-- ~ S~a~f~e~tl'.y...:b~ e~lt=:s!._ _____________________________________________ _
Safety be lts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to brace the
body in a minor collision . It's simply not true!
Fig. 166 Driver is
correctly restrained in
a sudden brak ing
man euver
Safety belts used properly can make a big difference . Safety belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy
levels app lied 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 vehic le.
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give them the benefit
of being slowed down more gently or "sof t ly" 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 frontal co llision, safety
belts can also substantially reduce the risk of injury in other kinds
of crashes. So, whether you're on a long tr ip or j ust going to t he
corner store, always buckle up and make sure others do, too. Acci -
dent statistics show that vehic le occupants properly wearing safety
belts have a lower risk of being injured and a much better chance of
surviv ing an acc ident. Proper ly using safety belts also great ly
increases the abi lity of the supplementa l airbags to do their j ob in a
coll ision. For t his reason, wearing a safety be lt is legally required in
most countries including much of the United States and Canada .
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags, you sti ll have to wear
t he safety belts provid ed. Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions. The front airbags are not activated in
all frontal co llisions, in side and rear collisions, in ro ll
ove rs or in
cases where there is not enough dece leration through impact to the
front of the vehicle. The same goes for the other ai rbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt and make sure
eve ry-
body in your vehic le 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 described in
th is cha pte r.
Make sure tha t your safet y belts are always ready for use
and are not damaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperl y increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death . Safety belt s can w ork
only when used correctly.
• Alw ays fa sten your safety belt s correctly before driving off and
make sure all passengers are properl y restrained .
• For maximum protection , safety belts must alw ays be posi-
tion ed correctly on the body.
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any single safety belt.
• Never place a safety belt over a child sitting on your lap .
• Alway s keep feet in the footwell in front of the seat while the
vehicle is being driven .
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