
Vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
airbag deactivation system: the sidebag on
the front-passenger side deploys under the
following conditions:
- an occupant is detected on the front-
passenger seat or
- the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
R Windowbag on the side on which an impact
occurs, independent of seat belt usage and
regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R Seat belt tensioners, if the system determines
that deployment can offer additional protec-
tion for the vehicle occupants in this situation
R Windowbags on the driver's and front-
passenger side in certain situations if the
vehicle overturns and if the system deter-
mines that deployment can offer additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt
i Not all airbags are deployed in an accident.
The different airbag systems work independ-
ently of each other.
How the airbag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, and the apparent type of accident:
R frontal collision
R side impact
R overturn PRE-SAFE
®
(anticipatory occupant
protection)
Introduction In certain hazardous situations, PRE-SAFE
®
takes pre-emptive measures to protect the vehi- cle occupants.
Important safety notes !
Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is a risk
that the seats and/or the objects could be
damaged when PRE-SAFE ®
is activated.
Although your vehicle is equipped with PRE-
SAFE ®
, the possibility of injury in the event of an
accident cannot be ruled out. 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.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when physi-
cal limits are exceeded and the vehicle under-
steers or oversteers severely
R on vehicles with the Driving Assistance pack-
age: if BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully or the
radar sensor system detects an imminent
danger of collision in certain situations
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R if the vehicle skids, the side windows and the
sliding sunroof are closed.
R vehicles with the memory function: the front-
passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an unfav-
ourable position.
R vehicles with a multicontour seat: the air pres-
sure in the side bolsters of the backrest is
increased.
If the hazardous situation passes without result- ing in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens the belt
pre-tensioning. On vehicles with multicontour
seats, the air pressure in the side bolsters is
reduced again. All settings made by PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
X Move the seat backrest or seat back slightly
when the vehicle is stationary.
Seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. Informa-
tion about the convenience function can be
found under "Belt adjustment" (Y page 41). PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS (anticipatory occu-
pant protection PLUS)
Introduction PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS is only available in vehicles
with the Driving Assistance package. Occupant safety
51Safety Z 

Using the radar sensor system, PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS is able to detect that a head-on or rear-end
collision is imminent. In certain hazardous sit-
uations, PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS takes pre-emptive
measures to protect the vehicle occupants.
Important safety notes The intervention of PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS cannot
prevent an imminent collision.
The driver is not warned before the intervention
of PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS.
PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS does not intervene:
R if the vehicle is reversing
R when the vehicle is towing a trailer and there
is a risk of a rear-end collision
When driving, or when parking or exiting a park- ing space with assistance from Active Parking
Assist, PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS will not apply the
brakes.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS intervenes in certain situa-
tions if the radar sensor system detects an
imminent head-on or rear-end collision.
PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
R if the radar sensor system detects that a
head-on collision is imminent, the seat belts
are pre-tensioned
R if the radar sensor system detects that a rear-
end collision is imminent:
- the rear hazard warning lamps are activa-
ted and flash at a higher frequency
- the brake pressure is increased if the driver
applies the brakes when the vehicle is sta-
tionary
- the seat belts are pre-tensioned.
The PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS braking application is can-
celled:
R if the accelerator pedal is depressed when a
gear is engaged
R if the risk of a collision passes or is no longer
detected
R if DISTRONIC PLUS indicates an intention to
pull away
If the hazardous situation passes without result- ing in an accident, the original settings are
restored. Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures may be 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 vehicles with a memory function: the electri-
cally adjustable steering wheel is raised
R the engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off
R vehicles with the Mercedes-Benz emergency
call system: automatic emergency call Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you installa child restraint system on a rear seat. Children
are generally better protected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 1.50 m in height is travelling in the vehi-
cle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint system must be appropri-
ate to the age, weight and size of the child.
R be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions.
R always pay attention to the instructions and
safety notes on the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system
(Y page 45). 52
Children in the vehicleSafety 

tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems, includ-
ing driving safety systems, will also become
inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 289) and display mes-
sages which may be shown in the instrument
cluster (Y page 254).
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions; this serves as a
reminder to take extra care while driving. BAS (Brake Assist)
General notes BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake pedal quickly, BAS
automatically boosts the braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking. Braking X
Keep the brake pedal depressed firmly until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) with Cross-Traffic Assist
General notes BAS PLUS can help you to minimise the risk of a
collision with a vehicle or a pedestrian and
reduce the effects of such a collision. If BAS
PLUS detects a danger of collision, you are
assisted when braking.
i Pay attention to the important safety notes
in the "Driving safety systems" section
(Y page 64).
BAS PLUS is only available on vehicles with the
Driving Assistance package.
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the
radar sensor system and the camera system
must be operational.
With the help of a sensor system and a camera
system, BAS PLUS can detect obstacles:
R that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time
R that cross the path of your vehicle
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your vehi-
cle can be detected.
BAS PLUS detects pedestrians using typical
characteristics such as the body contours and
posture of a person standing upright.
If the radar sensor system or the camera system
is malfunctioning, BAS PLUS functions are
restricted or no longer available. The brake sys- tem is still available with complete brake boost-ing effect and BAS.
i Observe the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" section
(Y page 66). Driving safety systems
65Safety Z 

Important safety notes
G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations.
In such cases, BAS PLUS may:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify peo- ple, this is especially the case if they are mov-
ing. BAS PLUS cannot intervene in these
cases. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
R to small people, e.g. children
R to animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R when cornering
As a result, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, detection
can be impaired.
Detection by the radar sensor system is also
impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in multi-
storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle R
a vehicle travelling in front on a different line
R vehicles quickly moving into the radar sensor
system detection range
Detection by the camera system is also impaired
in the event of:
R dirt on the camera or if the camera is covered
R glare on the camera system, e.g. from the sun
being low in the sky
R darkness
R if:
- pedestrians move quickly, e.g. into the path
of the vehicle
- the camera system no longer detects a
pedestrian as a person due to special cloth- ing or other objects
- a pedestrian is concealed by other objects
- the typical outline of a person is not distin-
guishable from the background
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle, have the radar sensor settings and operation
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow speeds where
there is no visible damage to the front of the
vehicle.
Following damage to the windscreen, have the
configuration and operation of the camera sys-
tem checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Function To avoid a collision, BAS PLUS calculates the
brake force necessary if:
R you approach an obstacle and
R BAS PLUS has detected a risk of a collision
When driving at a speed under 30 km/h: if
you depress the brake pedal, BAS PLUS is acti-
vated. Braking assistance from BAS PLUS is car-
ried out at the last possible moment.
When driving at a speed above 30 km/h: if
you depress the brake pedal sharply, BAS PLUS automatically increases the brake pressure to adegree suited to the traffic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz-
ardous situations with vehicles in front within a
speed range between 7 km/h and 250 km/h. 66
Driving safety systemsSafety 

At speeds of up to approximately 70 km/h, BAS
PLUS can react to:
R stationary objects in the path of your vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
R pedestrians in the path of your vehicle
R obstacles crossing your path, which move in
the detection range of the sensors and are
recognised by them
i If BAS PLUS demands particularly high brak-
ing force, preventative passenger protection
measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activated simulta-
neously (Y page 51).
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes func-
tion as usual again if:
R you release the brake pedal
R there is no longer a risk of collision
R no obstacle is detected in front of your vehicle
R you depress the accelerator pedal
R you activate kickdown COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64).
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS consists of a distance warning function with an autono-
mous braking function and Adaptive Brake
Assist.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can help
you to minimise the risk of a collision with the
vehicle in front or reduce the effects of such a
collision.
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will
be warned visually and acoustically. If you do not react to the visual and audible collision warning,autonomous braking can be initiated in critical
situations. If you apply the brake yourself in a
critical situation, the COLLISION PREVENTION
ASSIST PLUS Adaptive Brake Assist assists you. Important safety notes In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in multi-
storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different line
R new vehicles or after a service on the COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Please observe the information in the section on running-in the vehicle (Y page 145).
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle, have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensor checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow speeds where there is no visible damage to thefront of the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating The COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
automatically active after switching on the igni-
tion.
You can activate or deactivate COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST PLUS in the on-board com-
puter (Y page 244). When deactivated, the dis-
tance warning function and the autonomous
braking function are also deactivated.
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
deactivated, the æsymbol appears in the
assistance graphics display.
Distance warning function General notes
The distance warning function can help you to
minimise the risk of a collision with the vehicle in
front or reduce the effects of such a collision. If the distance warning function detects that there
is a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 64). Driving safety systems
67Safety Z 

G
WARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation; do not rely on the distance warning
function alone.
Function The distance warning function issues a warning at speeds:
R of approximately 30 km/h or more, if, over
several seconds, the distance maintained to
the vehicle travelling in front is insufficient.
The · distance warning lamp then lights
up in the instrument cluster.
R of approximately 7 km/h or more, if you rap-
idly approach a vehicle in front. An intermit-
tent 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.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the system to display a warning. With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an exten-
ded period of time.
Up to a speed of approximately 70 km/h, the
distance warning function can also react to sta-
tionary obstacles, such as stopped or parked
vehicles.
Autonomous braking function If the driver does not react to the distance warn-
ing signal in a critical situation, COLLISION PRE- VENTION ASSIST PLUS can assist with the
autonomous braking function.
The autonomous braking function:
R gives the driver more time to react to critical
driving situations
R can help the driver to avoid an accident or
R reduces the effects of an accident
Vehicles without DISTRONIC PLUS: the
autonomous braking function is available in the
following speed ranges:
R 7 - 105 km/h for moving objects
R 7 - 50 km/h for stationary objects
Vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS: the autono-
mous braking function is available in the follow-
ing speed ranges:
R 7 - 200 km/h for moving objects
R 7 - 50 km/h for stationary objects
Due to the nature of the system, complicated
but non-critical driving situations may also
cause the autonomous braking function to inter- vene.
If the autonomous braking function demands
particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
)
are activated simultaneously (Y page 51).
Adaptive Brake Assist General notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64).
With the help of Adaptive Brake Assist, the dis-
tance warning signal can detect obstacles that
are in the path of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
If Adaptive Brake Assist detects a risk of a col-
lision with the vehicle in front, it calculates the 68
Driving safety systemsSafety 

braking force necessary to avoid a collision. If
you apply the brakes forcefully, Adaptive Brake
Assist will automatically increase the braking
force to a level suitable for the traffic conditions.
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking assis-
tance in hazardous situations at speeds above
7 km/h. It uses radar sensor technology to
assess the traffic situation.
Up to a speed of approximately 250 km/h,
Adaptive Brake Assist is capable of reacting to
moving objects that have already been detected
as such at least once over the period of obser-
vation.
Up to a speed of approximately 70 km/h, Adap-
tive Brake Assist reacts to stationary obstacles.
If Adaptive Brake Assist demands particularly
high braking force, preventative passenger pro-
tection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activated
simultaneously (Y page 51).
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if: R you release the brake pedal
R there is no longer any danger of a collision
R no obstacle is detected in front of your vehicle
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
Important safety notes i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 64).G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, complicated
but non-critical driving situations may also
cause Adaptive Brake Assist to intervene.
If Adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS. Adaptive brake lights
The adaptive brake lights warn following traffic
in an emergency braking situation:
R by flashing brake lamps
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
50 km/ hor if braking is assisted by BAS or BAS
PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warning
lamps are activated automatically. If the brakes
are applied again, the brake lamps light up con- tinuously. The hazard warning lamps switch off
automatically if you travel faster than 10 km/h.You can also switch off the hazard warning
lamps using the hazard warning button
(Y page 117). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64). Driving safety systems
69Safety Z 

Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/trailer
combination by depressing the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 60 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a malfunc- tion.
Crosswind Assist General notes
Strong crosswind gusts can impair the road-
holding of your vehicle when driving straight
ahead. The crosswind driving assistance func-
tion integrated in ESP ®
noticeably reduces
these impairments.
Depending on the direction and intensity of the
side wind, ESP ®
is activated automatically.
ESP ®
intervenes with stabilising braking to
assist you in keeping the vehicle in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 80 km/h when driving straight ahead or
cornering gently.
Important safety notes Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP ®
is deac-
tivated or disabled because of a malfunction. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General notes EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 64).G
WARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the risk of skidding and an accident. You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 289) as well as display
messages (Y page 256). 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 191) and hill start
assist (Y page 149). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
General notes PRE-SAFE
®
Brake can help you to minimise the
risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or a
pedestrian, and reduce the effects of such a
collision. If PRE-SAFE ®
Brake has detected a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically as well as by automatic braking.
i Pay attention to the important safety notes
in the "Driving safety systems" section
(Y page 64).
PRE‑SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with the Driving Assistance Plus package.
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driving,
the radar sensor system and the camera system must be switched on and operational.
With the help of the radar sensor system and the
camera system, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect
obstacles that are in front of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your vehi-
cle can be detected.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects pedestrians using
typical characteristics such as the body con-
tours and posture of a person standing upright.
i Observe the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" section
(Y page 73). 72
Driving safety systemsSafety