2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR child seat

65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!
G
Should you choose to place a child 12 years
old or under in the passenger seat of your
vehicle, you must properly use a
BabySmart
TM child restraint which will turn
off the passenger front airbag (
page 72).
BabySmart
TM will not, however, turn off any
side impact airbag.
It should be noted, however, that there is a
possibility for a head-thorax airbag related
injury if occupants, especially children, are
not properly seated or restrained when next
to a head-thorax airbag which needs to de-
ploy rapidly in a side impact in order to do its
job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
head-thorax airbag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should
the head-thorax airbag be activated.
(2) Always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and use an appropriately
sized infant or child restraint system for
all children 12 years old or under.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
passenger seat occupants to have the pas-
senger side head-thorax airbag deactivated,
then deactivation can be accomplished
upon your written election to do so at an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center at an addi-
tional cost. Please contact your local
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372)
for details.

69 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Head/thorax airbags
1Head/thorax airbag
The head-thorax airbags are deployed:

on the impacted side of the vehicle


in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold


independently of the front airbags
The head-thorax airbags are not deployed
in impacts which do not exceed the sys-
tem’s deployment threshold.
The passenger head-thorax airbag will only
deploy if the system senses that the pas-
senger seat is occupied.
Seat belts
When the engine is started, the seat belt
telltale < illuminates to remind you and
your passenger to fasten your seat belts. If
the driver’s seat belt is not fastened before
the engine is started, the seat belt
telltale< illuminates and a warning
chime sounds for approximately 6 seconds
when the engine is started.
Always wear your seat belt. All vehicle oc-
cupants always need to have their seat
belts fastened and wear them properly.
In addition, applicable motor vehicle safety
laws require you to wear seat belts. Even
where this is not the case, we strongly rec-
ommend that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened and wear them
properly.
For information on fastening seat belts,
see “Fastening the seat belts” (
page 46).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 72).

72 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyEmergency tensioning device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts are equipped with
emergency tensioning devices and belt
force limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the
following cases when the seat belts are
fastened:

in frontal or rear-end impacts exceed-
ing a preset severity level


if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see 1 in-
dicator lamp (
page 62)
In an impact, emergency tensioning devic-
es remove slack from the belts in such a
way that the seat belts fit more snugly
against the body. Belt force limiters reduce
the force exerted by the seat belts on
occupants during a crash.
Children in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:

Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and
size of the child.


Make sure the infant or child is proper-
ly secured at all times while the vehicle
is in motion.
Infant and child restraint seats and infor-
mation on choosing an appropriate re-
straint system can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
An emergency tensioning device (ETD) that
was activated must be replaced.
When disposing of the emergency tension-
ing device, our safety instructions must be
followed. These are available at your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.!Do not place objects heavier than
20 lbs (9 kg) on the front passenger
seat. This could cause the front or side
impact airbag on the passenger side
and, with the seat belt fastened to se-
cure the object, the ETD to deploy in a
crash which exceeds the system’s de-
ployment threshold.

73 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infant and child restraint systems
Only use a BabySmart
TM compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in
this vehicle.
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
The passenger lap-shoulder belt has a spe-
cial seat belt retractor for the secure fas-
tening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint follow child re-
straint instructions for mounting. Then pull
the shoulder belt out completely and let it
retract. During the seat belt retraction a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is acti-
vated. The belt is now locked. Push down
on child restraint to take up any slack.To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. The seat
belt can again be used in the usual
manner.
Warning!
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.
!The use of infant or child restraints is
required by law in all 50 states, the Dis-
trict of Columbia, the U.S. territories,
and all Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be
seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system which is properly
secured by a lap-shoulder belt and top
tether strap that complies with U.S.
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
A statement by the child restraint man-
ufacturer of compliance with this stan-
dard can be found on the instruction
label on the restraint and in the instruc-
tion manual provided with the restraint.

74 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
When using any infant or child restraint
system, be sure to carefully read and
follow all manufacturer’s instructions
for installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to inside of vehicle and to infant
or child restraints.Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger front air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
Infants and small children must be seated in
an appropriate BabySmart
TM compatible in-
fant or child restraint system, which is prop-
erly secured with the vehicle’s seat belt and
top tether strap, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Adjust the passenger seat as far as possible
rearward from the dashboard when the seat
is occupied.
Warning!
G
Children too big for child restraint systems
should use regular seat belts. Position the
shoulder belt across chest and shoulder, not
face or neck. A booster seat may be neces-
sary to achieve proper belt positioning for
children from 41 lbs until they reach a
height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
m o v e i t f r o m t h e v e h i c l e o r s e c u r e i t w i t h t h e
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an
accident.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised
children in a child restraint system may use
vehicle equipment and cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation
system
1PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp
Special BabySmart
TM compatible child
seats, designed for use with the
Mercedes-Benz system and available at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center, are
required for use with the BabySmart
TM air-
bag deactivation system. With the special
child seat properly installed, the passenger
front airbag and the passenger knee airbag
will not deploy.The PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp1 located on the lower part of the
center console will be illuminated, except
with the SmartKey removed or in starter
switch position0.Self-test BabySmart
TM without special
child seat installed
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position1 or2, the PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp comes on for
approximately 6 seconds and then goes
out.
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp should not come on or is continuous-
ly lit, the system is not functioning. You
must see an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the
front passenger seat.
iThe system does not deactivate the
head-thorax airbag and the emergency
tensioning device.

76 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyWarning!
G
The BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation sys-
tem will ONLY work with a special child seat
designed to operate with it. It will not work
with child seats which are not BabySmart
TM
compatible.
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the deactivation sys-
tem. The bottom of the child seat must
make full contact with the passenger seat
cushion. An incorrectly mounted child seat
could cause injuries to the child in case of an
accident, instead of protecting the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of special child seats.
Warning!
G
When using a BabySmart
TM compatible child
seat on the passenger seat, the passenger
front airbag will not deploy only if the PAS-
SENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
(
page 75) remains illuminated.
Please be sure to check the PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp every time you
use the special system child seat. Should
the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
go out while the restraint is installed, please
check installation. If the PASSENGER AIR-
BAG OFF indicator lamp remains out, do not
use the BabySmart
TM restraint to transport
children on the passenger seat until the sys-
tem has been repaired.
Warning!
G
Do not place powered-on laptops, cell
phones, electronic tags such as those used
in ski passes and like electronic devices on
front passenger seat. Signals from such de-
vices may interfere with the BabySmart
TM
system. Such signal interference may cause
the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
(
page 75) not to come on during self-test
or be continuously lit, indicating that the
system is not functioning.

77 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Installation of infant and child restraint
systems
This vehicle is equipped with a tether an-
chorage for a top tether strap behind the
passenger seat.
1Cover of anchorage ring
To have better access to the anchorage
ring, move the passenger seat forward
(page 43).

Remove cover1 in direction of the ar-
row from anchorage ring3.

Guide tether strap according to the
child restraint manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
Make sure the tether strap is not
twisted.
2Hook
3Anchorage ring

Securely fasten hook2, which is part
of the tether strap, to anchorage
ring3.

Move the passenger seat back as far to
the rear as possible.
Once the top tether anchorage hook is
attached, the child restraint itself can be
secured.

Properly secure the child restraint us-
ing the passenger seat lap/shoulder
belt (
page 73) and tether anchorage
for top tether strap, fully in accordance
with the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions.

Tighten the top tether strap according
to the child restraint manufacturer’s in-
structions.

Reinstall cover1 after removing the
tether strap.
iFor safety, make sure the hook has
attached to the ring beyond the safety
catch, as illustrated.