Nor do they provide an indication of air bag
deployment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably,
without an air bag being deployed. This is the
case if only parts which are relatively easily
deformed are affected and the rate of decel-
eration is not high. Conversely, air bags may
be deployed even though the vehicle suffers
only minor deformation. This is the case if, for example, very rigid vehicle parts such as lon-
gitudinal body members are hit, and sufficient
deceleration occurs as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
side impact or if the vehicle rolls over, the
applicable components of the restraint sys-
tem are activated independently of each
other depending on the apparent type of acci- dent.
R Side impact air bag and pelvis air bag on the
side of impact, independently of the Emer-
gency Tensioning Device and the use of the
seat belt
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side deploys under the following conditions: - BabySmart™ detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
- the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
R Window curtain air bag on the side of
impact, independently of the use of the
seat belt and independently of whether the
front-passenger seat is occupied
R Emergency Tensioning Devices, if the sys-
tem determines that deployment can offer
additional protection in this situation
R Window curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the
seat belt
iNot all air bags are deployed in an acci-
dent. The different air bag systems work
independently of each other. How the air bag system works is deter-
mined by the severity of the accident detec-
ted, especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration and the apparent type of acci- dent:
R frontal collision
R side impact
R rollover
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The function of the head restraint may be
impaired if you: R attach objects such as coat hangers to the
head restraints, for example
R use head restraint covers
If you do so, the head restraints cannot fulfill
their intended protective function in the event of an accident. In addition, objects attached
to the head restraints could endanger other
vehicle occupants. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Do not attach any objects to the head
restraints and do not use head restraint cov-ers.
Method of operation
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints offer additional protection
against head and neck injuries. In the event of
a rear collision of a certain severity, the NECK-
PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraints on the driver's and front-passenger
seats are moved forwards and upwards. This
provides better head support.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints have been triggered in an accident, reset the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
on the driver's seat and the front-passenger
seat ( Ypage 54). Otherwise, the additional
Occupant safety53
Safety
Z
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on
the type and severity of the impact:R the hazard warning lamps are activated
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R the electrically adjustable steering wheel is
raised
R the engine is switched off and the fuel sup-
ply is cut off
R vehicles with mbrace: automatic emer-
gency call
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front seats. For this rea-
son, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you
install a child restraint system on a rear seat.
Children are generally better protected there.
If a child younger than twelve years and under
5 ft (1.50 m)in height is traveling in the vehi-
cle:
R always secure this child in a restraint sys-
tem approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint system must be appro-
priate to the age, weight and size of thechild.
R be sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes in this section in addition to
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro-tect it with a blanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended inthe vehicle.
Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are positioned properly in their seats and
have correctly fastened their seat belts. Take
particular care with children.
Please take note of the safety notes on seat
belts ( Ypage 44) and the notes on their cor-
rect use ( Ypage 45).
A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
Children in the vehicle55
Safety
Z
41 lbs (18 kg) until they reach a height wherea lap/shoulder belt fits properly without a
booster seat.
Special seat belt retractor
GWARNING
If the seat belt is released while driving, the
child restraint system will no longer be
secured properly. The special seat belt retrac- tor is disabled and the inertia real draws in a
portion of the seat belt. The seat belt cannot
be immediately refastened. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Stop the vehicle immediately, paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. Reactivate
the special seat belt retractor and secure the
child restraint system properly.
All seat belts in the vehicle, except the driv-
er's seat belt, are equipped with a special seat belt retractor. When activated, the special
seat belt retractor ensures that the seat belt
cannot slacken once the child seat is secured.
Installing a child restraint system: X Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly out of the belt
sash guide.
X Engage seat belt tongue in belt buckle.
Activating the special seat belt retractor: X Pull the seat belt out fully and let the inertia
reel retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is enabled.
X Push the child restraint system down so
that the seat belt is tight and does not
loosen. Removing the child restraint system and
deactivating the special seat belt retractor:
X Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
X Press the release button of the seat belt
buckle and route the seat belt tongue back
towards the belt sash guide.
The special seat belt retractor is deactiva-ted.
Child restraint system
The use of seat belts and child restraint sys-
tems is required by law in:
R all 50 states
R the U.S. territories
R the District of Columbia
R all Canadian provinces
You can obtain further information about the correct child restraint system from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor- rectly on a suitable seat, it cannot protect as
intended. The child cannot then be restrained in the event of an accident, heavy braking or
sudden changes of direction. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Make sure that you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions and the notes on use. Please ensure,
that the base of the child restraint system is
always resting completely on the seat cush-
ion. Never place objects, e.g. cushions, under or behind the child restraint system. Only use
child restraint systems with the original cover
designed for them. Only replace damaged
covers with genuine covers.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor- rectly or is not secured, it can come loose in
the event of an accident, heavy braking or a
56Children in the vehicle
Safety
sudden change in direction. The child
restraint system could be thrown about, strik-ing vehicle occupants. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always install child restraint systems prop-
erly, even if they are not being used. Make
sure that you observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation instructions.
You will find further information on stowing
objects, luggage or loads under "Loading
guidelines" ( Ypage 192).
GWARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems which have been damaged or subjected
to a load in an accident can no longer protect
as intended. The child cannot then be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly evenfatal.
Replace child restraint systems which have
been damaged or subjected to a load in an
accident as soon as possible. Have the secur-
ing systems on the child restraint system
checked at a qualified specialist workshop,
before you install a child restraint system
again.
The securing systems of child restraint sys-
tems are: R the seat belt system
R the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings
R the Top Tether anchorages
iIf it is absolutely necessary to carry a child
on the front-passenger seat, be sure to
observe the information on "Child restraint
systems on the front-passenger seat"( Y page 60). There you will also find infor-
mation on deactivating the front-passenger
front air bag. All child restraint systems must meet the fol-
lowing standards:
R U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand-
ards 213 and 225
R Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
Confirmation that the child restraint system
corresponds to the standards can be found
on an instruction label on the child restraint
system. This confirmation can also be found
in the installation instructions that are inclu-
ded with the child restraint system.
Observe the warning labels in the vehicle inte-
rior and on the child restraint system.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat secur-
ing system
GWARNING
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint systems
do not offer sufficient protective effect for
children whose weight is greater than 48 lbs
(22 kg) who are secured using the safety belt integrated in the child restraint system. In the
event of an accident, a child might not be
restrained correctly. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
If the child weighs more than 48 lbs (22 kg),
only use LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
systems with which the child is also secured
with the vehicle seat belt. Also secure the
child restraint system with the Top Tether
belt, if available.
Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation and operating instructions for the child restraint system used.
Before every trip, make sure that the LATCH- type (ISOFIX) child restraint system is
engaged correctly in both LATCH-type (ISO-
FIX) securing rings
!When installing the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the middle seat does not get trapped. The seat belt
could otherwise be damaged.
Children in the vehicle57
Safety
Z
:LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system on both LATCH-type (ISO-
FIX) securing rings :.
ISOFIX is a standardized securing system for
specially designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings :for two LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint systems are installed on the left and
right rear seats.
Non-LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seats may
also be used and can be installed using the
vehicle's seat belt system. Install the child
seat according to the manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
Top Tether
Introduction
Top Tether provides an additional connection between the child restraint system secured
with a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat mount
and the vehicle. This helps reduce the risk of
injury even further. If the child restraint sys-
tem is equipped with a Top Tether belt, this
should always be used.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the rear seats or the rear seat backrests are not locked, they could fold forwards in the
event of an accident, heavy braking or suddenchanges of direction. As a result, child
restraint systems cannot perform their inten-
ded protective function. Rear seats and rear
seat backrests that are not locked can also
cause additional injuries, e.g. in the event of
an accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Always lock the rear seats and rear seat
backrests after installing a Top Tether belt.
Observe the lock verification indicator. Adjust
the rear seat backrests so that they are in an upright position.
Top Tether anchorages
Top Tether anchorages ;are on the cargo
compartment floor.
X Remove cargo compartment cover (Y page 197).
X Move the head restraint upwards.
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system with Top Tether. Always
comply with the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions
when doing so.
58Children in the vehicle
Safety
XRoute Top Tether belt =under the head
restraint between the two head restraint
bars.
X Hook Top Tether hook :of Top Tether belt
= into Top Tether anchorage ;.
Make sure that Top Tether belt Bis not
twisted.
X Tension Top Tether belt =. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
X Move head restraint back down again
slightly if necessary ( Ypage 85). Make
sure that you do not interfere with the cor-
rect routing of Top Tether belt =.
BabySmart™ air bag deactivation sys-
tem
The BabySmart™ air bag deactivation sys-
tem's sensor system in the front-passenger
seat detects whether a special Mercedes-
Benz child restraint system with a trans-
ponder for the BabySmart™ air bag deactiva-
tion system has been installed. In this case,
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up and remains lit. The front-passengerfront air bag is deactivated.
When the SmartKey is removed from the igni-
tion lock or is in position 0, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is not lit.
iIf the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated by the BabySmart™ air bag
deactivation system, the following remain
enabled on the front-passenger side:
R the side impact air bag
R the pelvis air bag
R the window curtain air bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Device
GWARNING
If you secure a child in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
off, the front-passenger front air bag can
deploy in the event of an accident. The child
could be struck by the air bag. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
GWARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger front air bag isdeactivated. It will not be deployed in the
event of an accident and cannot perform its
intended protective function. A person in the
front-passenger seat could then, for example, come into contact with the vehicle's interior,
especially if the person is sitting too close to
the dashboard. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may notbe used. You may only transport a child on the
front-passenger seat if they are seated in a
suitable rearward or forward-facing child
restraint system. Always observe the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions.
GWARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
R come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
R be struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible. Always make sure that the shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from the vehicle
belt sash guide to the shoulder belt guide on
the child restraint system. The shoulder belt
strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the belt sash guide. If necessary,
adjust the belt sash guide and the front-
Child ren in the vehi cle59
Safety
Z
passenger seat accordingly. Always observe
the information about suitable positioning of
the child restraint system in this Operator's
Manual as well as the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp:
shows you whether the front-passenger front air bag is deactivated.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock.
The system carries out self-diagnostics.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must light up for approximately six seconds.
If, after the system self-test, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp: R is lit : the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. It will then not be deployed in
the event of an accident.
R is not lit , the sensor system did not detect
a child restraint system with transponder
for the BabySmart™ air bag deactivation
system. If, in the event of an accident, all
deployment criteria are met, the front-
passenger front air bag is deployed.
GWARNING
Electronic devices on the front-passenger
seat can affect the function of the Baby-
Smart™ air bag deactivation system, forexample:
R Laptop
R Mobile phone
R Transponder cards such as ski passes or
access passes
The front-passenger air bag could deploy acci-
dentally or not function as intended during an accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any of the devices mentioned
above or similar devices on the front-
passenger seat. Be aware of the status of thefront-passenger front air bag both before andduring the journey.
Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install the child restraint system on a
rear seat.
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
always observe the information on the "Baby- Smart™ air bag deactivation system"( Y page 59).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise
as a result of:
R a child restraint system that is not detected
by the BabySmart™ air bag deactivation
system sensor system
R the unintentional deactivation of the front-
passenger front air bag
R the unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board
60Children in the vehicle
Safety
Problems with the BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp on the center con-
sole is lit.A special Mercedes-Benz child restraint system with a trans-
ponder for the BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system has been
installed on the front-passenger seat. The front-passenger air bag has therefore been deactivated as desired.
GWARNING
There is no child restraint system installed on the front-passenger
seat. The BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system is malfunc-
tioning, for example due to electronic devices on the front-
passenger seat.
There is a risk of injury. X Remove electronic equipment from the front-passenger seat,
for example:
R Laptop
R Mobile phone
R Card with a transponder, such as a ski pass or access pass
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the
front-passenger seat may not be used.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
The 6 restraint sys-
tem warning lamp
lights up and/or the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp
does not light up briefly
when you switch the
ignition on.GWARNING
The BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system is malfunctioning.
Do not install a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
It is recommended that you install the child restraint system on a suitable rear seat.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
X Please also refer to the notes about the restraint system warning
lamp ( Ypage 167).
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When children ride on the vehicle's rear seats, activate the override switch. Otherwise, the
children could be injured, e.g. by trapping
themselves in the rear side window.
62Children in the vehicle
Safety