2018 AUDI Q5 page 4

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~ ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions.
~ 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 driv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal inju ry and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 219 Correct seating pos ition
F or your own s afety 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
position:
~ Adjust the dr iver's seat so tha t you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the f loor wh ile
keeping your knee(s) s light ly bent
c::> _& .
~ Adjust the ang le of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact w ith it when you drive.
~ Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
stee ring wheel and you r breast bone
c::> fig. 219.
If no t possib le, see you r autho riz ed Aud i dea le r
abo ut adapt ive eq uipment.
Dri ving safety
~ Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag
cover points at your chest and
not at yo ur face.
~ Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent.
~ Adjust the head restra int so the upper edge is
as
even as possible w ith the top of your head . If
that is not possib le, t ry to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this posit ion as
possible .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c::>page 264.
~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in contro l of the ve hicle at a ll times.
F or detailed information on how to adj ust the
drive r's seat, see
c::> page 56 .
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 d uce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always ad just the driver's seat and the
steer ing whee l so that there are at least
10 inc hes (25 cm) between you r breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out­
side of the steering wheel r im with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o' clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in­
ju ry if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the stee ring wheel at the
12 o' clock position o r with you r hands at
o ther posi tions ins ide the s teer ing whee l
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serio us injuries to the hands, arms and head
if the dr iver's airbag dep loys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen­ tal driver's airbag to protect you in a coll i­
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean aga inst or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are located .
253

Driving safety
-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 291 . Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat
c:> page 269.
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 .
... 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 58.
... Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts correct­
ly¢ page 264.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 56 .
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:
254
- 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 pas­
senger's breastbone and 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 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 291. Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat
c::> page 269.
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 :
... If there are passengers on the outer rear seats,
adjust the head restraints so the upper edge is
.,.

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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. If there is a passenger in the center
rear seat, slide the head restraint upward
c:>page 58 .
• Make sure that the seatback is securely latched
in the upright pos ition
r:::;, page 63 .
• Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
• Fasten and wear safety be lts properly
,:;;;,page 264.
• Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and
ager:::;, page 291 .
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 max imum p rotection
when the seatback is securely latched in the
upr ight position and the safety be lts are
prope rly pos itioned on the body. By not sit­
t ing upright, a rea r seat passenger increases
the risk of personal in jury from improperly
posit ioned safety belts !
- Always adjust the head rest raint properly so
that it can g ive maximum protection.
Dri ving safety
Proper adjustment of 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.
F ig . 2 2 0 Head restraint: v iewed 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 possib le 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 . Position* the head restraint as close
as possible to the back of your head.
• If there is a passenger in the center rear seat,
slide the head restra int upward.
Adjusting head restraints
r:::;, page 58.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints .
Driving w ithout head restraints or w ith head
r est raints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the r is k of se rious or fata l neck injury
dramat ic al ly. To help reduce the risk of inju ry:
- Always d rive with the head restra ints in
p lace and properly adjusted.
- Every pe rson in the veh icle must have a
p roperly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the veh icle
p roperly adjusts the ir head restraint. Adj ust
the head restraints so the upper edge is as
even as possible wi th the top of your head.
I f that is not poss ible, try to ad just the head
rest raint so that it is as close to this position
as poss ible.
Ill>
255

Drivin g saf ety
- 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, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to ad just the head restra int.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a child restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
c> page 291 .
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 deat h. Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body . Im­
proper seating positions reduce the effect iveness
of safety belts and w ill even increase the r isk of
i n ju ry and death by moving the safety be lt to crit­
ical a reas of t he body. Improper seat ing posit ions
a lso increase the risk of serious injury and dea th
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position. A driver is responsib le 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> & .
The fo llowing bulletins list only some sample po ­
sitions that wi ll increase the risk of serio us inj ury
and death. Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating posit ions that
are dangerous.
The refore, when ever th e vehicle i s mo ving :
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never s tand on the seats
- never knee l on the seats
- never r ide with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the seats
- never lean up against the instrument pane l
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lea n ou t t he w indow
- never put yo ur feet out the window
256
-never put your feet on the instrument panel
- neve r rest your feet on the seat c ushion or bac k
o f the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
.8, WARNING
Imp roper seating positions in cr ease the risk
of ser ious personal inju ry and dea th whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all veh icle o ccupants
s tay in a proper sea ting posit ion and a re
proper ly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used .
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 free ly without in­
terference and that nothing prevents them from retur ning to their or ig inal pos itions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners.
If a bra ke circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav ­
e l is req uired to bring the vehicle to a fu ll stop.
.8, WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle contro l and increase the r isk of seri­
ous injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the driver's foot­
wel l. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal funct ion. In case of
sudden braking or an acc ident, you would
no t be able to brake o r acce le rate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver's footwell.

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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
suitab le floor mats from your authorized Audi
deale r.
F loor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Proper ly securing the floor
mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im­
pa ir safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
A WARNING
Peda ls that cannot move free ly can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
ser ious personal in jury.
- Always make sure tha t floor mats are p rop­
erly sec ured.
- Never place o r install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the ve hicle that cannot be
prope rly secured in place to prevent them
from slipp ing and interfering with the ped­
als or the ability to control t he vehicle .
- Never place o r inst all floo r m ats or o ther
floor coverings on top of already insta lled
floo r mats. Additional floor mats and other
cove rings wi ll reduce the size of the peda l
area and interfere with the pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken o ut for cleaning.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fa ll
into the dr iver footwell while the veh icle is
moving. Objects can become trapped under
the brake peda l and accelerator peda l caus­
ing a loss of veh icle control.
Dri ving sa fety
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly
stowed and secured in the luggage compart­
ment .
Fig . 221 Safe load pos iti on ing : plac e heavy ob jects as low
a n d as far forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
sh ift suddenly, changing vehicle hand lin g charac­
te ristics. Loo se i tems can a lso increase the risk of
se rious persona l injury in a sudden veh icle ma­
neuver or in a collision .
.,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
pa rtment .
.,. Always p lace and properly secu re heavy items in
t he l uggage compartment as low and as far for­
wa rd as possib le
¢ fig . 221.
.,. Secure luggage usi ng the tie -downs provided
¢ page 65.
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is secure ly
latched in place.
A WARNING
-
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
f ly through the vehicle ca us ing se rious per­
sona l injury i n the event of ha rd bra king or an
accident. To help reduce the risk of serio us
personal injury:
- Always put obje cts, for examp le, l uggage or
o ther he avy item s in the luggage compa rt ­
men t.
- Always secure objects in the luggage com­
p art ment us ing the tie -down eyelets and
suitable straps .
257

Driving safety
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 th e driv­
er's side B-pillar. Exceeding permissible
weight standards can cause the vehicle to
slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driving
<=) page 252.
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 se­
curely closed and locked to reduce the risk of
injury when the vehicle is not being used .
-After closing the rear lid , always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked.
258
-Never leave your vehicle unattended espe­
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 ride in the luggage
compartment . Vehicle occupants must al­
ways be properly restrained in one of the
ve­
hicle 's seating positions.
@ Note
If you are transporting large items with the
backrest folded down*, you should remove
the Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE)* and its
holder* to avoid damage.
© Tips
-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 label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for the
vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and
the tires that were on your vehicle at the
time it was manufactured. For recommend­ ed tire pressures for normal load condi­
tions, please see chapter
Q page 336 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartmen t is equipped with four
t ie-downs to secure luggage and o ther i tems.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
Qpage 25 7, L oading 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 ene rgy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the
item . Vehicle speed is the mos t significant fac tor .
..,.

Safety belts
& 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.
-Never strap more than one person, includ­
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.
-Never 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,
bindings, buckles, or retractors are dam-
264
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 , d isassemble, or try
to repair the safety belts yourself .
-Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly and can impair the func­
tion of the inertia
reel¢ table Interior
cleaning on page 346.
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 228 Belt buckle and tongue on the drive r's seat
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear ­
er's body .
.. Adjust the front seat and head restraint proper­
ly¢ page 56, 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 ¢,&
.
.. Pull the safety belt evenly across the chest and
pelvis
¢ fig . 228, ¢ ,& .
.. Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely.
.. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle.
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Automatic saf ety belt retractor s
Every safety be lt is equ ipped with an automatic
be lt retractor on the shoulder belt. Th is feature
l ocks the belt when the belt is pull ed out fast,
during hard braking and in an accident. The be lt
may a lso lock when you drive up or down a steep
h ill or through a sharp curve. During normal driv­
ing the belt lets you move freely .
Safety be lt pret en sioner s
Safety belts with pretensioners he lp to tighten
the safety belt and remove slack when the pre­
tensioners are activated
c:> page 267. The func­
tion of the pretensioner is monitored by a warn­
i ng light
<=> page 26 .
Con vertible loc king retract or
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertible locking retrac­
tor that
m ust be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child safety seat. Be sure to read
the important information about this feature
<=>page 302 .
A WARNING
Improperly posit ioned safety be lts ca n cause
ser ious injury in an accident
c:> page 265,
Safety belt position.
-Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upright and belts are
prope rly pos itioned on the body.
-Always ma ke sure tha t the rear seat bac k­
rest to wh ich the center rear safety be lt is
attached is secure ly latched whenever the
rear center safety belt is being used. If the
backrest is not securely latched, the passen­
ger will move forward with the backrest dur­
ing sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver
and especially in a cras h.
-Never attach the safety belt to the buckle
for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle w ill reduce safety belt effec­
t iveness and can cause serious personal in­
jury.
-A passenger who is not properly restrained can be seriously in jured by the safety be lt it­
self when it moves from the stronger parts
Safet y bel ts
of the body into critical areas like the abdo­
men .
-Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are securing a child safety seat in
the vehicle
c:> page 304.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi­
mum protection from safety belts.
Fig. 229 Safety belt pos it ion
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust
the position of the safety belt to ma tch your body
s iz e.
-belt height adjustment for the front seats,
-height-adjustable front seats.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
se rious personal injury in an acc ident.
-The shou lder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possib le and
should fit well on the body. Ho ld the belt
above the latch tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest so th at it sits as low as pos­
sible on the pe lvis and there is no p ressure
on the abdomen . The belt should a lways fit
snug ly
c:> fig. 229. Pu ll on the belt to tighten
if necessary .
-The lap be lt portion of the sa fety belt must
be positioned as low as possible across pel­
vis and never over the abdomen. Make sure
the belt lies flat and snug
c:> fig. 229. Pull on
the belt to tighten if necessary.
-A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious
in juries by shifting its position on your body
ll>
265