Audi allroad 2001, Owner'S Manual

Page: 17 / 306

SAFETY FIRST
Don't rely on airbags alone for protection.
Even when they deploy, airbags provide
only supplemental protection. Airbags are
not supposed to deploy in all kinds of acci­
dents. Although your Audi is equipped with
airbags for the driver and front seat passen­
ger, all vehicle occupants, including the
driver, still have to wear safety belts- re­
gardless of whether their seating position
has an airbag.
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 car where even more severe or fatal
injuries can occur.
1 6
Unbelted passengers in the rear seats en­
danger not only themselves but also other
passengers. In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit
and injure the driver or front seat passenger.
Safety belts protect
Safety belts used properly can make a big
difference. Safety belts help to keep pas­
sengers in their seats, gradually reduce en­
ergy levels applied to the body in an acci­
dent, and help prevent the uncontrolled
movement that can cause serious injuries.
In addition, safety belts reduce the danger
of being thrown out of the car.
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, crumple zones
and other safety features engineered into
today's cars. By "absorbing" the kinetic en­
ergy over a longer period of time, the forces
on the body become more "tolerable" and
less likely to cause injury.