Correct use of theseat belts
GWARNING
USESEATBELTS PROPERLY
RSeat beltscan only work when used
properly. Never wear seat beltsinany other
way than as describedinthissection, as
that couldresult in serious injuries in the
event of an accident.
REachoccupantshould wear their seat belt
at all times, because seat belts help reduce
the likelihood of and potential severity of
injuries in accidents, including rollovers.
The integrated restraint system includes
SRS (driver front air bag, driver's side knee
bag, front-passenger front air bag, side
impact air bags, pelvis air bags, window
curtain air bags for the side windows),
EmergencyTensioning Devices, seat belt
force limiters, and front seat knee bolsters.
The system is designed to enhance the
protection offered to properly belted
occupants in certain frontal (front air bags,
driver's side knee bag and ETDs) and side
(side impact air bags, window curtain air
bags, and ETDs) impacts which exceed
preset deployment thresholds and in
certain rollovers (window curtain air bags
and ETDs).
RNever wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, across your neck or off your shoulder.
Inafrontal crash, your body would move
too far forward. That would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The seat
belt would also apply too much force to the
ribs or abdomen, which could severely
injure internal organs such as your liver or
spleen.
Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder
section is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder. It should not
touch the neck.Never pass the shoulder
portion of the seat belt under your arm. For
this purpose, you can adjust the height of
the seat belt outlet.
RPosition 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
acrash.
RNever wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as
these might cause injuries.
RMake sure the seat belt is alwaysfitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
RNever useaseat belt for more than one
person atatime. Do not fastenaseat belt
aroundaperson and another person or
other objects at the same time.
RSeat belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of
the seat belt to distributeimpact forces.
The twisted seat belt against yourbody
could cause injuries.
RPregnant women should also alwaysuse 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.
RPlace the seat backrest inaposition that is
as upright as possible.
RCheck your seat belt during travel to make
sure it is properly positioned.
RNever place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
RWhen usingaseat belt to secure infant
restraints, toddler restraints, or children in
booster seats, alwaysfollow the child seat
manufacturer'sinstructions.
Fastening seat belts
GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommendthat children be
56Occupant safety
Safety
Other vehicles changing lanes
DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the
vehicle cutting in yet. The distancetothis
vehicle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in frontonthe edge of the road,
because of its narrow width. The distance to
the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for
obstacles or stationary vehicles. If, for
example, the detected vehicle turnsacorner
and reveals an obstacle or stationary vehicle,
DISTRONIC PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights
with crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away,especiallyonsteep
slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
186Driving systems
Driving and parking