If the NECK-PRO head restraints have been
triggered in an accident, reset the NECK-PRO
head restraints on the driver’s and front-
passenger seat ( Y page 43). Otherwise, the
additional protection will not be available in
the event of another rear-end collision. You
can recognize when NECK-PRO head
restraints have been triggered by the fact that
they have moved forwards and can no longer
be adjusted.GWarning!
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the 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.
Resetting triggered NECK-PRO head
restraints
GWarning
For safety reasons, have the NECK-PRO head
restraints checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center after a rear-end
collision.
GWarning
When pushing back the NECK-PRO head
restraint cushion, make sure your fingers do
not become caught between the head
restraint cushion and the cover. Failure to
observe this could result in injuries.
i Resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lot of strength. If you have
difficulty resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints, have this work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
XTilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the direction of
arrow :.XPush the NECK-PRO head restraint cushion
down in the direction of arrow ; as far as
it will go.XFirmly push the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion back in the direction of arrow =
until the cushion engages.XRepeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO head restraint.
Seat belts
Important safety notes
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, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts
fastened when the vehicle is in motion.
i See "Children in the vehicle"
( Y page 49) for more information on
infants and children traveling with you in
the vehicle and restraints for infants and
children.
GWarning!
Always fasten your seat belt before driving off.
Always make sure all of your passengers are
properly restrained. You and your passengers
should always wear seat belts.
Occupant safety43SafetyZ
Failure to wear and properly fasten and
position your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident.
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. The air bags can only protect
as intended if the occupants are properly
wearing their seat belts.GWarning
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. That could cause serious
or even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a position that is as upright as
possible and the seat belt is properly
positioned on the body.
GWarning
Never let more people ride in the vehicle than
there are seat belts available. Make sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt. Never
use a seat belt for more than one person at a
time.
GWarning!
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that have
been subjected to stress in an accident must
be replaced. Also, the seat belt anchoring
points must be checked.
Only use seat belts which have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
of the ETDs or to their failure to activate when
necessary.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Correct use of the seat beltGWarning
CORRECT USE OF SEAT BELTS
R Seat belts only work properly if they are
fastened correctly. Never wear seat belts in
any other way than as described in this
section, as that could result in serious
injuries in the event of an accident.
R All occupants should wear their seat belt at
all times, because seat belts help reduce
the likelihood of and potential severity of
injuries in accidents, even if the vehicle
overturns. The restraint system installed is
equipped with SRS (driver's air bag, front-
passenger air bag, window curtain air
bags), belt tensioners and belt force
limiters.
The system is designed to enhance the
protection offered to occupants who are
wearing their seat belts correctly, in certain
frontal impacts (front air bags and belt
tensioners) and side impacts (window
curtain air bags and belt tensioners) which
exceed preset deployment thresholds.
R Never route the shoulder section of the
seat belt under your arm, across your neck
or anywhere other than across your
shoulder. In the event of a frontal impact,
your body would be moved too far forward.
This would increase the risk of head and
neck injuries. The seat belt would then
apply excessive force to the ribs or
abdomen which could cause severe
internal injuries to organs such as the liver
or spleen.
44Occupant safetySafety
Adjust the seat belt so that the upper part
of the belt is as close as possible to the
center of the shoulder. It should not touch
the neck. Never route the belt under the
shoulder. The height of the belt outlet can
be altered to ensure correct usage.
R The lap belt should be routed as low as
possible across the hips, not across the
abdomen. If the lap belt is routed across the
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries in
the event of an impact.
R Never route the seat belt over rigid or
fragile objects in or on your clothing, such
as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc, as this could
cause injuries.
R Always ensure that the seat belt is routed
correctly. This is particularly important if
you are wearing loose clothing.
R Only one person should use each seat belt
at any one time. Never use a seat belt to
restrain more than one person or route the
belt around additional objects.
R Never wear seat belts when they are
twisted. Otherwise, in the event of an
impact, the full width of the seat belt is
unavailable to distribute the force of the
impact. The twisted seat belt routed across
your body could cause injuries.
R Pregnant women should also wear a three-
point seat belt. The lap belt must always
pass across your lap as low down as
possible, i.e. across your hips; not across
your abdomen.
R The seat backrest should be set as close to
vertical as possible.
R Check the seat belt during the journey in
order to make sure that it is correctly
positioned.
R Never rest your feet on the dashboard or
the seat. Always keep both feet on the floor
in front of the seat.
R When using a seat belt to secure an infant
restraint system, child restraint system or
a child on a booster seat, always follow the
child seat manufacturer's instructions.GWarning
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the seat belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to seat
belts. This could impair the effectiveness of
the seat belts.
Fastening seat belts
Important safety notes
GWarning
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriately sized
child restraint system or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. For additional information, see the
"Children in the vehicle" section.
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.
GWarning!
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a Mercedes-
Benz authorized BabySmart™ compatible
child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart™ system installed in the vehicle
to deactivate the front passenger front air bag
when it is installed properly. Otherwise they
will be struck by the air bag when it inflates in
a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal injury
will result.
Occupant safety45SafetyZ
Three-point seat belt, frontXAdjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position ( Y page 76).XPull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide ?.XWithout twisting it, guide the shoulder
section of the seat belt across the middle
of your shoulder and the lap section across
your hips.XEngage belt tongue ; in buckle :.XIf necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height ( Y page 47).XIf necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release button =, see "Releasing
seat belts" ( Y page 48).
Three-point seat belt in the rear, center:Bracket for seat belt tongues;Belt buckle for fixed belt tongue=Release button for fixed belt tongue?Fixed belt tongueABelt buckle for moveable belt tongueBRelease button for moveable belt tongueCMoveable belt tongueXPull both seat belt tongues ? and C from
bracket :.46Occupant safetySafety
XPull the seat belt smoothly from the inertia
reel.XEngage fixed seat belt tongue ? in
buckle ;.XPull movable seat belt tongue C and route
the seat belt across your body. Without
twisting it, guide the shoulder section of the
seat belt across the middle of your shoulder
and the lap section across your hips.XEngage movable seat belt tongue C in
buckle A.XIf necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release buttons B and =, see
"Releasing seat belts" ( Y page 48).
Special seat belt retractor
All seat belts in the vehicle with the exception
of the driver's are equipped with a special
seat belt retractor, to which a child restraint
system can be secured. For further
information on special seat belt retractors,
see ( Y page 51).
Belt height adjustment
You can adjust the belt height on the driver's
and front-passenger seat, as well as on the
outer rear seats.
Adjust the height so that the upper part of the
seat belt is routed across the center of your
shoulder.
XTo raise: slide the belt sash guide upwards.
The belt sash guide engages in various
positions.XTo lower: pull belt sash guide release :
forwards and hold it.XSlide the belt sash guide downwards.XRelease belt sash guide release : and
make sure that the belt sash guide has
engaged.Occupant safety47SafetyZ
Releasing seat belts
Notes
! Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled
up. Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue
will be trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This could damage the door,
the door trim panel and the seat belt.
Damaged seat belts can no longer fulfill
their protective function and must be
replaced. Consult an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
Three-point seat belt, front
XPress release button = and guide belt
tongue ; back towards belt sash guide ?
( Y page 46).
Three-point seat belt in the rear, center
XPress release button B on seat belt buckle
A (Y page 46).XOpen belt buckle ; with a screwdriver or
similar item ( Y page 46).XLet the seat belt roll up to the stop.XGuide both seat belt tongues ? and C
into bracket : one on top of the other.
( Y page 46).GWarning!
To help prevent the possibility of injury,
always store the rear center seat belt latch
plates in the attachment when the rear center
seat belt is not in use.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger
The 7 seat belt warning lamp in the
instrument cluster is a reminder for all
occupants to fasten their seat belts.
Regardless of whether the driver and front-
passenger seat belts have already been
fastened, the 7 seat belt warning lamp will
always illuminate for six seconds each time
the engine is started. It then goes out if the
driver and the front passenger have fastened
their seat belts.
If the driver or front-passenger seat belt is not
fastened when the engine is started, an
additional warning tone will sound. This
warning tone ceases after a maximum of six
seconds or when the driver and front
passenger have fastened their seat belts.
If after six seconds, the driver or front
passenger have not fastened their seat belts
and the doors are closed:
R the 7 seat belt warning lamp remains
illuminated as long as either the driver's or
front-passenger seat belt is not fastened.
R the 7 seat belt warning lamp lights up
if the vehicle speed exceeds 15 mph
( 25 km/h). Additionally, a warning tone will
sound with increasing intensity for a
maximum of 60 seconds or until the
driver's or front-passenger seat belt are
fastened.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belt while the vehicle is in motion, the
7 seat belt warning lamp lights up and a
warning tone sounds again.
The warning tone ceases even if the driver or
front passenger have still not fastened their
seat belt after 60 seconds. The 7 seat belt
warning lamp stops flashing but remains
illuminated.
After the vehicle comes to a standstill, the
warning tone is reactivated and the 7 seat
belt warning lamp flashes again if the vehicle
speed again exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h) .
The 7 seat belt warning lamp only goes
out if:
R both the driver and the front passenger
have fastened their seat belts.
or
R the vehicle is stationary and a door is open.
i For more information on the 7 seat
belt warning lamp, see "Indicator and
warning lamps in the instrument cluster,
seat belt" ( Y page 184).48Occupant safetySafety
Emergency Tensioning Device, belt
force limiters
The front seat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with ETDs and belt
force limiters.
! If the front-passenger seat is not
occupied, do not engage the seat belt
tongue in the buckle on the front-
passenger seat. Otherwise, the Emergency
Tensioning Device could be triggered in the
event of an accident.
The ETDs tighten the seat belts in an accident,
pulling them close against the body.
The ETDs do not correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
The ETDs do not pull vehicle occupants back
towards the backrest.
Belt force limiters, when triggered, help to
reduce the peak force exerted by the seat belt
on the vehicle occupant.
The front belt force limiters are synchronized
with the front air bags, which take on a part
of the deceleration force. Thus, the force
exerted on the occupant is distributed over a
greater area.
The ETDs can only be activated when:
R the SmartKey is in position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" ( Y page 34).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the lap-shoulder belts in the front.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied and
the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
the front-passenger side.
The ETDs are triggered depending on the type
and severity of an accident:
R in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision if the vehicle decelerates or
accelerates rapidly in a longitudinal
direction during the initial stages of the
impact
R in certain situations if the vehicle overturns
and the system determines that it can
provide additional protection
If the Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs)
are triggered, you will hear a bang, and a small
amount of smoke may also be released. Only
in rare cases will the bang affect your hearing.
The smoke that is released generally does not
constitute a health hazard. The + SRS
warning lamp lights up.GWarning
Pyrotechnic ETDs that were activated must be
replaced.
For your safety, when disposing of the
pyrotechnic ETDs always follow our safety
instructions. These are available at any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
GWarning
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could:
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
Children in the vehicle49SafetyZ
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
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.GWarning!
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment or trunk unless they
are firmly secured in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
If an infant or child is traveling in the vehicle:
XSecure the child using an infant or child
restraint system appropriate to the age and
weight of the childXMake sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes
GWarning
Observe "Important safety notes"
( Y page 49).
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained using the child restraint
systems at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.
Always use a child restraint system that is
compatible with BabySmart™ on the front-
passenger seat.
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 children should always be seated
in an infant or child seat restraint system
appropriate for the size and weight of the
child. They must be properly secured in
accordance with the manufacturer's
installation instructions for the infant or child
seat restraint system. All infant and child seat
restraint systems must comply with the US
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 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 system. You will also
find the statement in the instruction manual
provided with the child restraint system.
When using an infant restraint system, child
restraint system or booster seat, make sure
to carefully read and follow all manufacturer's
instructions for installation and use.
Please read the warning labels affixed to the
interior of the vehicle or to the infant restraint
or child restraint system.GWarning!
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
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 restraint, 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 instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized infant
50Children in the vehicleSafety