2020 VOLKSWAGEN ID.3 Owner´s Manual

If t h e d riv e r o r f ro n t p asse n ger s e at a re o cc u p ie d b y a n a d ult , a n a co ustic w arn in g w il l b e e m it te d
fo r a f e w s e co n ds if t h e s e at b elt s a re n ot f a ste n ed a t t h e s ta rt o f a jo urn ey a n d t h e v e h ic le
r e ach es a s p eed o f m ore t h an a p pro xim ate ly 2 5 k m /h (1 5 m ph) o r if t h e s e at b elt s a re u n fa ste n ed
w hil e t h e v e h ic le is in m otio n . T h e w arn in g l a m p  a ls o f la sh es →  Fig . 1.
T h e w arn in g l a m p  w il l n ot g o o ut u n til a ll o cc u p an ts h ave f a ste n ed t h eir s e at b elt s w hen t h e
ig nit io n is s w it c h ed o n .
B elt s ta tus d is p la y f o r t h e r e a r s e ats
A ft e r t h e ig nit io n h as b een s w it c h ed o n , t h e b elt s ta tu s d is p la y →  Fig . 2 o n t h e in stru m en t
clu ste r d is p la y s h ow s t h e d riv e r w heth er t h e a d ult r e ar s e at p ass e n gers h ave f a ste n ed t h eir s e at
b elt s .
W arni ng l a m p
Fig . 1 O n t h e in stru m en t c lu ste r d is p la y: w arn in g l a m p.
Fig . 2 O n t h e in stru m en t c lu ste r d is p la y: s e at b elt s ta tu s f o r t h e r e ar s e ats .

Th e f o llo w in g s y m bols l ig ht u p in d if fe re n t c o lo urs d ep en din g o n w heth er s e ats a re o cc u p ie d a n d
on t h e b elt s ta tu s:
T h e r e d s y m bol in dic a te s t h at t h e p asse n ger o n t h is s e at h as n ot f a ste n ed t h eir s e at b elt .
T h e g re en s y m bol in dic a te s t h at t h e p asse n ger o n t h is s e at h as f a ste n ed t h eir s e at b elt .
T h e w hit e s y m bol in dic a te s t h at t h is s e at is n ot o cc u p ie d .
B uc kle -up r e q ues t f o r t h e r e a r s e ats
If a s e at b elt f o r o n e o f t h e r e ar s e ats is u n fa ste n ed w hil e t h e v e h ic le is in m otio n , t h e s y m bol 
w il l l ig ht u p c o n tin uo usly f o r t h is s e at. T h e w arn in g l a m p w il l a ls o f la sh o n t h e in stru m en t
clu ste r d is p la y →  Fig . 1. I f t h e v e h ic le is t ra ve llin g f a ste r t h an a p pro xim ate ly 2 5 k m /h (1 5 m ph)
an a co ustic s ig nal w il l a ls o b e g iv e n .
W AR N IN G
In co rre ctly f a ste n ed o r u n fa ste n ed s e at b elt s in cre ase t h e r is k o f s e ve re o r f a ta l in ju rie s. S e at
b elt s w il l o n ly o ffe r t h e o ptim um l e ve l o f p ro te ctio n w hen t h ey a re f a ste n ed a n d u se d p ro p erly .
W AR N IN G
Th e b uck le -u p r e q uest is d esig ned t o d ete ct a d ult p ers o n s. I f a s e at is o cc u p ie d b y l ig hte r
p ers o n s, in p art ic u la r c h il d re n , t h e d ete ctio n w il l n ot b e r e lia b le . T h e b uck le -u p r e q uest a ls o
d oes n ot r e sp on d o r o n ly in a l im it e d w ay if c h il d s e ats a n d s e at s u p port s a re u se d .
●A lw ays e n su re t h at a ll v e h ic le o cc u p an ts , e sp ecia lly c h il d re n , h ave f a ste n ed t h eir s e at b elt s
p ro p erly .

Th e p hysic a l p rin cip le s in vo lv e d in a f ro n ta l c o llis io n a re r e la tiv e ly s im ple . A s s o on a s t h e v e h ic le
is in m otio n , b oth t h e m ovin g v e h ic le a n d it s o cc u p an ts g ain “ k in etic e n erg y” →  Fig . 1.
T h e h ig her t h e v e h ic le s p eed a n d t h e h eavie r t h e w eig ht o f t h e v e h ic le , t h e g re ate r t h e a m oun t
of e n erg y t h at w il l b e r e le ase d in t h e e ve n t o f a n a cc id en t.
F ro nt al c o llis io ns a nd t he l a w s o f p hysic s
Fig . 1 U nbelt e d o cc u p an ts in a v e h ic le h ead in g f o r a b ric k w all.
F ig . 2 U nbelt e d o cc u p an ts in a v e h ic le h ead in g f o r a b ric k w all.

How eve r, t h e m ost s ig nif ic a n t f a cto r is t h e s p eed o f t h e v e h ic le . F o r e xa m ple , if t h e s p eed
d oub le s f ro m a ro un d 2 5 k m /h t o a ro un d 5 0 k m /h (1 5 m ph t o 3 1 m ph), t h e k in etic e n erg y
in cre ase s b y a f a cto r o f f o ur.
T h e a m oun t o f k in etic e n erg y d ep en ds o n t h e s p eed o f t h e v e h ic le a n d t h e w eig ht o f t h e v e h ic le
a n d p asse n gers . T h e h ig her t h e s p eed a n d t h e h eavie r t h e w eig ht, t h e g re ate r t h e a m oun t o f
en erg y t h at w il l b e r e le ase d in t h e e ve n t o f a n a cc id en t.
P asse n gers n ot w earin g s e at b elt s a re n ot “ c o n necte d ” t o t h e v e h ic le . I n t h e e ve n t o f a f ro n ta l
co llis io n , t h ey w il l c o n tin ue t o m ove f o rw ard s a t t h e s a m e s p eed a t w hic h t h e v e h ic le w as
tra ve llin g b efo re im pact, u n til s o m eth in g s to p s t h em . B eca u se t h e p ass e n gers in o ur e xa m ple a re
n ot r e stra in ed b y s e at b elt s , t h e e n tir e a m oun t o f k in etic e n erg y w il l o n ly b e r e le ase d a t t h e p oin t
of im pact a g ain st t h e w all →  Fig . 2.
A t s p eed s o f a p pro xim ate ly 3 0 k m /h (1 9 m ph) t o a p pro xim ate ly 5 0 k m /h ( 3 1 m ph), t h e f o rc e s
actin g o n b od ie s in a c o llis io n c a n e asil y e xce ed o n e t o n ne ( 1 ,0 00 k g ). T h ese f o rc e s a re e ve n
g re ate r a t h ig her s p eed s.
T h is e xa m ple a p plie s n ot o n ly t o f ro n ta l c o llis io n s, b ut t o a ll a cc id en ts a n d c o llis io n s.

Wha t ha ppens t o v e hi cle o cc u p ant s w ho ha ve n ot f a ste n ed
the ir s e at b elt s
Fig . 1 A n u n belt e d d riv e r is t h ro w n f o rw ard s.

Man y p eo p le b elie ve t h at t h ey c a n b ra ce t h eir w eig ht w it h t h eir h an ds in a m in or c o llis io n . T h is is
n ot t ru e.
E ve n a t l o w s p eed s, t h e f o rc e s a ctin g o n t h e b od y in a c o llis io n a re s o g re at t h at it is n ot p ossib le
t o b ra ce o n ese lf w it h a rm s a n d h an ds. I n a f ro n ta l c o llis io n , v e h ic le o cc u p an ts w ho h ave n ot
fa ste n ed t h eir s e at b elt s w il l b e t h ro w n f o rw ard a n d w il l m ake u n ch ecke d c o n ta ct w it h p art s o f
th e v e h ic le in te rio r, e .g . t h e s te erin g w heel, d ash p an el, o r w in dsc re en →  Fig . 1.
T h e a ir b ag s y ste m is n ot a s u b stit u te f o r t h e s e at b elt s . W hen t rig gere d , t h e a ir b ag s o n ly p ro vid e
ad dit io n al p ro te ctio n . A ir b ag s a re n ot t rig gere d in a ll k in ds o f a cc id en ts . E ve n if t h e v e h ic le is
e q uip ped w it h a n a ir b ag s y ste m , a ll v e h ic le o cc u p an ts , in clu d in g t h e d riv e r, m ust f a ste n t h eir
s e at b elt a n d w ear it c o rre ctly w hil e t h e v e h ic le is in m otio n . T h is r e d uce s t h e r is k o f s e ve re o r
fa ta l in ju rie s in t h e e ve n t o f a n a cc id en t – r e g ard le ss o f w heth er a n a ir b ag is f it te d f o r t h e s e at.
E ach a ir b ag c a n o n ly b e t rig gere d o n ce . T o a ch ie ve b est p ossib le p ro te ctio n , s e at b elt s m ust
a lw ays b e w orn p ro p erly . T h is a ls o e n su re s t h at p ro te ctio n is p ro vid ed in a cc id en ts in w hic h t h e
air b ag is n ot t rig gere d . A ny v e h ic le o cc u p an ts n ot w earin g a s e at b elt c a n b e t h ro w n o ut o f t h e
ve h ic le a n d s u sta in m ore s e ve re o r e ve n f a ta l in ju rie s a s a r e su lt .
It is a ls o im port a n t f o r t h e r e ar s e at o cc u p an ts t o w ear s e at b elt s p ro p erly , a s t h ey c o uld
o th erw is e b e t h ro w n f o rw ard s v io le n tly in a n a cc id en t. R ear p ass e n gers w ho a re n ot w earin g
se at b elt s e n dan ger n ot o n ly t h em se lv e s a n d t h e d riv e r, b ut a ls o o th er p eo p le in t h e v e h ic le
→  Fig . 2.
F ig . 2 T h e u n belt e d r e ar p asse n ger is t h ro w n f o rw ard s, h it tin g t h e b elt e d d riv e r.

Corre ctly f a ste n ed s e at b elt s c a n m ake a m ajo r d if fe re n ce . W hen f a ste n ed p ro p erly , s e at b elt s
h old t h e v e h ic le o cc u p an ts in t h e c o rre ct s it tin g p osit io n s a n d c o n sid era b ly r e d uce t h e k in etic
e n erg y in t h e e ve n t o f a n a cc id en t. S e at b elt s a ls o h elp t o p re ve n t u n co n tro lle d m ove m en ts t h at
co uld l e ad t o s e ve re in ju rie s. I n a d dit io n , w earin g s e at b elt s p ro p erly r e d uce s t h e r is k o f b ein g
th ro w n f ro m t h e v e h ic le →  Fig . 1.
P asse n gers w earin g s e at b elt s c o rre ctly b en efit g re atly f ro m t h e a b il it y o f t h e b elt s t o r e d uce t h e
kin etic e n erg y. T h e f ro n t c ru m ple z o n es a n d o th er p ass iv e s a fe ty f e atu re s (s u ch a s t h e a ir b ag
sy ste m ) a re a ls o d esig ned t o r e d uce k in etic e n erg y. T h e a m oun t o f e n erg y g en era te d w il l t h us
d ecre ase , t h ere b y r e d ucin g t h e r is k o f in ju ry .
T h e e xa m ple s d esc rib e f ro n ta l c o llis io n s. O f c o urs e , p ro p erly w orn s e at b elt s s u b sta n tia lly r e d uce
th e r is k o f in ju ry in a ll o th er t y p es o f a cc id en ts . T h is is w hy s e at b elt s m ust b e f a ste n ed b efo re
e ve ry t rip – e ve n if y o u a re o n ly p la n nin g t o d riv e a v e ry s h ort d is ta n ce . E nsu re t h at a ll
p asse n gers a ls o w ear t h eir s e at b elt s p ro p erly .
A cc id en t s ta tis tic s h ave s h ow n p ro p erly w orn s e at b elt s t o b e a n e ffe ctiv e m ean s o f s u b sta n tia lly
r e d ucin g t h e r is k o f in ju ry a n d im pro vin g t h e c h an ce s o f s u rv iv a l in a s e rio us a cc id en t.
F u rt h erm ore , p ro p erly w orn s e at b elt s im pro ve t h e p ro te ctio n p ro vid ed b y a ir b ag s in t h e e ve n t o f
an a cc id en t. T h is is w hy w earin g a s e at b elt is a l e g al r e q uir e m en t in m ost c o un trie s.
S eat b elt p ro te ctio n
Fig . 1 D riv e r r e stra in ed b y a p ro p erly p osit io n ed s e at b elt d urin g a s u d den b ra kin g m an oeu vre .

Alt h oug h t h e v e h ic le is e q uip ped w it h a ir b ag s, t h e s e at b elt s m ust b e f a ste n ed a n d w orn . F o r
exa m ple , t h e f ro n t a ir b ag s w il l b e t rig g ere d o n ly in c e rt a in t y p es o f f ro n ta l c o llis io n . T h e f ro n t
air b ag s w il l n ot b e t rig gere d d urin g m in or f ro n ta l c o llis io n s, m in or s id e c o llis io n s, r e ar c o llis io n s,
ro lls o r a cc id en ts in w hic h t h e a ir b ag t rig ger t h re sh old in t h e c o n tro l u n it is n ot e xce ed ed . T h e
sa m e a p plie s t o t h e o th er a ir b ag s in t h e v e h ic le .
T h ere fo re , a lw ays w ear y o ur s e at b elt a n d e n su re t h at y o ur p ass e n gers h ave f a ste n ed t h eir s e at
b elt s p ro p erly b efo re y o u d riv e o ff.