2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class safety

For more information about children traveling
with you in the vehicle and on child restraint
systems, see "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 68).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Modifications to the restraint system may
cause it to no longer work as intended. The
restraint system may then not perform its
intended protective function and may fail in an
accident or trigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
details. USA only: for further information con-
tact our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1‑800‑367 ‑6372).
Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and
at regular intervals while the engine is run-
ning. Therefore, malfunctions can be detec-
ted in good time.
The 6 restraint system warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up when the igni-
tion is switched on. It goes out no later than a
few seconds after the vehicle is started. The
components of the restraint system are in
operational readiness.
A malfunction has occurred if the 6
restraint system warning lamp:
Rdoes not light up after the ignition is
switched on
Rdoes not go out after a few seconds with
the engine running
Rlights up again while the engine is running
GWARNING
If restraint system is malfunctioning, restraint
system components may be triggered unin-
tentionally or might not be triggered at all in
the event of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle deceleration. This can affect the Emer- gency Tensioning Device or air bag, for exam-
ple. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible.
PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp :
and PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp ;are part of the Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS).
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is enabled. If,
in the event of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
air bag is deployed.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. It will then not be deployed in the event of an accident.
Occupant safety51
Safety
Z

Depending on the person in the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger front air
bag must either be deactivated or enabled;
see the following points. You must make sure
of this both before and during a journey.
RChildren in a child restraint system:
whether the front-passenger front air bag is
enabled or deactivated depends on the
installed child restraint system, and the age
and size of the child. Therefore, be sure to
observe the notes on the "Occupant Clas-
sification System (OCS)" (
Ypage 59) and
on "Children in the vehicle" (
Ypage 68).
There you will also find instructions on rear-
ward and forward-facing child restraint sys- tems on the front-passenger seat.
RAll other persons: depending on the clas-
sification of the person in the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger front
air bag is enabled or deactivated
(
Ypage 59). Be sure to observe the notes
on "Seat belts“ (
Ypage 52) and "Air bags"
(
Ypage 56). There you can also find infor-
mation on the correct seat position.
Seat belts
Introduction
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restricting the movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident or the vehi-
cle rolling over. This reduces the risk of vehi-
cle occupants coming into contact with parts
of the vehicle interior or being ejected from
the vehicle. Furthermore, the seat belt helps
to keep the vehicle occupant in the best posi-
tion in relation to the air bag.
The seat belt system comprises:
RSeat belts
REmergency Tensioning Devices and seat
belt force limiters
If the seat belt is pulled by the seat belt guide
quickly or with a jerky movement, the belt
retractor locks. The belt strap cannot be
extracted any further. The Emergency Tensioning Device tightens
the seat belt in an accident, pulling the belt
close against the body. However it does not
pull the vehicle occupant back in the direction
of the backrest.
The Emergency Tensioning Device does not
correct an incorrect seat position or the rout-
ing of an incorrectly fastened seat belt.
When triggered, a seat belt force limiter helps
to reduce the force exerted by the seat belt on
the vehicle occupant.
The seat belt force limiters are synchronized
with the front air bag
s which absorb part of
the deceleration force. This can reduce the
force exerted on the vehicle occupants during
an accident.
!If the front-passenger seat is not occu-
pied, do not engage the seat belt tongue in
the buckle on the front-passenger seat.
Otherwise, in the event of an accident, the Emergency Tensioning Device and front-
passenger front air bag may be triggered
and would need to be replaced.
Important safety notes
The use of seat belts and child restraint sys-
tems is required by law in:
Rall 50 states
Rthe U.S. territories
Rthe District of Columbia
Rall Canadian provinces
Even where this is not required by law, all
vehicle occupants should correctly fasten
their seat belts before starting the journey.
GWARNING
If the seat belt is incorrectly fastened, it can-
not protect as intended. Furthermore, an
incorrectly fastened seat belt can cause addi-
tional injury, for example, in an accident, dur-
ing braking or when abruptly changing direc-
tion. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
52Occupant safety
Safety

Make sure that all vehicle occupants are
seated properly with a correctly fastened seatbelt.
GWARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
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 backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
GWARNING
Persons under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height cannot
fasten the seat belt correctly without an addi- tional suitable restraint system. If the seat
belt is incorrectly fastened, it cannot protect
as intended. Furthermore, an incorrectly fas-
tened seat belt can cause additional injury, for
example, in an accident, during braking or an
abrupt change of direction. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) in height in suitable restraint
systems.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in thevehicle:
Ralways 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
Ralways observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Children in the vehicle" sec-
tion of this Operator's Manual
(
Ypage 68) in addition to the child restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes on the "Occupant classifica-
tion system (OCS)" (
Ypage 59)
GWARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended protective function if:
Rthey are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleach or dyed
Rthe seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts may tear or fail,
e.g. in an accident. Modified Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices could accidentally trigger or
fail to deploy when necessary. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages or inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Only use seat belts that have been approved
for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Proper use of the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage 52).
All vehicle occupants must be wearing the
seat belt correctly before beginning the jour-
ney. Also make sure that all vehicle occu-
pants are always wearing the seat belt cor-
rectly while the vehicle is in motion.
Occupant safety53
Safety
Z

When fastening the seat belt, always make
sure that:
Rthe seat belt tongue is only inserted to thebelt buckle belonging to that seat.
Rthe seat belt is tight across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
Rthe seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces which occur be
distributed over the area of the belt.
Rthe shoulder section of the belt is always
routed across the center of your shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt must not
come into contact with your neck or be
routed under your arm.
Rthe lap belt passes tightly and as low down
as possible across your lap.
The lap belt must always be routed across
your hip joints and not across your abdo-
men. This applies particularly to pregnant
women. If necessary, push the lap belt
down to your hip joint and pull it tight using
the shoulder section of the belt.
Rthe seat belt is not routed across sharp,
pointed or fragile objects.
If you have such items located on or in your
clothing, e.g. pens, keys or eyeglasses,
store these in a suitable place.
Ronly one person is using a seat belt at a
time.
Infants and children must never travel sit-
ting on the lap of a vehicle occupant. In the
event of an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat
belt.
Robjects are never secured with a seat belt ifthe seat belt is also being used by one of the
vehicle's occupants.
Also ensure that there are never objects
between a person and the seat, e.g. cush-
ions.
Seat belts are only intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe
the notes in the "Stowage options/compart- ments" section for securing objects, luggage
or loads (
Ypage 514).
Fastening seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage 52) and the notes on correct use of
seat belts (
Ypage 53).
Basic illustration
XAdjust the seat (Ypage 108).
The seat backrest must be in an almost
vertical position.
XPull the seat belt smoothly out of seat belt
guide =and engage belt tongue ;into
belt buckle :.
The seat belt on the driver’s seat and the
front-passenger seat may be tightened
automatically, see "Belt adjustment"
(
Ypage 55).
XIf necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
In order to attach the child restraint system
securely in the vehicle, the seat belt on the
front-passenger seat is equipped with a spe-
cial seat belt retractor. Further information on
the "Special seat belt retractor"
(
Ypage 69).
54Occupant safety
Safety

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. Dam-
aged seat belts can no longer fulfill their
protective function and must be replaced.
Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
Basic illustration
XPress release button :, hold belt
tongue ;firmly and guide back towards
belt guide =.
Seat belt adjustment
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE®convenience function. This
function adjusts the driver's and front-
passenger seat belt to the upper body of the
occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
Rthe belt tongue is engaged in the buckle
and
Rthe ignition is switched on
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a certain
retraction force if any slack is detected
between the vehicle 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
(
Ypage 235).
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger
The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle
occupants must wear their seat belts. It may
light up continuously or flash. In addition,
there may be a warning tone.
Regardless of whether the driver's seat belt
has already been fastened, the 7seat belt
warning lamp lights up for six seconds each
time the engine is started. If, after
six seconds, the driver or front-passenger
seat belt has not been fastened and the doors
are closed, the 7seat belt warning lamp
lights up. As soon as the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are fastened or a front
door is opened again, the 7seat belt
warning lamp goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after
the engine is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. This warning tone stops after
six seconds or when the driver's seat belt is
fastened.
If the vehicle's speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h) once and the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are not fastened, a
warning tone sounds. A warning tone also
sounds with increasing intensity for
60 seconds or until the driver or front
passenger have fastened their seat belts.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belts during the journey, the seat belt
warning is activated again.
iFor more information on the 7seat
belt warning lamp, see "
Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat belts" (
Ypage 271).
Occupant safety55
Safety
Z

Air bags
Introd uction
The installation poin tof an air bag can be rec -
ognized by th eAI R BA Gsymbol.
An air bag complements th ecorrectl yfas -
tene dseat belt .It is no substitut efor th eseat
belt .The air bag provide sadditional protec-
tion in applicable acciden tsituations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The differen tair bag systems function inde-
pendentl yfrom on eanother (
Ypage 64) .
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injurie sand fatalities.
It is also no tpossible to rule out aris kof injury
caused by an air bag due to th ehigh spee dat
whic hth eair bag mus tbe deployed.
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If you do no tsit in th ecorrec tseat position ,
th eair bag canno tprotect as intended and
could eve ncaus eadditional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased ris kof
injury or eve nfatal injury.
To avoi dhazardous situations, always mak e
sur ethat all of th evehicle's occupants:
Rhav efastene dtheir seat belt scorrectly,
includin gpregnant women
Rare sitting correctl yand maintai nth egreat-
est possibl edistanc eto th eair bags
Rfollow th efollowin ginstruction s
Always mak esur ethat there are no objects
between th eair bag and th evehicle's occu-
pants .
RAdjus tth eseat sproperly before beginning
your journey. Always mak esur ethat th e
seat is in an almost upright position .The
center of th ehead restrain tmus tsupport
th ehead at about eye level.
RMov eth edriver' sand front-passenger
seat sas far bac kas possible .The driver' s
seat position mus tallow th evehicl eto be
driven safely.
ROnly hold th esteering whee lon th eout -
side .This allows th eair bag to be fully
deployed.
RAlways lean again stthebackrest while driv -
ing .Do no tlean forwards or lean against
th edoor or side window. You may other -
wise be in th edeploymen tarea of th eair
bags .
RAlways keep your fee tin th efootwell in
fron tof th eseat .Do no tput your fee ton th e
dashboard, for example. Your fee tmay oth-
erwi sebe in th edeploymen tarea of th eair
bag.
RFo rthis reason ,always secure person sless
than 5ft (1.5 0m) tall in suitable restraint
systems. Up to this height, the seat belt
cannot be worn correctly.
If a child is traveling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
RAlways secure children under twelve years
of age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m)tall in
suitable child restraint systems.
ROnly secure a child in a rearward-facing
child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat when the front-passenger
front air bag is deactivated. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is permanently lit, the front-passenger front
air bag is deactivated (
Ypage 51).
RAlways observe the instructions and safetynotes on the "Occupant Classification Sys-
tem (OCS)" (
Ypage 59) and on "Children
in the vehicle" (
Ypage 68) in addition to
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may pre-
vent an air bag from functioning correctly.
Before starting yo ur jo
urney and to avoid risks
resulting from the speed of the air bag as it
deploys, make sure that:
Rthere are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air
bag.
Rthere are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
56Occupant safety
Safety

Rno hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks.
Rno accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deploy-
ment area of an air bag, e.g. to doors or side
windows.
Rno heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects
are in the pockets of your clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place.
GWARNING
If you modify the air bag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the air bag can no longer
function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an air bag cover or affix objects
to it.
GWARNING
Sensors to control the air bags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ing, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the
function of the sensors being impaired. The air
bags might therefore not function properly
anymore. Consequently, the air bags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. There is an increased risk of
injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
eling carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Front air bags
Driver's air bag :deploys in front of the
steering wheel. Front-passenger front air
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
box.
When deployed, the front air bags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the
occupants in the driver's and front-passenger seats.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
inform you of the status of the front-
passenger front air bag (
Ypage 51).
The front-passenger front air bag will only
deploy if:
Rthe system, based on the OCS weight sen-
sor readings, detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied (
Ypage 59).
The PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp is lit (
Ypage 59)
Rthe restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Knee bags
Driver's knee bag :deploys under the steer-
ing column and front-passenger knee bag ;
under the glove box. The driver's and front-
passenger knee bags are triggered together
with the front air bags.
The driver's and front-passenger knee bags
offer additional thigh, knee and lower leg pro-
tection.
Occupant safety57
Safety
Z

Side impact air bags
GWARNING
Unsuitable seat covers could restrict or even
prevent the deployment of the air bags inte-
grated into the seats. Consequently, the air
bags cannot protect vehicle occupants as
they are designed to do. In addition, the func- tion of the Occupant Classification System
(OCS) could be restricted. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
Side impact air bags :deploy next to the
outer bolster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additional thorax protection. However, it does
not protect the:
Rhead
Rneck
Rarms
In the event of a side impact, the side impact
air bag is deployed on the side on which the
impact occurs.
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side deploys under the following
conditions:
Rthe OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
Rthe belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle, the side impact air bag on the front- passenger side deploys if an appropriate acci-
dent situation occurs. In this case, deploy-
ment is independent of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied or not.
Head bags
Head bags :deploy in the area of the side
windows at the front.
When deployed, the headbag enhances the
level of protection for the head. However, it
does not protect the:
Rchest
Rarms
In the event of a side impact, the headbag is
deployed on the side on which the impact
occurs.
If the system determines that they can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt, a headbag may be deployed in other
accident situations (
Ypage 64).
The headbag on the front-passenger side
does not deploy under the following condi-
tions:
ROCS has detected that the front-passenger
seat is unoccupied.
Rthe front-passenger seat belt is not fas-
tened.
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle, the headbag on the front-passenger
side deploys if an appropriate accident situa-
tion occurs. In this case, deployment is inde-
pendent of whether the front-passenger seat
is occupied or not.
58Occupant safety
Safety