2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 page 47

75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety


A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the passenger seat will be seriously in-
jured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology in-
stalled in your vehicle.


If you install a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat, make sure that
the 5/indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the passenger
front air bag is deactivated. Should the
5/ indicator lamp not illuminate
or go out while the restraint is installed,
please check installation. Periodically
check the 5/ indicator lamp
while driving to make sure the
5/ indicator lamp is illuminated.
If the 5/ indicator lamp goes out
or remains out, do not transport a child
on the passenger seat until the system
has been repaired. A child in a rear-fac-
ing child restraint on the passenger seat
will be seriously injured or even killed if
the passenger front air bag inflates.


If you place a child in a forward-facing
child restraint on the passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible,
use the proper child restraint recom-
mended for the age, size and weight of
the child, and secure 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 passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated
(page 74).
i
Deployment of the driver front air bag does
not mean that the passenger front air bag also
should have deployed.
The Occupant Classification System (
page 72)
may have determined:


that the seat was empty or occupied by the
weight up to or less than that of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint – both instances where the
system suppresses deployment of the pas-
senger front air bag even though the impact
met the criteria and was of sufficient severity
to deploy the driver front air bag.


that the seat was occupied by a small individ-
ual (such as a young teenager or a small
adult) or a child weighing more than the
weight of a typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint – instances where
the system may suppress deployment of the
passenger front air bag even though the
impact met the criteria and was of sufficient
severity to deploy the driver front air bag.

77 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 345).
Seat belts
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in all
50 states, the District of Columbia, the
U.S. territories and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, we strong-
ly recommend 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 49).
Warning!
G
If the 5/ indicator lamp should not
illuminate, the system is not functioning.
You must see an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the pas-
senger seat.Warning!
G
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the Occupant Classifi-
cation System. 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 increasing protec-
tion for the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of child seats.
i
For information on infants and children trav-
eling with you in the vehicle and restraint sys-
tems for infants and children, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 83).
Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and
position your seat belt greatly increases
your risk of injuries and their likely severity
in an accident. You and your passenger
should always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are properly wearing
your seat belt. Air bags can only protect as
they are designed if the occupants are prop-
erly wearing their seat belts.

80 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety1Seat belt housing
2Latch plate
3Buckle
4Release buttonEnhanced seat belt reminder system
When the engine is started, the seat belt
telltale< illuminates for a maximum of
6 seconds and a warning chime sounds to
remind you and your passenger to fasten
your seat belts.
If after these 6 seconds, the driver’s or the
passenger’s seat belt (with the passenger
seat occupied) are not fastened with all
doors closed,


and the vehicle speed does not exceed
15 mph (25 km/h), the seat belt
telltale< remains illuminated for as
long as either the driver’s or
passenger’s seat belt is not fastened


and the vehicle speed exceeds
15 mph (25 km/h), the seat belt
telltale< starts flashing and a
warning chime sounds with increasing
intensity until both the driver’s and
passenger’s seat belt are fastened, or
for a maximum of 60 seconds from
the time the vehicle speed exceeded 15 mph (25 km/h) if either
the driver’s or passenger’s seat belt
remains unfastened.
If the driver’s or passenger’s seat belt
remains unfastened after 60 seconds,
the seat belt telltale< stops flash-
ing and the warning chime stops
sounding. The seat belt telltale<
then continues to be illuminated for as
long as either the driver’s or passen-
ger’s seat belt are not fastened.
The seat belt telltale< will only go out
if both the driver’s and the passenger’s
seat belt (with the front passenger seat oc-
cupied) are fastened, or the vehicle is
standing still and a front door is opened.
For more information, on the seat belt
telltale<, see the “Practical hints” sec-
tion (
page 341).

81 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Emergency tensioning device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts are equipped with emergen-
cy tensioning devices and belt force
limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the fol-
lowing cases:

in frontal or rear-end impacts exceed-
ing the system deployment threshold


if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see 1 in-
dicator lamp (
page 66)


in certain vehicle rollovers if the sys-
tem determines an additional degree of
protectionWhen activated, emergency tensioning de-
vices 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 oc-
cupants during a crash.
Automatic comfort-fit feature seat belt
The automatic comfort-fit feature reduces
the retracting force of the seat belts when
they are in normal use.
Roll bar
i
The ETDs will only activate if the seat belts
are fastened (latch plate properly inserted into
buckle).
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
This vehicle is a two occupant vehicle. The
rear storage area is not intended for use by
occupants and is not equipped for properly
seating or restraining occupants. Thus this
area should never be used by any persons.
Before operating the roll bar switch make
sure that the roll bar’s path is clear and no
persons are injured by the moving roll bar
due to inattention. Raising or lowering of the
roll bar could injure someone in it’s proximi-
ty.
For your own safety, we recommend to drive
with the roll bar raised if the outside temper-
ature is below +5°F (-15°C).!
If the outside temperature falls below +5°F
(-15°C), the roll bar must be raised manually us-
ing the buttons provided to avoid damaging the
hydraulics.

82 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyThe roll bar raises automatically in an acci-
dent or in a critical driving situation. You
can also raise and lower the roll bar manu-
ally using the buttons provided.
The buttons for the roll bar are on the cen-
ter console under the retractable hardtop
switch.
1Raise roll bar
2Lower roll bar
The roll bar can be moved manually when
the ignition is switched on (
page 39).Raising the roll bar

Lift the switch for the retractable hard-
top.

Press and hold button1 until the roll
bar is raised.Lowering the roll bar

Lift the switch for the retractable hard-
top.
If the roll bar was raised manually:

Press and hold button2 until the roll
bar is lowered.
If the roll bar was raised automatically:

Press and hold button1 until you hear
the roll bar lock into place.

Press and hold button2 until the roll
bar is lowered.
i
When the roll bar is raised automatically,
you will hear a ratcheting sound.
Warning!
G
If the roll bar warning light in the ta-
chometer remains lit after starting the en-
gine, there is a malfunction. In the display
you see the message
Raise roll-over
bar
.
For safety reasons, drive only with the roll
bar upright until the malfunction is repaired.
Have your vehicle checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
i
If you have raised the roll bar manually using
the button, the roll bar will automatically be low-
ered and then raised again when you close and
open the retractable hardtop.

83 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
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
information on choosing an appropriate
restraint system can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Center.Infant and child restraint systems
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 man-
ner.Warning!
G
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint 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 unless they are
firmly secured in place.
For more information, please refer to the
“Useful features” section (
page 233)
through (
page 238).
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

85 Safety and Security
Occupant safety


A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the passenger seat will be seriously in-
jured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology in-
stalled in your vehicle.


If you install a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat, make sure that
the 5/indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the passenger
front air bag is deactivated. Should the
5/ indicator lamp not illuminate
or go out while the restraint is installed,
please check installation. Periodically
check the 5/ indicator lamp
while driving to make sure the
5/indicator lamp is illuminated.
If the 5/ indicator lamp goes out
or remains out, do not transport a child
on the passenger seat until the system
has been repaired. A child in a rear-fac-
ing child restraint on the passenger seat
will be seriously injured or even killed if
the passenger front air bag inflates.


If you place a child in a forward-facing
child restraint on the passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible,
use the proper child restraint recom-
mended for the age, size and weight of
the child, and secure 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 passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated
(page 74).
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.
Warning!
G
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion the 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.
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 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 cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

87 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP
® (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


Electro-hydraulic brake system
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of
approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) indepen-
dent of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even to light brake pressure.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP
®, and the electro-hy-
draulic brake system cannot reduce this
risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
i
In winter operation, the maximum effective-
ness of the ABS, the BAS, the ESP
®, and the
electro-hydraulic brake system is only achieved
with winter tires (
page 316) or snow chains as
required.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.