Driving sa fe ty
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safe ty first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings 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
be lts, a irbags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1 . Al
ways observe the i nfo rmation and wa rn ings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The information i n this section applies to all
model versions of yo ur vehicle . Some of the fea
tures descr ibed in t his sections may be s tanda rd
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 th is
Manual.
It is in your interest and in the in
te rest of your passengers .
- Always keep the comp lete Owner's Litera
ture in your A udi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the d river and
passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner 's literature handy so
t h at you ca n find it easily if you have ques
t ions.
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 occident si t
uations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advan ces i n tech
nology have made a var iety of features avai lab le
to help reduce t he risk of injury in an accident .
112
The following is a list of just a few of the sa fety
features in your Audi :
- sophis tica ted safety be lts fo r dr ive r and all pas-
senge r seat ing pos itions,
- belt fo rce limi ters for the front seats,
- be lt pretensione rs fo r the seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain airbags,
- special LATCH anchorages fo r ch ild rest rai nts,
- adj ustab le steer ing column.
T hese ind iv idual safety features, can work to
gether as a system to help protect you and your
passengers i n a wide range of acc idents . These
features canno t wo rk as a system if they are not
always correc tly adj uste d and correct ly used.
Safety i s everybody' s responsibil ity!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the inform ed and care
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
before dri ving always:
.. Make sure that a ll lights and signals are operat
ing correctly .
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.,. Secu re all luggage and othe r items carefully
~page 60.
.,. Mak e sure th at noth ing c an interfere wi th the
pedals .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct rear seat passengers to adj ust the
head restraints according to their he ight.
.. Make sure to use the rig ht child restraint cor
rectly to protect children
c:> page 151, Child
safety .
.. Si t proper ly in yo ur seat a nd make sure t hat
your passenge rs do the same
~ page 54, Seats
and storage.
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rl I.Cl U"I
..... I.Cl ......
.. Fasten your safety be lt and wea r it properly. Al
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe
ty belts properly ¢
page 121.
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 road without being dis
tracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve
h icle 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
eve ryone else on the road ¢,&. .Therefore :
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular te lephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driv ing ability is im
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc .).
.. Observe a ll traffic laws, ru les of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust you r speed to road, traffic and
weather cond itions.
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for 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 dr iv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Dr iving safety
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
F ig. 118 Co rrect seating pos it 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
keep ing 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 contac t wi th it when you dr ive.
.. Adj ust the steer ing wheel so that there is a d is
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering whee l and your breast bone¢
fig. 118.
If not poss ible, see your author ized 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 steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. App lies to veh icles w ith adjustable head re
s tra ints : Adjus t the head rest raint 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 124.
.,. Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the veh icle at a ll times .
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Driving safety
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
~ page 55.
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 su pplemen
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 151. Special precautions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat
q page 129.
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-
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
~ page 124.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
~ page 54.
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
personal 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.
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their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Before driving, always 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 panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in
crease the risk of injury 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 injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats¢
page 151. Spec ial precaut ions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 129.
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 ve hicle is 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 position ¢
page 64.
~ Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 124.
~ Make sure that children are always properly re
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age¢
page 151 .
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash .
Driving safety
-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 protection
when the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position and the safety belts are properly positioned on the body . By not sit
ting upright, a rear seat passenger increases
the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts!
-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 impor
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 119 Head restraint: viewed from t he front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
~ Adjust the head restraints 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
¢ fig . 119.
Adjusting head restraints ¢page 57.
A WARNING
-~
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Driving without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury
dramatically . To help reduce the risk of injury:
~
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Driving sa fe ty
-Always drive with the head restraints i n
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra ints 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
restra int so that it is as close to th is position
as possib le.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint wh ile driving.
If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea
son, fi rst stop the vehicle safely before at
tempting to ad just the head restr aint.
- Children must always be p roperly restrained
in a chi ld restrain t th at is appropria te fo r
their age and size~
page 151.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated.
I mp roper seating positions can cause se rious in
ju ry or deat h. Safety belts can only wo rk when
they are p roperly posi tioned o n the body . Im
p roper seating posi tions reduce t he effe ct iveness
of sa fety belts and w ill even increase the r isk o f
in jury and death by moving the safety be lt to crit
ical areas of the body . Improper seating posit ions
also increase the risk of ser ious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the prope r seat ing position. A driver
is respo nsible for the safety of all vehicle occu
pants and especially fo r children. Therefo re:
~ Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seat ing pos ition w hen the veh icle is being used
~ .&. -
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po
sitions that will inc rease the risk of serious inju ry
and death. Ou r hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seat ing pos it io ns that
a re dangero us.
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Therefore , whenever the vehicle is moving :
-neve r stand up in the vehicle
- neve r sta nd on the seats
- neve r kneel on the seats
- never ride w ith the seatback recl ined
- neve r lie down on the rear seat
- neve r lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out t he window
- neve r put your feet o ut the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- neve r rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Imp roper seating positions inc rease the risk
of ser ious personal injury and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
stay in a proper seating posit ion and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is be ing used .
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
' Important safety instructions
Applies to vehicles : wi th knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make su re that the k nee airbag can in
fl ate w ithout interfe rence. Object s between
yourself and the airb ag can inc re ase the risk
of injury in an accident by in terfering with the
way the ai rbag dep loys o r by being pushed in
to you as the airbag dep loys.
- No persons (ch ild ren) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat .
If the airbag deploys, this can res ult in
serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the dr iver's or
passenger's seat. Bu lky objects (shopping
bags, for examp le) can hamper or prevent
proper deployment of the airbag. Small ob
jects can be thrown through the vehicle if 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
and 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 .
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri
ous lnJUry.
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot
we ll. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere w ith 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 fall 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 pos it ion. You can obtain
~ suitable floor mats from yo ur authorized Aud i
~ dealer. Lil ,...., v:, ,....,
Driving safety
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners . Properly securing the floor
mats will prevent them from slid ing into posi
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im
pair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
A 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 p lace 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 . Additional floor mats and other
cover ings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals.
-Always properly re insta ll and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean ing .
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall
into the driver footwe ll whi le the vehicle is
mov ing. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus
ing a loss of vehicle control.
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Driving safety
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All Luggage and other objects must be properly
stowed and secured in the Luggage compart
ment.
Fig. 120 Safe load positio ning: place heavy objects as low
and as far forwar d as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling charac
teristics . Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious personal injury in a sudden vehicle ma
neuver or in a collision.
• Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com
partment.
• Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as low and as far for
ward as possible
¢ fig. 120.
• Secure the load with the cargo net* or with
non-elastic straps secured to the tie-downs
c>page 65.
• Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place .
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle causing serious per
sonal injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury :
- Always put objects, for example, luggage or
other heavy items in the luggage compart
ment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage com
partment using the tie-down eyelets and
suitable straps.
118
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi
cle handles. To help reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to serious personal injury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the left
door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight
standards can cause the vehicle to slide and
handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driving
c> page 112.
A 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 be
cause 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 pan-
el,
- 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 secure
ly closed and locked to reduce the risk of in
jury when the vehicle is not being used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked. .,..
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cially with the rear lid left open . A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug
gage compartment and close the rear lid be
coming trapped and unable to get out . Be
ing trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi
cle.
- Never let passengers r ide in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must al
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve
hicle's seating positions.
-Air circulation helps to reduce window fog ging . 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 label is lo
cated on the driver 's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended 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 man
ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap
ter
c:> page 215.
Tie-downs
App lies to vehicles: wit h 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 properly
¢ page 118, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause serious in
jury. Items in the vehicle possess energy 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
Driving safety
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 col
lision like this.
A WARNING
-Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fai l during hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per
sonal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent items from shifting or flying forward as dan
gerous 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 forward as dangerous
missiles into the passenger 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 in
form the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com
plaints, it may open an investiga
tion, and if it finds that a safety defects exists in a group of ..,.
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