2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S550 rear seat

59 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Luxury active head restraints (S 600 only)
The active head restraints are intended to
offer the driver and front passenger in-
creased protection from head and neck in-
jury. In the event of a rear-end collision,
the active head restraints on the driver’s
and front passenger’s seats are designed
to move forward in the direction of travel,
providing the head with increased support
earlier on in the collision sequence. The ac-
tive head restraints move forward whether
the seat is occupied or not.
If the luxury active head restraints have
been triggered in an accident, the luxury
active head restraints must be reset. Oth-erwise, the luxury active head restraints
cannot offer any additional protection in
the event of another rear-end collision.
For information on resetting the activated
active head restraints, see “Resetting acti-
vated head restraints (S 600 only)”
(
page 618).
You cannot remove the active head re-
straint on the driver’s and passenger’s
seats.
For removal contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For information on head restraint adjust-
ment, see “Head restraints” (
page 324).
Warning!
G
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model.
Using other seat or head restraint covers
may interfere with or prevent the activation
of the active head restraints. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for avail-
ability.
Do not attach any objects (e.g. hangers) to
the head restraint posts. Otherwise, the ac-
tive head restraints may not be able to func-
tion properly or offer the intended degree of
protection in the event of an accident.Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that it is as close to
the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.

60 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyPreventive occupant safety (PRE-SAFE
®)
Your vehicle automatically takes preven-
tive measures to better protect the occu-
pants in the following hazardous
situations.PRE-SAFE
® takes action in the following in-
stances:


Emergency braking situations, e.g.
when BAS (
page 71) is activated or
when
BAS Plus* (page 71) is strongly inter-
vening.


Critical dynamic driving situations, e.g.
when the vehicle is understeering or
oversteering because it has exceeded
its physical limitations.


Evasive steering maneuvers at speeds
above 19 mph (30 km/h).
When you are driving faster than 19 mph
(30 km/h), PRE-SAFE
® takes the following
measures in such situations:


The front seat belts are pre-tensioned
electrically.


If the OCS senses that the front pas-
senger seat is occupied and the seat is
in an unfavorable position, it will be
adjusted to a better position.


If the vehicle is equipped with power
adjustable rear seats* and the passen-
ger outer seats are in an unfavorable
position, they will be adjusted to a bet-
ter position.


It increases the air pressure in the air
pockets (on the sides of the seat cush-
ion and backrest) of the multicontour*
and/or drive-dynamic front seats*.


If the vehicle is understeering or over-
steering, the tilt/sliding sunroof and
the side windows also close until only a
small gap remains.
Once the hazardous situation is over with-
out an accident occurring, PRE-SAFE
®
loosens the belt pre-tension and decreas-
es the air pressure in the air pockets of the
multicontour and drive-dynamic seats*.
You can readjust all of the settings made
by PRE-SAFE
®.
Warning!
G
The PRE-SAFE
® system is intended to re-
duce the effects of an accident on properly
seat-belted vehicle occupants. Despite
having the PRE-SAFE
® system in your vehi-
cle, the possibility of injuries occurring as a
result of an accident cannot be eliminated.
Therefore, you should always drive carefully
and adjust your driving to the prevailing
road, weather, and traffic conditions.
i
If the closing procedure of the tilt/sliding
sunroof or door windows is blocked, the tilt/slid-
ing sunroof or door windows will stop and open
slightly.

61 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
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.
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
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
!
When moving the seat, make sure there are
no items in the footwell or behind the seats. Oth-
erwise you could damage the seats.
Warning!
G
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if they are secured in a child re-
straint system. The children could

injure themselves on parts of the vehicle


be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or
cold
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 compartment or trunk unless
they are firmly secured in place. For more in-
formation, see “Loading and storing”
(
page 447) section of the “Controls in de-
tail” chapter.
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

62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyInfant and child restraint systems
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
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 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. To deacti-
vate the special seat belt retractor for the
front passenger seat, the front passenger
seat must be in the most backward posi-
tion. 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.i
Information on child seats with mounting fit-
tings for tether anchorages (
page 64).
For information on LATCH-type child seat
mounts (
page 65).
!
The use of infant or child restraints is re-
quired by law in all 50 states, the District of Co-
lumbia, the U.S. territories and all Canadian
provinces.
Infants and small children should be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system prop-
erly secured by a lap/shoulder belt or, if so
equipped, a top tether anchorage point and a
child restraint lower anchorage system that
complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225 and Canadian Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standard 213 and 210.2.
A statement by the child restraint manufacturer
of compliance with this standard can be found
on the instruction label on the restraint and in
the instruction manual provided with the re-
straint.
When using any infant or child restraint system,
make sure to carefully read and follow all manu-
facturer’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
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 toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child.

63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
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
instructions.
Always sit nearly upright, properly use the
seat belts and use an appropriately sized in-
fant or toddler restraint or booster seat rec-
ommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following im-
portant information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:

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
appropriate child restraint on the front
passenger seat.


A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front
passenger front air bag inflates in a
collision which could occur under some
circumstances, even with the air bag
technology 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
restraint on the front passenger seat be-
cause circumstances require you to do
so, make sure that the 59
indicator lamp is illuminated, indicating
that the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated. Should the
59indicator lamp not illu-
minate or go out while the restraint is in-
stalled, please check installation.
Periodically check the 59
indicator lamp while driving to make
sure the lamp is illuminated.
If the 59indicator lamp
goes out or remains out, do not trans-
port 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 serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front pas-
senger front air bag inflates.


If you have to place a child in a for-
ward-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 secure child
restraint with the vehicle’s seat belt ac-
cording 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 activated (
page 51).

64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Installation of infant and child restraint
systems
This vehicle is equipped with tether an-
chorages for a top tether strap at each of
the rear seating positions.
1Cover of top anchorage ring
Bring the rear power seat backrest* to
a fully upright position (
page 320).

Remove cover1 from anchorage ring.

Store cover1 in a convenient place
(e.g. glove box).

Guide tether strap between head re-
straint and top of seat back.
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/or 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 belt positioning
for children over 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,
remove 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 accident.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use
vehicle equipment and may cause an acci-
dent and/or serious personal injury.

65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Head restraints must be positioned such
that the top tether strap can pass freely
between the head restraint and top of seat
back.
Make sure the tether strap is not twist-
ed.
2Hook
3Anchorage ring

Securely fasten hook2, which is part
of the tether strap, to anchorage
ring3.Once the top tether anchorage hook is at-
tached, the child restraint itself can be se-
cured. Tighten the top tether strap
according to the child restraint manufac-
turer’s instructions.

Reinstall cover after removing the
tether strap.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 rear seats) for
the installation of a LATCH child seat with
the matching anchor fittings.
If you have not installed a child seat, the
LATCH anchor are covered with an uphol-
stery blend.
1Indicates the position of the anchors
2Anchors
3Upholstery blend
4Installation device
i
For safety reasons, make sure hook2 has
attached to ring3 beyond the safety catch, as
illustrated.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with adjustable rear seats/bench*:
Never adjust the rear seat position after in-
stalling the child restraint. Adjusting the rear
seat position after installing the child re-
straint could damage the child restraint
and/or introduce undesirable slack or ten-
sion into the seat belt and loosen or mispo-
sition the child restraint, lessening the
effectiveness of the child restraint and thus
i n c r e a s i n g t h e c h a n c e o r s e v e r i t y o f i n j u r y i n
an accident.


66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Bring the rear power seat backrest* to
its fully upright position (
page 320).

Fold upholstery blend3 upward.

Turn installation device4 to a vertical
position so that upholstery blend3
does not fold down.

Install child seat according to the man-
ufacturer’s instructions.
A rigid connection is established be-
tween the child seat and the body of
the vehicle.
Do not adjust rear power seat*/bench*
position after installing child restraint.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with adjustable rear seats/bench*:
Never adjust the rear seat position after in-
stalling the child restraint. Adjusting the rear
seat position after installing the child re-
straint could damage the child restraint
and/or introduce undesirable slack or ten-
sion into the seat belt and loosen or mispo-
sition the child restraint, lessening the
effectiveness of the child restraint and thus
i n c r e a s i n g t h e c h a n c e o r s e v e r i t y o f i n j u r y i n
an accident.i
The child seat must be firmly attached in the
right and left side anchor fittings.
Make sure the seat belt for the center seat can
operate freely with a child seat installed.
Non-LATCH type child seats may also be used
and can be installed using the vehicle’s seat belt
system. Install child seat according to the manu-
facturer’s instructions.
Warning!
G
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion. Position shoulder belt across chest and
shoulder, not face or neck. A booster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper belt po-
sitioning for children over 41 lbs until they
reach a height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.
Install child seat according to manufactur-
er’s instructions.
The child seat must be firmly attached in
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 ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system.