Rescue
Out on the road, the driver, the vehicle and their surroundings all interact, making them the decisive factors for safety on the road.
International tests have demonstrated that Volkswagen and Audi vehicles are among the safest cars. The demands on today’s cars, however, are many and change over time. Constantly increasing traffic density has made vehicle occupant safety a top priority. More and more vehicles are being fitted with increasingly effective safety features. These safety features can be divided into active and passive safety systems.
Active safety systems are designed to help prevent accidents with sophisticated systems including Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), the Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), and the Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP).
Passive safety systems are intended to minimize the consequences of accidents for vehicle occupants. Passive safety components include such things as the vehicle body structure with its passenger safety cell, crumple zones with programmed deformation characteristics, collapsible steering columns, and energy absorbing bumpers, seats and head restraints, as well as side impact protection. They also include all other safety-related parts of a vehicle that only come into play in a crash, including safety belts with pretensioners, load limiters and various kinds of supplemental airbag restraint systems.
Despite intensive efforts to make road traffic safer, the possibility of injuries in emergency situations cannot be completely eliminated. Therefore, a short, rapid and effective rescue chain remains essential.
These guidelines are intended to support rescue personnel in their work, both on-the-scene and when preparing beforehand. They contain a description of restraint and protection systems used by Volkswagen and Audi vehicles, as well as practical instructions for dealing with these systems during an actual rescue. At the same time, these guidelines will help reduce uncertainties and minimize risk of injury to emergency personnel during rescue operations involving Volkswagen and Audi vehicles.
If you would like a copy of the rescue guidelines, please email to barbara.birkenshaw@vw.com. Make sure to specify which guidelines you would like and please provide your name, mailing address and rescue affiliation.
The guidelines in these booklets are not intended for consumers. Consumers seeking information about the proper operation (or features) of their Volkswagen and Audi vehicles should always consult their Owner’s Literature. The Owner’s Literature contains detailed information about all the vehicle’s features plus important warnings about vehicle and passenger safety.
The guidelines in these booklets are also not for Technicians seeking information on how to repair a vehicle. Dealer Technicians seeking repair information should use their dealer-based resources.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. believes the specifications and information provided in these brochures to be correct at the time of printing. However, specifications, standard equipment and options are subject to change without notice. Some vehicles in these brochures are shown with European trim or equipment. All dates pertaining to product and feature availability indicate model years for vehicles sold in the U.S. and Canadian markets.
