2015 AUDI S3 seats

126 Driving safety
• Make sure that all lights and signals are op­
erating correctly .
• Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
• Make sure that a ll windows are clean and af ­
ford good visibility to the o utside.
• Secure all luggage and other items ca refully
c:::> page 64, c:::>page 62 .
• Make sure that noth ing can i nterfere with
t h e pedals.
• Adjust front seat, head rest rain t and mirro rs
correct ly for your he ight .
• Instr uct passenge rs to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height.
• Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect chi ldren
c:> page 170 ,
Child Safe ty .
• Sit properly i n your seat and make sure that
you r passenge rs do the same
c:::> page 57,
Front seats .
• Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly.
Also ins truc t your passengers to faste n their
sa fety belts proper ly
c:> pag e 13 5.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving i s direc tly rela ted 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 ib le for the safety of the
ve hicl e and a ll of its occupants . If you r ability
to drive is impaired , safety r is k s for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you a lso become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
c:> &_ .
Therefore:
• Do not let you rself be distracted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEV ER dr ive when your dr iv 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 ad just your speed to road, t raff ic
and weathe r condit ions .
• Take frequent breaks on long t rips. Do not
dr ive for mo re th an two hours a t a str etc h .
• Do N OT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
-Impaired driving safety increases the r isk
of ser ious perso nal inju ry and death when ­
ever a vehicle is bei ng use d.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig . 11 4 Correct seat ing pos it io n
For you r own safety and to reduce t he risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
me nd that you adjust t he d river's seat to the
f o llow ing pos ition:
.,. Ad just the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly p ush the pedals all the way to the floo r
while keep ing you r knee(s) slightly bent
c:>& ,
.,. Adj ust t he an gle of the seatba ck so th at it is
in an uprigh t position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
• Adj ust the steering whee l so that t here is a
distance of at least 10 inches
(25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and your breast bone
c:::> fig. 114 . If not possible, see your a u­
thor ized Audi dealersh ip about adaptive
equ ipment .
.. Ad just t he steering whee l so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag c over poi nts at your
ches t and not a t your f ace.
• Grasp the top o f the steering whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
• For ad justab le head restra ints : Adjust the
head restra int so the uppe r edge is as even
as poss ible with the top of your head. If that..,_

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ,....,
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
Q page 138.
.. 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
Q page 58.
.&, 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.
-
Driving safety 127
-Before driving, always adjust the front
seats properly and make sure that all passengers are properly restrained .
- 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
Q page 170 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat ¢
page 144.
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
pass enger 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.
.. Fo r 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 129. 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 corr ectly
¢ page 138.
•
•
•

128 Driving safety
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 5 7.
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 air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
- 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.
- 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 their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat properly .
- For adjustable head restraints: before
driving, 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 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 seats
¢
page 170. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat
c> page 144.
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:
"" 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 129.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 138.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age¢
page 170.
A 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 safety belts are properly positioned on the body and securely
latched. By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the risk of per­
sonal injury from improperly positioned
safety belts!

....,
N
0 > co
rl 1.0
"' ....,
"' rl
-For adjustable head restraints : always
adjust the head restra int 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
st raint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in acciden t situations.
Fig. 115 Hea d restr aint: vie wed fro m the fron t
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to ach ieve the best protection .
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as poss ible w ith the top of your
head .
If that is not possib le, try to adjust
the head restra int so that it is as close to
this position as possible
r:!.>fig . 115. Move
the head restraint so that it is as close to the
back of the head as possible.
.,. If there is a passenger on the rear cent er
seat ing position, slide the center head re­
stra int upward at least to the next notch .
Adj usting head restraints¢
page 59.
_& WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Dr iving without head restra ints or
w ith head restra ints that are not proper ly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
tal neck injury dramat ically . To help reduce
the risk of inju ry:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted .
- Every person in the veh icle must have a
properly ad justed head restra int .
Dri ving sa fety 129
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly ad justs their head re­
straint. Adjust the head restraint so the
upper edge is as even as possible with
the top of your head .
If that is not possi­
ble, t ry to ad just the head restraint so
that it is as close to this pos it ion as pos­
sible. Move t he head rest raint so that i t
is as close to the back of the head as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head res traint
while driving . If you have driven off and
m ust adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
straint .
- Ch ildren must a lways be properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their age and size¢
page 170.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupan t restraint syst em can only re ­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
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 sea ting positions reduce the
effectiveness of safety belts and will even in ­
crease the r isk of injury and death by mov ing
the safety be lt to crit ica l areas of the body.
Improper seating posi tions a lso increase the
risk of serio us inju ry and de ath when an a ir­
bag deploys and strikes 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. Therefore :
.,. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
r:!.> _&. .
The following bulle tins list o nly 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 yo u more aware of seating po-
sitions that are dangerous. ..,.

130 Driving saf ety
Th ere fo re, wh enever th e vehicle i s
mo ving :
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never knee l on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up aga inst the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the w indow
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion o r
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seat ing positions increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­ pants stay in a proper seating pos it ion
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
App lies to vehicles: with knee a irbags
A WARNING
Always make s ure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween yourse lf and the airbag can inc rease
the risk of in jury in an acc ident by interfer­
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
being pushed 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 result in se rious or fata l injuries.
- No objects of any kind should 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
ai rbag. Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
and i njure you or your passenge rs .
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 su re that a ll peda ls move free ly without
i nterference and that no thing preven ts them
from return ing to their or ig inal positions .
Only use f loor mats that leave the pedal a rea
free and can be secu red with floor mat fasten­
ers.
If a brake c ircu it fa ils, inc reased brake pedal
t ravel is required to bring the vehicle to a full
stop.
A WARNING
P edals that cannot move free ly can ca use
l oss of vehicle contro l and increase the risk
of serious injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the driver's
footwell. An object co uld get into the
pedal area and interfere with pedal func­
tion. In case of sudden braking or an ac­
cident, you wou ld not be able to brake or
accelerate!
-Always make sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
.,. Make sure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals
¢ A . ..,_

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ,....,
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
T his 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 five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each
seating 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 5
-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 abou t the importance
of buckling-up.
Fig. 117 Safety bel t warn ing light in the instr ume nt
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 clus­
ter lights up when the ignition is on as a re­
minder to fasten the safety belts . In addition,
you will hear a warning tone for a certain peri­
od 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. •
•
•

....,
N
0 > co
rl I.O
"' ....,
"' rl
occupant will slam violently into the steering
wheel, instrument panel, w indshield , or what­
ever else is in the way
c::> fig. 120. This impact
with the vehicle interior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
additional protection. Airbags are not sup­
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Al­
though your Audi is equipped with airbags, all
vehicle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to mini­ mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always
there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to deploy or
when they have already deployed. Unbelted
occupants can also be thrown out of the vehi­
cle where even more severe or fatal injur ies
can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passen­
gers in the rear seats endanger not only them­
selves but also the driver and other passen­
gers
c::> fig. 121. In a frontal collision they will
be thrown forward violently, where they can
hit and injure the driver and/or front seat pas ­
senger.
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!
Fig. 122 Driver is cor rect ly r est rain ed in a sudd en brak­
ing man euve r
Safety belts 13 7
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference. Safety belts help to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help
prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
cause serious injuries . In addition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle .
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and
give them the benefit of being slowed down more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features engineered into today's vehicles. By
"absorbing" the kinetic energy over a longer
period of time, the safety belts make the
forces on the body more "tolerable" and less
likely to cause injury.
Although these examples are based on a fron­
tal collision, safety belts can also su bsta ntia l­
ly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or
just going to the corner store, always buckle
up and make sure others do, too. Accident sta­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of being
injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen­
tal airbags to do their job in a collision . For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­
ed. Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions. The front air­
bags are not activated in all frontal collisions,
in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough deceleration
through impact to the front of the vehicle.
The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt
and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!

....,
N
0 > co
rl I.O
"' ....,
"' rl
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the
wearer's body.
... Adjust the front seat and head restraint
properly
c::> page 5 7, Front seats.
• Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in an upright position and securely
latched in place before using the belt
c::> ,&..
... Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it even­
ly across the chest and pelvis
c::> ,&. .
""Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
c::> fig. 123.
.., Pull on the belt to make sure that it is se-
curely latched in the buckle.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is equipped with an automat­
ic belt retractor on the shoulder belt . This fea­
ture locks the belt when the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an accident.
The belt may also lock when you drive up or
down a steep hill or through a sharp curve. During normal driving the belt lets you move
freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped with a belt pre­
tensioner that helps to tighten the safety belt
and remove slack when the pretensioner is ac­
tivated
c::> poge 142. The function of the pre­
tensioner is monitored by a warning light
c::> page 21.
Convertible locking retractor
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertible locking re­
tractor that
must be used when the safety
belt is used to attach a child seat. Be sure to
read the important information about this
feature
c::> poge 181.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious injury in an accident
o::> page 139, Safety belt position.
-Safety belts offer optimum protection
only when the seatback is upright and
Safety belts 139
belts are properly positioned on the
body.
- Always make sure that the rear seat
backrest to which the center rear safety
belt* is attached is securely latched
whenever the rear center safety belt is
being used. If the backrest is not secure­
ly latched, the passenger will move for­
ward with the backrest during sudden
braking, in a sudden maneuver and espe­
cially in a crash .
- Never attach the safety belt to the buck­
le for another seat. Attaching the belt to
the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause serious per­
sonal injury.
- A passenger who is not correctly restrain­
ed can be seriously injured by the safety
belt itself when it moves from the stron­
ger parts of the body into sensitive areas
like the abdomen.
- Always lock the convertible locking re­
tractor when you are securing a child seat in the vehicle
c::> page 183.
(D Tips
For information on safety belt pretension­
ers, refer to
c::> page 142.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting
maximum protection from safety belts.
Fig. 124 Safety belt position
Use the height adjustment to change the posi­
tion of the shoulder belt of the front safety
belts .
~