slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrestis in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seatbelt is routed
across the centre of your shoulder. G
WARNING
Persons under 1.50 mtall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly without a suitable, addi-
tional restraint system. The seat belt cannot
perform its intended protective function if it is not fastened correctly. Also, an improperly
fastened seat belt can cause additional inju-
ries in the event of an accident, sudden brak-
ing or abrupt changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in a suit-
able restraint system.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 1.50 m in height is travelling in the
vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz
vehicle. The child restraint system must be appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child.
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system
(Y page 51)
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle" in this
Owner's Manual (Y page 60) in addition
to the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions G
WARNING
Seat belts cannot protect as intended, if:
R they are damaged, have been modified, are
extremely dirty, bleached or dyed
R the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
R modifications have been made to the belt
tensioners, belt anchorages or inertia reels
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts can tear or fail, for example in the event of an accident. Modified
seat belt tensioners may be deployed unin-
tentionally or fail to be deployed when
required. There is an increased risk of injury,
possibly even fatal.
Never modify safety belts, seat belt tension-
ers, seat belt anchorages and inertia reels.
Ensure that seat belts are not damaged or
worn and are clean. After an accident, have
the seat belts checked immediately at a quali- fied specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use seat belts which have been approved
specifically for your vehicle by Mercedes-
Benz. Otherwise, your vehicle's general oper- ating permit could be invalidated.
Correct seat belt use Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y
page 44).
All vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts correctly before starting the journey.
Also make sure during the journey, that all
vehicle occupants have their seat belt cor-
rectly fastened.
When fastening your seat belt, always make
sure that:
R the seat belt buckle tongue is only inserted
into the correct belt buckle for the corre-
sponding seat.
R the seat belt fits closely across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat. Occupant safety
45Safety Z
R
the seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces produced during
an accident be distributed across the sur-
face of the seat belt.
R the shoulder section of the belt is routed
across the centre of your shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt should not
touch the neck nor be routed under your
arm.
R the lap belt is fastened closely and routed
as low as possible across your lap, i.e.
across your hips.
The lap belt must always be routed across
the hip joints and never across your stom-
ach or abdomen. This is of particular impor-
tance for pregnant women. If necessary,
push the lap belt downwards into your pel-
vic area and pull it tight using the shoulder section of the belt.
R the seat belt is not routed across sharp-
edged, pointed or breakable objects.
Should you have such objects on or in your
clothing, e.g. pens, keys or spectacles,
stow these in a suitable place.
R only one person uses each seat belt at any
one time.
Infants and children must never travel sit-
ting on the lap of another vehicle occupant. In the event of an accident, they could be
crushed between vehicle occupant and
seat belt.
R never to secure objects with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by a vehicle
occupant
Also make sure that there are never any
objects between a person and the seat, e.g. pillows.
Seat belts are solely intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. When securing
objects, luggage or loads, always observe the instructions and safety notes in "Loading
guidelines" (Y page 316). Fastening seat belts Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y
page 44) and the notes on correct use of
seat belts (Y page 45). G
WARNING
If the seat-belt extender extends during the
journey, the seat belt is not sitting correctly
across your body. The seat belt then cannot
perform its intended protective function.
There is an increased risk of injury, possibly
even fatal.
During a journey, make sure that the seat-belt extender is retracted. Seat-belt extender
The seat-belt extender for the driver and front passenger helps you fasten your seat belt.
Seat-belt extender =is extended when the
respective door is closed and the key is
turned to position 1or 2in the ignition lock. You can also extend seat-belt extender
=
with seat-belt extender button ?.46
Occupant safetySafety
In order to avoid such risks, always ensure
that all vehicle occupants:
R fasten their seatbelts correctly, including
pregnant women
R are seated correctly and maintain the fur-
thest possible distance from the airbags
R observe the following notes
Always ensure that there are no objects loca-
ted between the airbag and the vehicle occu-
pant.
R Adjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the
seat is in an almost upright position. The
centre of the head restraint must support
the head at about eye level.
R Move the driver's and front-passenger
seats as far back as possible. The driver's
seat position must allow the vehicle to be
driven safely.
R Only hold the steering wheel on the out-
side. This allows the airbag to be fully
deployed.
R Always lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against
the door or side window. You may other-
wise be in the deployment area of the air-
bags.
R Always keep your feet in the footwell in
front of the seat. Do not put your feet on the dashboard, for example. Your feet may oth-
erwise be in the deployment area of the
airbag.
R Always secure persons less than 1.50 mtall
in suitable restraint systems. Up to this
height, the seat belt cannot be worn cor-
rectly.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
R Always secure children under twelve years
of age and less than 1.50 mtall in suitable
child restraint systems.
R Child restraint systems should be fitted to
the rear seats. R
Only secure a child to the front-passenger
seat when the front-passenger front airbag
is disabled, and only then in a rearward-
facing child restraint system. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
permanently lit, the front-passenger front
airbag is disabled (Y page 43).
R Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system
(Y page 51) and on "Children in the vehi-
cle" (Y page 60) in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may pre-
vent the airbag from functioning cor-
rectly. Before starting your journey and to
avoid risks resulting from the speed of the
airbag as it deploys, make sure that:
R there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air-
bag.
Do not place any objects on the dashboard,
e.g. above the front-passenger front airbag.
R there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
R no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, are
hanging on the grab handles or coat hooks.
R no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deploy-
ment area of an airbag, e.g. to doors, side
windows, rear side trim or side walls.
R no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects
are in the pockets of your clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place. G
WARNING
If you modify an airbag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the airbag can no longer function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an airbag cover or affix objects
to it. Occupant safety
49Safety Z
front airbag both before and during the jour-
ney.
If a person is sitting on the front-passenger
seat, this person must sit:
R with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with their
back against the seat backrest
R with their feet resting on the floor, if possi-
ble
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system may be influ- enced, e.g. because the front passenger:
R transfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that their weight is raised
from the seat cushion
The front-passenger front airbag may be dis-
abled by mistake as a result of these or similar
actions. In this case, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up perma-
nently. The front-passenger front airbag does not then deploy during an accident. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is lit, the front-passenger front airbag is disa-
bled. It will not be deployed in the event of an
accident and cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the person is sitting too close to the
dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always make sure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and that the front-
passenger front airbag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
R the person is seated correctly. Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front airbag is correct. G
WARNING
If you secure a child on the co-driver's seat in a rearward-facing child restraint system and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
lights up, the co-driver's airbag could be
deployed in the event of an accident. The childcould be struck by the airbag. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
In this case, always ensure that the co-driver's
airbag is disabled. The PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp must light up.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains off and/or the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install
a rearward-facing child restraint system on
the front-passenger seat. Further information can be found under "Problems with the auto-matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system" (Y page 56). G
WARNING
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 airbag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is lit
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible and fully retract the seat
cushion length. Always make sure that the
shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from
the vehicle seat-belt extender to the shoulder
belt guide on the child restraint system. The
shoulder belt strap must be routed forwards
and downwards from the retracted seat-belt
extender. If necessary, adjust the front- Occupant safety
53Safety
Z
PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS takes the following meas-
ures 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 acti-
vated and flash at a higher frequency
- the brake pressure is increased if the
driver applies the brakes when the vehi-
cle is stationary
- the seat belts are pre-tensioned
The PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS braking application is
cancelled:
R if the accelerator pedal is depressed when
a gear is engaged
R if the risk of a collision passes or is no lon-
ger detected
R if DISTRONIC PLUS indicates an intention
to pull away
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, the original settings
are restored. 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 the Mercedes-Benz emer-
gency 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 chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install a child restraint system on a
rear seat. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 1.50 m in height is travelling in the
vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. The child restraint system must be
appropriate 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 51). G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
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 key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. G
WARNING
If persons (particularly children) are exposed
to heat or cold for a prolonged period, there is 60
Children in the vehicleSafety
a risk of serious or even fatal injuries. Never
leave persons (particularly children) unatten-
ded in the vehicle. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is placed in direct sunlight, the parts could become very hot.
Children could be suffer burns by touching
these parts, in particular on the metallic parts
of the child restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you and your child leave the vehicle, always
make sure that the child restraint system is
not in direct sunlight. Cover it with a blanket, for example. If the child restraint system has
been exposed to direct sunlight, leave it to
cool down before securing the child in it.
Never leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have their seat belts fastened correctly and are sit-
ting properly. Particular attention must be
paid to children.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y page 44) and the notes on correct use of
seat belts (Y page 45). Child restraint system
Observe the instructions for correct use of
the child restraint system (Y page 65).
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use a child restraint sys-
tem recommended by Mercedes-Benz
(Y page 68). G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is incorrectly fit-
ted on the seat position suitable for this pur-
pose, it cannot perform its intended protec-
tive function. In the event of an accident,
sharp braking or a sudden change in direction, the child may not be held securely. There is an
increased risk of serious or even fatal injuries. Observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions and the correct use for the child
restraint system. Make sure that the entire
surface of the child restraint system is resting
on the seat surface. Never place objects
under or behind the child restraint system,
e.g. cushions. Only use child restraint sys-
tems with the original cover designed for
them. Only replace damaged covers with gen-
uine covers. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is fitted incor-
rectly or is not secured, it can come loose in
the event of an accident, heavy braking or a
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 fit child restraint systems properly,
even if they are not being used. Make sure
that you observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
You will find further information on stowing
objects, luggage and loads securely under
"Loading guidelines" (Y page 316). G
WARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems that have been damaged or subjected to a load in an accident cannot perform their
intended protective function. In the event of
an accident, sharp braking or a sudden
change in direction, the child may not be held securely. There is an increased risk of serious
or even fatal injuries.
Immediately replace child restraint systems
that have been damaged or subjected to a
load in an accident. Have the child restraint
securing systems checked in a qualified spe-
cialist workshop before fitting a child restraint
system again. Children in the vehicle
61Safety Z
The securing systems of child restraint sys-
tems are:
R the seat belt system
R the ISOFIX securing rings
R the Top Tether anchorages (Coupé only)
If it is absolutely necessary to fit a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
be sure to observe the information on "Child
restraint systems on the front-passenger
seat" (Y page 63).
Observe the warning labels in the vehicle inte- rior and on the child restraint system.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems
recommended by Mercedes-Benz. You can
obtain information about this at any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. ISOFIX child seat securing system
G
WARNING
ISOFIX child restraint systems do not offer
sufficient protective effect for children whose weight is greater than 22 kg who are securedusing the safety belt integrated in the child
restraint system. The child could, for example, not be restrained correctly in the event of an
accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
If the child weighs more than 22 kg, only use
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.
When fitting a child restraint system, be sure to observe the manufacturer's installation
and operating instructions and the instruc-
tions for correct use of the child restraint sys- tem (Y page 65).
Before every trip, make sure that the ISOFIX
child restraint system is engaged correctly in both ISOFIX securing rings. ISOFIX securing rings
;on the rear seats are
covered by folding upholstered lining =with
the Velcro fastening.
X Fold upholstered lining =upwards.
X Turn support :by 90°.
Upholstered lining =remains folded
upwards.
X Install the ISOFIX child restraint system on
both ISOFIX securing rings ;.
After you have removed the ISOFIX child
restraint system, you must turn support :on
upholstered lining =by 90° again. Then fold
upholstered lining =down.
ISOFIX is a standardised securing system for
specially designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. ISOFIX securing rings ;for
two ISOFIX child restraint systems are fitted
on the left and right of the rear seats.
Non-LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seats may
also be used and can be installed using the
vehicle's seat belt system. When fitting a
child restraint system, be sure to observe the manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions and the instructions for correct
use of the child restraint system
(Y page 65). Top Tether
Introduction Top Tether provides an additional connection
between the child restraint system secured
with ISOFIX and the vehicle. It helps reduce
the risk of injury even further. If the child 62
Children in the vehicleSafety
restraint system is fitted with a Top Tether
belt, this should always be used.
Top Tether anchorages The Top Tether anchorage points are fitted in
the rear compartment behind the head
restraints on the parcel shelf. X
Move head restraint :upwards.
X Fold up cover ;of Top Tether anchorage
=.
X Fit the ISOFIX child restraint system with
Top Tether. Always comply with the child
restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions when doing so.
X Route Top Tether belt Aunder head
restraint :between the two head restraint
bars.
X Hook Top Tether hook ?of Top Tether belt
A into Top Tether anchorage =.
Make sure that Top Tether belt Ais not
twisted.
X Tension Top Tether belt A. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur- er's installation instructions when doing so. X
Fold down cover ;of Top Tether anchor-
age =.
X If necessary, move head restraint :back
down again slightly (Y page 112). Make
sure that you do not interfere with the cor-
rect routing of Top Tether belt A. 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 a child restraint system on a
rear seat.
Vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system: if it is abso- lutely necessary to fit a child restraint system
to the front-passenger seat, always observe
the information on the "Automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system"
(Y page 51).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise
as a result of:
R a child restraint system that is not detected
by the automatic front-passenger front air- bag deactivation system
R the unintentional disabling of the front-
passenger front airbag
R the unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board Children in the vehicle
63Safety Z