Forces Acting In A Collision - Audi TTS Coupe 2015 Owner's Manual

- Do not wear the belt over hard or fragile ob­
jects (such as glasses or pens, etc.) because
this can cause injuries.
- Loose, bulky clothing (such as an overcoat
over a jacket) impairs the proper fit and
function of the belts.
- The belts must be kept clean, otherwise the
retractors may not work properly
� tab. Cleaning the interior on page 255.
- The slot in the seat belt buckle must not be
blocked with paper or other objects, as this
can prevent the latch plate from engaging
properly.
- The latch plate of the belt must always be
engaged in the correct buckle for that seat,
otherwise the belt will not be fully effective.
- Check the condition of the seat belts at reg­
ular intervals. If you notice that the belt
webbing, fittings, retractor mechanism or
buckle of any of the belts is damaged, the
belt must be replaced by a qualified work­
shop.
- The seat belts must not be removed or
modified in any way. Do not attempt to re­
pair a damaged belt yourself.
- Seat belts which have been worn in an acci­
dent and stretched must be replaced by a
qualified workshop. The belt anchorages
should also be checked.
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Forces acting in a
collision
The physical principles involved in a frontal
impact
Very large forces are generated during a colli­
sion; these forces have to be absorbed.
Fig. 188
Passengers of a vehicle which is headed for a
brick wall. They are not using seat belts.
Fig. 189
The vehicle crashes against the wall
The physical principles involved in a frontal colli­
sion are relatively simple:
Both the moving vehicle and the passengers pos­
sess energy, which is known as "kinetic energy"
� Fig. 188. The amount of "kinetic energy" de­
pends on the speed of the vehicle and the weight
of the vehicle and passengers. The higher the
speed and the greater the weight, the more ener­
gy there is to be absorbed in an accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the
speed of the vehicle. If the speed doubles from
25 km/h to 50 km/h, for example, the kinetic en­
ergy increases by a factor of four. Because these
passengers are not restrained by seat belts, the
entire amount of kinetic energy has to be absor­
bed at the point of impact� Fig. 189. This would
result in serious or potentially fatal injury.
Seat belts
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