2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-CLASS ROADSTER belt

R
Position the lap belt as low as possible on
your hips and not across the abdomen. If
the lap belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it
could cause serious injuries in
a crash.
R Never wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as
these might cause injuries.
R Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
R Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat belt
around a person and another person or
other objects at the same time.
R Seat belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of
the seat belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted seat belt against your body
could cause injuries.
R Pregnant women should also always use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible on
the hips to avoid any possible pressure on
the abdomen.
R Place the seat backrest in a position that is
as upright as possible.
R Check your seat belt during travel to make
sure it is properly positioned.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R When using a seat belt to secure infant
restraints, toddler restraints, or children in
booster seats, always follow the child seat
manufacturer's instructions. G
WARNING
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 G
WARNING
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint, 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. X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position ( Y
page 96).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly through seat
belt guide :.
X Without twisting it, guide the shoulder
section of the seat belt across the middle
of your

shoulder and the lap section across
your hips. Occupant safety
51
Safety Z

X
Engage belt tongue ; in buckle =.
Seat-belt adjustment: if necessary, the
driver's and front-passenger seat belts
automatically adjust to the upper body
(Y page 52).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
The seat belt on the front-passenger side is
equipped with
al special seat belt retractor to
secure a child restraint system properly to the
front-passenger seat. Further information on
the "special seat belt retractor"
(Y page 56).
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release button ?, see "Releasing
seat belts" ( Y page 52).
Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment function adjusts the
driver's and front-passenger seat belt to the
upper body of the occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R
you engage the belt tongue in the belt
buckle and you then turn the SmartKey to
position 2 in the ignition lock.
R the SmartKey

is in position 2 in the ignition
lock and you then engage the belt tongue
in the buckle.
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a
retraction force if any slack is detected
between the occupant and the seat belt. Do
not hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is
adjusting. You can switch the seat-belt
adjustment on and off in the on-board
computer (Y page 219).
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function.
Further information on PRE-SAFE ®
(Pre-
Crash Safety System) ( Y page 48).
Releasing seat belts !
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. Visit a qualified specialist
workshop.
X
Press release button ? on
belt buckle =.
X Guide belt tongue ; back to seat belt
guide :.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger Regardless of whether the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts have already been
fastened, the ü seat belt warning lamp
lights
up

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's seat belt is not fastened when
the engine is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. The warning tone goes out
after approximately six seconds or once the
driver's seat belt is fastened. 52
Occupant safety
Safety

If after six seconds the driver or front
passenger have not fastened their seat belts
and the doors are closed, the
ü seat belt
warning lamp lights up:
R until the driver's or front passenger's seat
belt is fastened
R if a vehicle speed of 15 mph (25 km/h
) is
exceeded, a warning tone also sounds with
increasing intensity for a maximum of
60 seconds or until the driver or front
passenger have fastened their seat belts.
If the driver/front passenger unfasten their
seat belt while the vehicle is in motion, the
ü 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 ü seat belt
warning lamp stops flashing but remains
illuminated.
After the vehicle comes to a standstill, the
warning tone is reactivated and the ü seat
belt warning lamp flashes again if the vehicle
speed again exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h).
The ü 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 ü seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster,
seat belt" ( Y page 256).
Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
force limiters G
WARNING
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. !
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 seat belts are equipped with Emergency
Tensioning Devices and belt force limiters.
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.
When triggered, seat belt force limiters help
to reduce the peak force exerted by the seat
belt on the vehicle occupant.
The seat 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 ignition is switched on.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" ( Y page 37).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the three-point seat belts.
The ETDs are triggered depending on the type
and severity of an accident:
R if, in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, the vehicle decelerates or
accelerates rapidly in a longitudinal
direction during the initial stages of the
impact
R if, in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle
decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a
lateral direction
R if, in certain situations where the vehicle
overturns, the system determines that it
can provide additional protection
If the ETDs are deployed, you will hear a bang,
and a small amount of powder may also be Occupant safety
53
Safety Z

released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The
6 SRS warning lamp
lights up. Child restraint systems
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
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 system must be
correctly secured using the vehicle's seat belt
in complete accordance with the child seat
manufacturer's instructions.
Occupants, in particular children, must sit as
upright as possible, fasten the seat belt
correctly and use a suitable infant restraint
system, child restraint system or booster seat
suitable for the size and weight of the child.
Children can be seriously or even fatally
injured by an air bag deploying. Observe the
following information:
R Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to deactivate the
front-passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropriate
child restraint on the passenger seat.
R A child in a rearward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat could
be seriously injured or even killed if the
front-passenger air bag inflates in a
collision despite the air bag technology
installed in your vehicle, which could occur
under some circumstances.
R If you install a rearward-facing child
restraint on the front-passenger seat, make
sure that the 4 PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front-passenger front air
bag is deactivated. Should the
4
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
not illuminate or go out while a rearward-
facing child restraint system is installed,
please check installation. Periodically
check the 4 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp

while driving to make sure it
is illuminated. If the 4 PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp goes out or
remains out, do not transport a child on the
front-passenger seat.
R A child in a rearward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat can be
seriously injured or even killed if the front-
passenger air bag is deployed.
R When securing a child in a child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat, you
must:
-move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible
- use a child restraint system that is
suitable for the age, size and weight of
the child
- observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions in order to install and secure
the child restraint system correctly.
R For children larger than the typical 12-
month-old child, the front-passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated. G
WARNING
Infants and small children should never share
a seat

belt with another occupant. In the event
of 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 that are too large for a child restraint
must travel in seats using normal seat belts.
Position the shoulder belt across the chest
and shoulder, not face or neck. A booster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper seat belt 54
Child restraint systems
Safety

positioning for children over 41 lb (18 kg) 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. G
WARNING
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
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. G
WARNING
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment 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:
X Secure the child with a child or infant seat
restraint system

appropriate to the age and
weight of the child.
X Make sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you always
properly secure all infants and children with
a child or infant seat restraint system for the
trip.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in:
R all 50 states
R U.S. territories
R the District of Columbia
R all Canadian provinces
Infants and

children must always be seated in
an appropriate infant or child restraint system
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. The infant or child restraint system
must be properly secured with a three-point
seat belt in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions.
All infant or child restraint systems must meet
the following standards:
R U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225
R Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
An information label on the child restraint
system indicates whether it meets these
standards. This information is also provided
in the installation instructions supplied with
the child restraint system. Child restraint systems
55
Safety Z

Always read and follow the manufacturer's
instructions when using an infant or child
restraint system or booster seat.
Observe the warning labels in the vehicle
interior or on the infant or child restraint.
i
Further information
on secure stowage of
loads can be found in the "Stowage areas"
section ( Y page 474).LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat
securing system
G
WARNING
Children that are too large for a child restraint
must travel in seats using normal seat belts.
Position the shoulder belt across the chest
and shoulder, not face or neck.
A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
41 lb (18 kg) until they reach a height where
a lap/shoulder belt fits properly without a
booster.
Install the child restraint system in
accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions.
Attach the child restraint system to both
securing rings.
An incorrectly

installed child restraint system
could come loose during an accident and
seriously or even fatally injure the child.
Child restraint systems or child seat securing
rings that are malfunctioning or damaged as
the result of a collision must be replaced. ISOFIX is a standardized securing system for
specially designed child restraint systems.
Securing rings : for a LATCH-type (ISOFIX)
child restraint system are installed to the
front-passenger seat.
Secure child restraint systems without a
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat securing
system using the seat belts in the vehicle.
When installing child restraint systems, you
must
observe

the manufacturer's installation
instructions.
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat
securing system. Comply with the
manufacturer's instructions when
installing. Special seat belt retractor
G
WARNING
If you release the seat belt when driving, the
special seat belt retractor is deactivated.
The released seat belt cannot be engaged
again while driving, because the inertia reel
pulls in the seat belt a small distance. The
child restraint system is no longer properly
secured. There

is an increased risk of serious
injury or even fatal injury.
Always keep the seat belt of the activated
special seat belt retractor engaged when
driving.
The seat belt on the front-passenger side is
equipped with a special seat belt retractor.
When activated, the special seat belt
retractor ensures that the seat belt will not
slacken once the child restraint system has
been secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the seat
belt retractor.
X Engage the seat belt tongue in the belt
buckle.56
Child restraint systems
Safety

Activating the special seat belt retractor:
X
Pull the seat belt out fully and let the seat
belt retractor retract it again.
While the
seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is activated.
X Push down on the child restraint system to
take up any slack.
Removing a child restraint system/
deactivating the special seat belt retractor:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Press the seat belt release button and
guide the belt tongue to the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is
deactivated.
If necessary:
X Additionally move the seat backwards.
The special seat belt retractor is
deactivated.
If necessary:
X Additionally remove the seat belt from the
seat belt guide on the seat backrest and
guide the seat belt back to the belt sash
guide.
The special seat belt retractor is
deactivated. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this

section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
(Y page 57)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) ( Y page 58)
R BAS PLUS ( Brake Assist System PLUS)
(Y page 58)
R ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
(Y page 59)
R EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 62)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 63) R
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 63)
R STEER CONTROL ( Y page 65) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety
systems can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Driving safety systems are merely aids
designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in
good time.

Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions and maintain a safe distance from
the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tires and
the road surface. Please pay special
attention to the notes on tires,
recommended minimum tire tread depths,
etc. (Y page 526).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the
driving safety systems described in this
section work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking
characteristics may be severely impaired.
Additionally, further driving safety systems
are deactivated.

There is an increased danger
of skidding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. Driving safety systems
57
Safety Z

ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In
addition to the braking function, ADAPTIVE
BRAKE also has the HOLD function
( Y page 176) and hill start assist
(Y page 138). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake

is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimize
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or
reduce the effects of such a collision. If PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake has detected a risk of collision,
you will be warned visually and acoustically
as well as by automatic braking. PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot prevent a collision without your
intervention.
Starting at a speed of around
4 mph (7 km/h), this function warns you if
you very quickly approach a vehicle in front.
An intermittent warning tone will then sound
and the · distance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
From a speed of approximately
4 mph (

7 km/h), if the driver and passengers
have fastened their seat belts, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can brake the vehicle automatically at
speeds up to approximately
124 mph (200 km/h).
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause
unnecessary warnings or the unnecessary
intervention of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake. You can end PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
intervention in
a non-critical driving situation at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator pedal further
R activating kickdown
R releasing the brake pedal.
The braking action of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
R there is no longer any danger of a rear-end
collision.
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
With the help of the radar sensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
At speeds up to approximately
40 mph (70 km/h), PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can
also detect stationary obstacles such as
stopped or parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects a risk of a collision, the system
will alert you both visually and acoustically. If
you do not brake or take evasive action, the
system will warn you by automatically braking
the vehicle gently. If there is an increased risk
of collision, preventative passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are
activated (Y page 48).
If, at speeds over 20 mph (30 km/h), a risk
of collision remains and you do not brake,
take evasive action or significantly
accelerate, automatic braking may be
performed up to a level of automatic
emergency braking. Automatic emergency
braking is not performed until immediately
prior to an accident that can no longer be
avoided. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will initially brake your
vehicle by a partial application of the brakes
if a

danger of collision is detected. There may
be a collision unless you also brake. Driving safety systems
63
Safety
Z