Audi RS 7 Sportback 2016 Owner's Manual page 154

Airbag syste m
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents - 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, for
example when your vehicle strikes or is struck by
another after the first coll is ion .
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety belts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the sup-
plemental knee airbag system is des igned to re-
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju-
ries, for example, swelling , bruising and minor
ab rasions and friction burns can also occur when
an airbag inflates .
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic control module
- Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the driver and one for the front
passenger
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy :
- when the ignition is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system malfunct ion (warning/
indicator light is on) ¢ page 17 .
_&,
WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position¢ page 144.
- If the airbag indicator light ~ page 17
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inf late when it is not sup-
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
152
How knee airbags work
Applies to : vehicles wit h knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags .
Fig. 159 Inflated airbags protec tin g in a fronta l collision
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen-
ger dep loy in certain but not all frontal collisions.
If the front airbags deploy, t he knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met.
When the system deploys, the a irbags fi ll with a
prope llant gas , and infla t e between the lower
part of the instrument panel and the d river and
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger ¢ page 144, fig. 156.
Althoug h they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower ex-
tremities.
All of th is takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they deploy .
Fully inflated airbags in combination with proper-
ly worn safety be lts slow down and limit the oc-
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of injury.