2007 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 4MATIC WAGON belt

86 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety

if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly,
see1indicator lamp (
page 68)
In an impact, emergency tensioning devic-
es remove slack from the seat belts. Seat
belt force limiters reduce the peak force
exerted by the seat belts on occupants
during a crash.Automatic comfort-fit feature seat belt
An automatic comfort-fit feature for front
seats reduces the retracting force of the
seat belts when they are in normal use.Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®)
Your vehicle automatically takes preven-
tive measures to better protect the occu-
pants in the following hazardous
situations:


You execute an emergency braking ma-
neuver and the Brake Assist System
(page 99) is activated.


The PRE-SAFE
® system detects a criti-
cal driving dynamics situation.
i
The ETDs for the front seats will only acti-
vate if the front seat belts are fastened (latch
plate properly inserted into buckle).
The ETDs for the second row outer seats will ac-
tivate with or without the respective seat belts
fastened.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.
Warning!
G
The PRE-SAFE
® system is intended to re-
duce the effects of a crash on properly
seat-belted vehicle occupants. Despite hav-
ing the PRE-SAFE® system in your vehicle,
the possibility of injuries occurring as a re-
sult of an accident cannot be eliminated.
Therefore, you should always drive carefully
and adjust your driving to the prevailing
road, weather, and traffic conditions.

87 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
In such cases, the following systems are
automatically activated:

The front seat belts are pre-tensioned
electrically.


If the vehicle is in a severe skid or is
spinning, the door windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof close until a small
gap remains.
Vehicles with front passenger seat memo-
ry function*:


If seat is in an unfavorable position, it
will be adjusted to a better position.If the seat belts do not release:

Adjust the backrest or seat slightly to
the rear until the seat belt tension is di-
minished.
The locking mechanism releases.
Active head restraints
The active head restraints offer the driver
and front passenger increased protection
from whiplash type injuries. In the event of
a rear-end collision, the head restraints on
the driver’s and front passenger’s seats
are designed to move forward in the direc-
tion of travel, providing the head with in-
creased support earlier on in the collision sequence. The active head restraints move
forward whether the seat is occupied or
not.
i
If the closing procedure of the tilt/sliding
sunroof or door window is blocked, the tilt/slid-
ing sunroof or door window will stop and open
slightly.
i
The PRE-SAFE
® system is activated in the
previously described circumstances only at
speeds exceeding 20 mph (30 km/h).
When the critical driving dynamic situation has
passed without an accident occurring, the
pre-tensioning on the seat belts is deactivated.
You can then adjust the seat, the door windows
and the tilt/sliding sunroof to their previous po-
sition.
Warning!
G
Do not attach any objects (e.g. hangers) to
the head restraint posts. Otherwise, the ac-
tive head restraints may not function prop-
erly or offer the degree of protection they
were designed for in the event of a collision.Warning!
G
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model. Us-
ing other seat or head restraint covers may
interfere with or prevent the activation of
the active head restraints. Contact your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for availabil-
ity.

89 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infant and child restraint systems
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Canada only:
Use only a BabySmart
TM compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in
this vehicle.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow child
restraint instructions for mounting. Then
pull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract. During seat belt retraction, a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is acti-
vated. The seat 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 man-
ner.
The use of infant or child restraints is
required by law in all 50 states, the District
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 properly secured in
accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions for the child restraint, that
complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
If children open a door, they could

injure other persons


get out of the car and injure themselves
or be injured by following traffic
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger or cargo compartment unless
they are firmly secured in place. For more in-
formation, see “Loading” (
page 266) and
“Useful features” (
page 280).
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of


strong braking maneuvers


sudden changes of direction


an accident
Warning!
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.i
Information on child seats with mounting fit-
tings for tether anchorages (
page 92).
For information on LATCH-type child seat an-
chors (
page 94).

90 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySafety Standards 213 and 225 and
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2.
A statement by the child restraint
manufacturer of compliance with these
standards can be found on the instruction
label on the restraint and in the instruction
manual provided with the restraint.
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 the inside of the vehicle and to
infant or child restraints.
Warning!
G
Canada only: Children 12 years old and un-
der must never ride in the front seat, except
in a Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat, which
operates with the BabySmart
TM system in-
stalled in the vehicle to deactivate the front
passenger front air bag when it is properly
installed. Otherwise they will be struck by
the air bag when it inflates in a crash. If this
happens, serious or fatal injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
Always sit nearly upright, properly use the
seat belts and for children 12 years old and
under, use an appropriately sized infant re-
straint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors
and top tether strap, fully in accordance
with the child seat manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following im-
portant information when circumstances re-
quire you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:

USA only: Your vehicle is equipped with
air bag technology designed to turn off
the front passenger front air bag in your
vehicle when the OCS senses the weight
of a typical 12-month-old child or less
along with the weight of a standard ap-
propriate child restraint on the front
passenger seat.

91 Safety and Security
Occupant safety


A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front pas-
senger front air bag inflates in a collision
which could occur under some circum-
stances, even with the air bag technolo-
gy installed in your vehicle. The only
means to completely eliminate this risk
is to never place a child in a rear-facing
child restraint in the front seat. We
therefore strongly recommend that you
always place a child in a rear-facing
child restraint in the back seat.


If you must install a rear-facing child re-
straint on the front passenger seat be-
cause circumstances require you to do
so, make sure that the
75indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the front passen-
ger front air bag is deactivated. Should
the light not illuminate or go out while
the restraint is installed, please check
installation. Periodically check the indi-
cator lamp while driving to make sure
the lamp is illuminated. If the
75indicator lamp goes out
or remains out, do not transport a child
on the front passenger seat until the
system has been repaired. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured
or even killed if the front passenger front
air bag inflates.


If you have to place a child in a
forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat, move the seat as
far back as possible, use the proper
child restraint recommended for the
age, size and weight of the child, and se-
cure child restraint with the vehicle’s
seat belt according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. For
children larger than the typical
12-month-old child, the front passenger
front air bag may or may not be activat-
ed (
page 79).

92 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Installation of infant and child restraint
systems
Prior to installing a tether strap, note the
following steps:
Roll up retractable luggage cover and
partition net.

Remove storage box (if so equipped)
(page 275).
If the storage box is not removed:


the top tether anchorage ring located
on the floor (
page 93) for use with a
child restraint in the rear center seat
position cannot be accessed.


the hook of the top tether strap when
attached to the anchorage ring on an
outer rear seat backrest may push
against the storage box and prevent
the backrest from properly locking into
position.

If you place a child seat in the left or
center rear seat position, remove twin
roller blind (
page 276) and return
seat to its original position.
Warning!
G
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.
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion shoulder belt across chest and shoul-
der, not face or neck. A booster seat may be
necessary to achieve proper seat belt posi-
tioning for children over 41 lb until they
reach a height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
move it from the vehicle or secure it with the
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an ac-
cident.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use ve-
hicle equipment and may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

94 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety1Anchorage ring
2Hook
Once the top tether anchorage hook is
attached, the child restraint itself can be
secured.
Install the child restraint system and
tighten the top tether strap according
to the child restraint manufacturer’s in-
structions.Child seat anchors - LATCH type
This vehicle is equipped with two LATCH
(L
ower A
nchors and T
ethers for CH
ildren)
type anchors (at each of the outer second
row seats) for the installation of a “LATCH”
child seat with the matching mounting fit-
tings.
The anchors are located behind an uphol-
stery blend.
1Indicates the position of the anchors
2Anchors

Lift up upholstery blend to access the
anchors2.

Install child seat according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.
i
For safety, make sure the hook has attached
to the ring beyond the safety catch, as illustrated
below.
!
Make sure the seat belt for the center seat
can operate freely with a child seat installed.
i
Non-LATCH type child seats may also be
used and can be installed using the vehicle’s
seat belt system (
page 89). Install child seat
according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

95 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Blocking of rear door window operation
1Override switch
2Indicator lamp
Press override switch1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on. The rear
door windows can no longer be operat-
ed using the switches located in the
rear doors.For more information on power windows,
see the “Controls in detail” section
(
page 239).
Warning!
G
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion shoulder belt across chest and shoul-
der, not face or neck. A booster seat may be
necessary to achieve proper seat belt posi-
tioning for children over 41 lb until they
reach a height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.
Install child seat according to manufactur-
er’s instructions.
T h e c h i l d s e a t m u s t b e f i r m l y a t t a c h e d t o t h e
right and left side anchors2.
An incorrectly mounted child seat may come
loose during an accident which could result
in serious injury or death to the child.
Damaged or impact damaged child seats or
child seat mounting fittings must be re-
placed.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system.
!
Operation of the rear door windows with the
switches located on the door control panel of the
driver’s door is still possible.
Warning!
G
Activate the override switch when children
are riding in the back seats of the vehicle.
The children may otherwise injure them-
selves, e.g. by becoming trapped in the win-
dow opening.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.