Audi TT Coupe 2009 Owner's Manual page 161

_______________________________________________ C_ h _i_ ld _ S _a _f_e _t..,:c y __
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Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safes t place in a collision.
The p hysica l pr inciples of what happens when you r veh icle is in a
crash apply also to children=> page 129, "What happens to occu -
pa nts not wearing safety b elt s?" . But un like adults and t eenagers,
their musc les and bones are not fu lly developed. In many respects
children are at greater ris k of serious inj ury in cras hes than ad ults .
Because chi ldren's bodies are no t f ul ly deve loped, they require
restraint systems especial ly designed for their size, weight, and
body structu re. Ma ny countries and al l sta t es of the Uni ted States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
chil d restraint syst ems for infa nts and smal l children .
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20-35 mph (30-56 km/h) the forces
act ing on a 13-pou nd (6 kg) infant wi ll be mo re than 20 t imes th e
weight of the child. This means the weight of the child would
suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg). Under these condi -
t ions, only an appropriate child restraint proper ly used can reduce
the risk of serious in j ury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be use d properly t o be eff ective. Used impro perly, t hey can
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident.
Consul t the chi ld safety seat m an uf acture r's inst ruc t ions t o be su re
the seat is right for your child's size=> page 162, " Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed all of the important information and WARNI NGS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the insta ll ation of child restraints in
this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
veh icle and how they work whe n inf ant s and ch i ld ren in chi ld
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
Controls and equip-
ment
Safety first Vehicle operation
amoun t of important informat ion, we cannot repeat it all here. We
urge you to read the detai led information in this owner's manua l
about air bags and th e Advanced Airbag Syst em in your ve h ic le and
the very important information about transporting children on the
fr ont passenger seat . Please be sure t o heed t he WAR NINGS - th ey
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
passe ngers, especia lly inf ant s and s m al l ch ild ren .
&
WARNING
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position . Always
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle . An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the inte-
rior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver or impact . An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through conta ct with
an inflating airbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating positions provides the highest degree of protec-
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations .
&
WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airb ags
can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . A
child in a rearward -fa cing child safety seat installed on the front
pas senger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates.
• The inflating airbag will hit the ch ild safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest or door. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data