
as even as possib le with the top of your head. If
that is not poss ible, try to ad just the head re­
straint so that i t is as close to this position as
possible
c> fig . 130.
Adjust ing head restraints c> page 62.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Driving w ithout head rest raints or with head
restra ints that a re not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serio us or fatal nec k inju ry
d ramatically. To help reduce the r isk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restra ints in
place and properly a djusted.
-

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-Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adj usted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly ad justs their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraints so the upper edge is as
even as possib le w ith 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 possib le.
- Never attempt to adjust head rest raint
wh ile driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the dr iver head rest for any rea­
son, first stop the veh icle safely before at­
tempting to ad just the head rest raint.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a ch ild restraint that is appropriate fo r
their age and size
q poge 152.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
seated.
Improper seating posit ions can cause serious in­
jury o r death . Safety be lts can only work when
they are prope rly positioned on the body. Im­
p roper seating posit ions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and wi ll even increase the risk of
in ju ry and death by moving the safety belt to cr it­
ical areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys a nd strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position . A driver
i s responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especia lly for children. Therefore:
.. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seat ing pos it ion when the veh icle is being used
~ & -
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po­
sitions that will increase the risk of ser ious injury
and death . Our hope is that these examples w ill
make you mor e aware of seat ing pos itions that
are dangerous.
The refore, whene ver the vehicle is moving:
- never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
Dr ivin g s afet y
-neve r kneel on the seats
- neve r 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
- never s it sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- neve r put your feet on the instr ument pane l
- neve r rest your feet on the seat cush ion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Imp roper seating posit ions increase the risk
of ser ious personal in ju ry and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a prope r seating position and are
properly rest rained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
App lies to vehicles : wit h knee airbags
A WARNING ,-.=-
Always make sure that the knee airbag can in-
flate w ithout interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by be ing pushed in­
to you as the ai rbag deploys .
- No persons (children) or animals shou ld ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat. If the airbag deploys, th is can result in
serious or fatal injur ies.
- No objects of any kind should be ca rried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or passenger's seat. Bu lky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent
p roper deployment o f the a irbag . Small ob ­
jects can be thrown through the vehicle if
117

Driving safety
the airbag deploys and injure you or 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.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without in­
terference and that nothing prevents them from returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
a nd can be secured with floor mat fasteners .
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
_&. WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri­
ous injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal function . In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake or accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fa ll or
move into the dr iver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely at­
tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals .
.,. Make sure that the floor mats are properly se-
cured and cannot move and interfere with the
pedals ~.&_ .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position. You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi
dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi .
118
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly securing the floor
mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im­
pair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
_&. WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are prop­
erly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the ped­
als or the ability to control the vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already installed
floor mats. Addit ional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall
into the driver footwell while the vehicle is moving. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and acce lerator pedal caus­
ing a loss of vehicle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
Al/ luggage and other objects must be properly stowed and secured in the luggage compart­
ment .
Fig. 131 Safe load positioning: place heavy ob jects as low
-M N 0 oL CD m
and as far fo rward as possible. ...

Safety belts
Never rely on airbags a lone for protection . Even
when they deploy, airbags provide only additional
protection . A irbags are not supposed to deploy in
all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped w ith airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the driver, must wear safety belts cor ­
rectly in orde r to min imize the risk of seve re in­
jury o r death in a crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once
and that your safety be lts are a lways there to of ­
fer protection in t hose accidents in which airbags
are not supposed to deploy or when they have a l­
ready deployed . Unbelted o ccupan ts can also be
thrown ou t of the vehicle where even mo re severe
or fata l injur ies can occur .
It is also important fo r the rea r passenge rs to
wear safety belts co rrectly. Unbe lted passenge rs
i n t he rear se ats endanger not only themselves
but also the driver and other passengers
~ fig . 140. In a frontal coll ision they wi ll be
thrown forward violent ly, where they can hit and
in ju re the driver and/or front seat passenger.
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision . It 's simply
not true!
F ig . 141 D river is correct ly rest ra ined i n a sudden b rak ing
m aneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a big differ­
ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats , gradually reduce energy levels ap­
plied to the body in an accident, and he lp prevent
the uncont ro lled movement that can cause seri ­
ous injur ies. In add it ion, safety belts reduce the
danger of being throw n ou t of the vehicle.
126
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car and give
them the benefit of being s lowed down more
gently or "softly" through t he "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety features eng i­
neered into today's veh icles. By "absorbing" the
ki net ic ene rgy over a longer period of time, the
safety be lts make the forces on the body more
"tole rable" and less li kely to cause injury .
Although these examples are based o n a frontal
collision, safety be lts can also substantially re ­
duce the r isk o f injury in other kinds o f crashes.
So, whether you're on a long tr ip or just go ing to
t he cor ne r store, always bu ckle up and ma ke sure
o thers do, too. Ac ciden t sta tis tics show that ve hi­
cle occupants properly wearing sa fe ty belts have
a lowe r risk of be ing injured and a much better
chance of surviving an accident. Pro perly using
safety belts a lso greatly increases the ab ility of
the supp lemental airbags to do their job in a col­
li sion. For this reason, wear ing a safety be lt is le­
gally required in most countries including much
of the United States and Canada .
Although your Audi is equipped with a irbags, you
still have to wear the safety belts provided. Front airbags, for example, are act ivated only in some
fron tal coll is io ns . The front airbags are not act i­
vated in a ll frontal col lisions, in s ide and rear co l­
li sio ns, in ro ll overs o r in cases whe re the re is not
eno ugh deceler ation th rough imp act to the front
of the vehicle . T he same goes for the other airbag
systems in your Audi. So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
proper ly restrained!
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned
across the strongest bones of your body .
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and de­
scribed in this chapter .
.,. Make s ure that your safety belts are always
ready fo r use and are not damaged .

Safety belts
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red relea se
button only after the vehicle has stopped .


Fig. 146 Re le as ing th e to ngu e fr om th e buck le
.. Push the red re lease button on the b uck le
Q fig. 146 . The belt tongue wi ll spring out of
the buckle
Q ,& .
.. Let the belt wind up on the retr actor as you
guide the bel t tongue to its stowed position.
A WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the veh icle is
moving . Doing so will increase your risk of be­
ing injured or killed.
Improperly worn safety belts
a
~ 0 :i: .. 0J
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause se­
vere injuries .
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause seri­
ous injury or death. Safe ty belts can only work
when they are correctly posit ioned on the body .
Improper seating pos it ions reduce the effective­
ness of safety belts and will even inc rease the risk
of injury and death by moving the safety be lt to
cr itica l areas of the body . Improper seati ng posi­
tions a lso increase the risk of serious injury and
death when an airbag deploys and strikes an oc­
cupant who is not in the correct seating position.
A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and espec ially for children. Therefore :
.. Never perm it anyone to ass ume an incorrect sit -
ting position in the vehicle while traveling
Q A .
130
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the r isk
of ser ious personal injury and death whenever
a veh icle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are correctly restrained and stay in a correct
seating position whenever the vehicle is be­ing used.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
Q page 126 .
Belt tensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear-end collisions above a
particular sev erity, saf ety belts are tensioned au­
tomatically .
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt
pre tensioners. The system is act ivated by sensors
in front, side and rear-end collisions o f great se ­
verity. This tightens the belt and takes up belt
s lack
¢ .&. in Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioner on page 131.
Taking up the slack
helps to reduce forward occupan t movement dur­
i ng a collision .
@ Note
Never let the belt remain over a rear seatback
that has been folded forward.
@ Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be acti­
vated once.
- In minor frontal and side collisions, in rear­
end co llisions and in accidents involving
very little impact force, the safety belt pre­
tensioner are not activated.
- When the safety belt pretensioners are acti­ vated, a fine dust is released . This is normal
and is not caused by a fire in the vehicle .
- The re levant safety requirements must be
observed when the vehicle or components
of the system are scrapped. An authorized
Audi dealer or qua lified workshop is familiar
with these regulations a nd will be pleased
to pass on the information to yo u. ...