Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safe driving
... Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al
so instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly ¢ page 180.
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
everyone else on the road ¢.&,.Therefore :
... Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
... NEVER 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 ad just you r speed to road, traffic and
weather cond itions.
... Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for
more than two ho urs 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
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is
being used.
172
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 142 Correct seating pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in
jury
in the event of an acc ident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver's seat to the following
position:
... 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 drive.
... Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a d is
tance of at least 10 in (25 cm) between the
steering wheel and your breast bone ¢fig. 142.
If not possible, see your authorized Audi deal
ership 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 .
... Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢ page 184 .
... 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 adj ust the
driver's seat, see¢ page 44, Seats and storage. ....
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.&. 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 in (25 cm) between your breastbone and
the steering wheel.
-Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least 4 in
(10 cm) between the knees and the lower
part of the instrument panel.
- 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 inflates
-
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
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 seats
Q page 212. Special precautions apply
-
Safe driving
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat Q page 188.
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:
... 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.
... Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
Qpage 184.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see Q page 44.
A WARNING
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 in (25 cm) between the front passen
ger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
- Always
make sure that there are at least 4 in
(10 cm) between the front passenger'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. ..,.
173
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safe driving
- Before driving, always
adjust the front pas
senger seat 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 alw ays ride in child seats
¢page 212. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passeng er seat¢ page 188.
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 sur e that the seatback is securely latched
in the upright position ¢ page 50.
.. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢ page 184.
• Make sure that children are always properly re
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age ¢ page 212.
.&. WARNING
r-= ~
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.
174
-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!
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious in
jury
or death. Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body. Im
proper seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and will even increase th e risk of
injury and death by moving the safety belt to crit
ical
areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also i
ncrease the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position. A driver
is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu·
pants and especially for children. Therefore:
.. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
c:>A.
The following bulletins list only some sample po
sitions that will increase the risk of serious injury
and
death. Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
are dangerous.
The refore, whe never th e ve hicle is mov ing :
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never
stand on the seats
-never kneel on the seats
-never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on
the rear seat
-never lean up against the instrument panel
-never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean
out the window
- never
put your feet out the window
- never
put your feet on the instrument panel
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-never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
-never ride in the footwell
- never ride
in the cargo area
.&. WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
-Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being
used.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can in
flate without 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 being pushed in
to you as the airbag deploys.
-
No persons (children) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat. If the airbag deploys, this can result in
serious or fatal injuries.
-
No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for example) 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.
Safe driving
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 fu ll 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 fall or
move into the driver'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.
Floor
mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly securing the floor .,..
17 5
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety belts
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in
jured or killed . Alway s wear your
safety belts!
Fig. 148 A driver not wearing a safety belt is violently
thrown forward
F ig .
149 A rear passenger not wearing a safety belt will fly
forward and strike
the driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tre
mendous forces of impact by holding tight or
bracing themselves. Without the benefit of safe
ty restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant
will slam violently into the steering wheel, in
strument panel, windshield, or whatever else is
in the way q fig. 148. This impact with the vehi
cle i
nterior has all the energy they had just be
fore
the crash.
Never rely
on airbags alone for protection. Even
when
they deploy, airbags provide only additional
protection . Airbags are not supposed to deploy in
all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, in
cluding
the driver, must wear safety belts cor
rectly
in order to minimize the risk of severe in
jury
or death in a crash.
182
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 vehicle where even
more severe or fatal injuries can occur .
I t is
also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passengers
in the rear seats endanger not only themselves
but also the driver and other passengers
~fig. 149. In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and
injure 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!
Fig. 150 Driver is correctly restrained in a sudden braking
man euver.
Safety belts used properly can make a big diffe r
ence. Safety
belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy leve ls ap
pli ed
to the body In an accident, and help prevent
the uncontrolled movement that can cause seri
ous 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 engi
neered 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 . .,..
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Although these examples are based on a frontal
collision, safety belts can also substantially re
duce 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 statistics show that vehi
cle
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 supplemental airbags to do their job in a col
lision. For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is le
gally required
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 provided. Front
a irb
ags, for example, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not acti
vated
in all frontal collisions, in side and rear col
lisions,
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!
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.
"'M ake su re that your safety belts are always
ready for use and
are not damaged.
A_ WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im
properly increases
the risk of serious personal
injury and death. Safety belts can work only
when used correctly.
-Always fasten your safety belts correctly be
fore driving off and make sure all passen
gers are correctly restrained .
- For
maximum protection, safety belts must
always be positioned properly on the body .
Safety be lts
- Never strap more than one person, incl ud
ing
small children, into any belt.
-Never place a safety belt over a child sitting
on your lap.
- Always keep
feet in the footwell in front of
the seat while the vehicle is being driven.
- 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 vehicle
is moving. Doing
so will increase your risk of
being injured or killed.
- Never
wear belts twisted.
- N ever wear belts over rigid or breakable ob-
jects 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 hard
ware.
-
Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of position.
- Several layers
of heavy clothing may inter
fere with correct positioning of belts and re
duce the overall effectiveness of the system.
-Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latching
securely.
- Never
use comfort clips or devices that cre
ate slack in the shoulder belt. However, spe
cial clips
may be required for the proper use
of some child restraint systems.
-Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged belt hardware can break in an acci
dent. Inspect belts regularly. If webbing,
b indings , buckles,
or retractors are dam
aged, have belts replaced by an authorized
Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
- Safety
belts that have been worn and loaded
in an accident must be replaced with the
correct replacement safety belt by an au
thorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be
necessary even if damage cannot be clearly
seen. Anchorages that were loaded must al
so be inspected.
-Never remove, modify, disassemble, or try
to repair the safety belts yourself.
183
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety belts
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only after the vehicle has stopped.
Fig. 154 Releasing the tongue from the buckle
.. Push the red release button on the buckle
Q fig. 154. The belt tongue will spring out of
the buckle Q ,&..
.. Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide
the belt tongue to its stowed position.
A WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehicle is
moving . Doing so will increase your risk of be
ing injured
or kil led.
Improperly worn safety belts
a
~ 0 ± .. QJ
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause se
vere injuries .
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause seri
ous injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they are correctly positioned on the body.
Improper seating positions reduce the effective
ness of safety belts and wil l even increase the
risk of injury and death by mov ing the safety belt
to crit ica l areas of the body. Improper seating
positions also increase the risk of serious injury
and death when an airbag deploys and strikes an
occupant who is not in the correct seating posi
tion. A driver
is responsible for the safety of all
vehicle
occupants and especially for children.
Therefore:
.. Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect
seated position in the vehicle while traveling
QA .
186
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always
make sure that all veh icle occupants
are corr ectly restrained and stay in a correct
seated position whenever the vehicle is be
ing
used.
- Always read and follow all WARNINGS and
other important information Q page 183.
Safety belt tensioner
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear-end collisions above a
particular severity
and in a rollover, safety belts
are tensioned automatically .
Pyrotechnic safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts for the front seati ng pos it io ns
are equipped with safety belt pretensioners. The
system is acti va ted by sensors in front, side and
r
ear-end collisions of great seve rity and in a roll
over. This
tightens the belt and takes up belt
s lack ~ .& in Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioner on page 187. Taking up the slack
helps
to reduce forward occupant movement dur
i ng a collis ion.
A WARNING
-It is possi ble for the pretensioners to deploy
incorrect ly .
- The pyrotechnic
system can only provide
protection for one collision. If th e py rotech
nic pretensioners deploy, the pretensioning
sys tem must be replaced.
(!) Tips
The pyrotechnic safety belt pretensioners can
o nl y
deploy once .
- The
safety belt pretensioners do not deploy
in minor frontal, side and rear-end colli
sions .
- A
fine dust is re leased when the pyrotechnic
safety belt pretensioners deploy . This is no r
mal and is not caused by a fire in the veh i
cle.
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-The relevant safety requirements must be
observed when the vehicle or components
of the system are scrapped. A qualified
dealership is familiar with these regulations
and will be pleased to pass on the informa
tion
to you.
-
Be sure to observe all safety, environmental
and other regulations if the vehicle or indi
vidual
parts of the system, particularly the
safety belt or airbag, are to be disposed. We
recommend you have your authorized Audi
dealer perform this service for you.
Service and disposal of safety belt preten
sioner
The safety be lt pretensioners are parts of the
safety belts on your Audi. Installing, removing,
servicing
or repairing of belt pretensioners can
damage the safety belt system and prevent it
from working correctly in a collision .
There
are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
-
Improper care, servicing and repair proce
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and
death by preventing a safety belt preten
sioner from activating when needed or acti
vating it unexpectedly:
-
The belt pretensioner system can be activat
ed only once.
If belt pretensioners have
been activated, the system must be re
placed.
- Never repair, adjust,
or change any parts of
the safety belt system.
-Safety belt systems including safety belt
pretensioners cannot be repaired. Special
procedures are required for removal, instal
lation and disposal of this system.
-For any work on the safety belt system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au
thorized Audi dealer or qualified technician
who has an Audi approved repair manual,
training and special equipment necessary .
Safety belts
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed air bag modules and pretension
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo
rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re
straint system including airbag modules safe
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all
applicable laws and
regulations must be ob
served. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
with
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this service
for you.
187