104 S a fet y belt s
moving just before the crash, unti l something
stops them· here, the wall
r::!;> fig . 113.
The same pr inciples apply to people sitting in
a veh icle t hat is involved in a fronta l collision .
Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50
km/h), the forces acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs., or 1,000 kg) or
more. At higher speeds, these forces are even
greater .
People who do not use safety be lts are a lso
not attached to their vehicle . In a fronta l colli-
sion they will a lso keep moving forward at the
speed their vehicle was trave lling just before
the crash . Of course, the laws of physics don't
just apply to frontal coll is ions, they determ ine
what happens in all kinds of accidents and col·
lisions.
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes, unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in-
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 114 A d river not wear ing a safety belt is viole nt ly
t hrown forward
Unbe lted occupants are not ab le to res ist the
tremendous fo rces of impact by holding tight
or brac ing themselves. Without the benef it of
safety restraint systems, the unrestrained oc·
cupant will slam violent ly into the steering
wheel, instrument panel, winds hield, or what-
eve r else is in the way¢
fig. 114. This impac t
with the veh icle inter ior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags a lone for protection.
Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
addit ional protec t ion. Airbags are no t sup-
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents . Al-
though your Audi is equipped with airbags, all
vehicle occupants, includ ing the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to mini-
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash .
Remember too, that airbags will dep loy only
once and that your safety be lts are always
there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to dep loy or
when they have already dep loyed. Unbelted
occupa nts can a lso be th rown out of the veh i-
cle where even more severe or fatal injuries
can occur.
How are safety belts
worn correctly?
Fastening safety belts
Seat first · everybody buckle up!
Fig. 115 Head restraint adjustment and belt position
Fig. 116 Belt buckle and tongue on the driver's seat
To provide max imum protect ion, safety belts
mus t a lways be posit ioned co rrectly on the
wea rer's body.
.. Adjust the fro nt seat and head rest raint
prope rly
r::!;> page 59, Seats and storage.
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