2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class COUPE ESP

accelerationwhicho ccurs at various points in
th ev ehicle .This process is pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment shouldt akep lace in good
tim eatt hestart of th ecollision.
The rat eofvehicle deceleratio noracceleration
and th edirection of th eforce are essentially
determine dby:
Rthed istribution of forces durin gthe collision
Rthec ollision angle
Rthed eformatio ncharacteristics of th evehicle
Rthec haracteristics of th eobject with which
th ev ehicle has collided
Factors whichc an only be seen and measured
after acollision has occurre ddonotplay adeci-
sive role in th edeploymen tofanair bag. Nor do
they provide an indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably, with-
out an air bag beingd eployed. This is thecaseif
only part swhicha re relatively easily deformed
are affected and th erateofd eceleratio nisnot
high.C onversely, air bags may be deployed even
though th evehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is th ecasei f, for example, ver yrigid
vehicle part ssuchasl ongitudinal body mem-
bers are hit,a nd sufficient deceleratio noccurs
as aresult.
If th econtrol unit of th erestraint system detects
as ide impac toravehicle rollover, th erelevant
component softherestraint system are activa-
te ds eparately dependingont heanticipated
type of acc ident
.
RSid
eimpacta ir bags on th eside wheret he
impac ttakes place ,independently of the
Emergenc yTensioning Devic eand th euse of
th es eat belt on th edriver'ss eat and outer
seatsint hesecondr ow
The side impac tair bag on th efront -
passenger side (front) deploys unde rthe fol-
lowingc onditions:
-theO CS system detect sthatthe front-
passenger seat is occupied or
-th eb elt tongue is engaged in th ebelt
buckle of th efront-pa ssenger seat
RWindow curtain air bag on th eside of impact,
independently of th euse of th eseat belt and
independently of whether th efront -
passenger seat is occupied
RFrontE mergenc yTensioning Devices, if the
system determine stha td eploymen tcan offer
additional protection for th evehicle occu-
pant sint hiss ituation
RRear Emergenc yTensioning Devices in cer-
tain situations if th evehicle roll sover
RWindow curtain air bags on th edriver'sa nd
front-passenger side in certain situations
when th evehicle roll sover, if th esystem
determine sthatd eploymen tcan offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by th eseat
belt
iNot all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The differenta ir bag systems work independ-
ently of each other.
How th eair bag system worksisd etermined
by th eseverityoft heaccidentd etected,
espec

ially th evehicle deceleratio noraccel-
eration and th eapparent type of accident:
RFrontal collision
RSid eimpact
RRollover
PRE-SAFE®(anticipator yoccupant
protection system)
Introduction
PRE-SAFE®takes preemptive measures to pro-
tect occupant sincertain hazardous situations.
Important safety notes
!Makes ure that there are no object sinthe
footwell or behindt heseats. Thereisad anger
that th eseatsa nd/or object scoul dbed am-
aged when PRE-SAFE
®is activated.
Despitey our vehicle beinge quippedwith the
PRE-SAFE
®system, th epossibilityofp ersonal
injuries occurring as aresult of an accidentc an-
no tbee liminated. Always adapt your driving
style to suit th eprevailingr oad and weather
conditionsa nd maintain asafe distanc efrom
th ev ehicle in front. Drive carefully.
Occupant safety55
Safety
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The securing systems of child restraint systems
are:
Rthe seat belt system
Rthe LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings
Rthe Top Tether anchorages
If it is absolutely necessary to carry achild on
the front-passenger seat, be sure to observe the
information on the "Occupant Classification
System (OCS)" (
Ypage 49). There you will also
find information on deactivatin gthe front-
passenger front air bag.
All child restraint systems must meet the fol-
lowing standards:
RU.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 225
RCanadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
Confirmation that the child restraint system cor-
responds to the standards can be found on an
instruction label on the child restraint system.
This confirmation can also be found in the instal-
lation instructions that are included 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 ,achild 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 instal-
lation 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 (ISOFIX) securing
rings.
XInstall the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
system on both LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing
rings :.
ISOFIX is astandardized 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 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. Install the child seat according
to the manufacturer's instructions.
Top Tether
Introduction
Top Tether provides an additional connection
between the child restraint system secured with
aL ATCH-type (ISOFIX) system and the vehicle.
This helps reduce the risk of injury even further.
If the child restraint system is equipped with a
Top Tether belt, this should alwaysbeu sed.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the rear seat backrest sare not locked, they
could fold forwards in the event of an acci-
dent, heavy braking or sudden changes of
direction .Asaresult, child restraint systems
cannot perform their intended protective
function. Rear seat backrest sthat are not
locked can also cause additional injuries, e.g.
Children in the vehicle59
Safety
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Alwaysobserve the child restraint system man-
ufacturer's installatio nand operating instruc-
tions.
Forward-facin gchild restrain tsystem
If it is absolutely necessary to instal laforward-
facing child restraint system on the front-
passengers eat, always move the front-
passengers eata sfar back as possible. Fully
retract the sea tcushion length. The entire base
of the child restraint system must always res ton
the sea tcushion of the front-passenger seat.
The backres tofthe child restraint system must
li easf lata sp ossibl eagain st the backres tofthe
front-passenger seat. The child restraint system
must not touch the roo forbesubjected to aloa d
by the hea drestraint. Adjust the angle of the
sea tbackres tand the hea drestraint position
accordingly. Alway smakes uret hatt he shoul-
de rb elts trapisc orrectlyrouted from the vehi-
cle belt outle ttothe shoulde rbeltg uide on the
child restraint system .The shoulde rbelts trap
must be routed forwards and downwards from
the vehicl ebelto utlet. If necessary,a djus tthe
vehicl ebelto utle tand the front-passenger seat
accordingly.
Alway sobserve the child restraint system man-
ufacturer's installatio nand operating instruc-
tions.
Pets in the vehicle
GWARNING
If yo uleave animals unattended or unsecured
in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
As aresult, they could:
Ractivate vehicl eequipment and become
trapped, for example
Ractivate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering othe rroa du sers
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicl einthe event of an accident or sud-
de ns teering or braking ,thereb yinjuring vehi-
cle occupants. There is ariskofana ccident
and injury.
Never leav eanimals unattended in the vehi-
cle .Alway ssecur eanimals properly during
the journey ,e.g.u se asuitabl eanimalt rans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overvie wofdrivingsafety systems
In thiss ection, yo uwillf ind informatio nabout
the following driving safety systems:
RABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
(Ypage 62)
RBAS ( Brake Assist System )(Ypage 62)
RBAS PLU SwithC ross-TrafficA ssist (Brake
A ssis tSys tem PLU SwithC ross-TrafficA ssist)
(
Ypage 62)
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(Ypage 64)
RESP®( E le ctronic Stability Program)
(Ypage 67)
REBD ( Ele ctronic Brake force Dis tribution)
(Ypage 70)
RADAPTIVE BRAK E(Ypage 70)
RPRE-SAFE®Brake (Ypage 70)
RSTEER CONTROL (Ypage 72)
Important safety notes
If youfailtoa dapt your driving style or if yo uare
inattentive, the driving safety system scan nei-
ther reduce the ris kofanaccident nor override
the laws of physics. Driving safety system sare
merel yaidsd esig nedtoa ssistdriving .You are
responsibl efor maintaining the distance to the
vehicl einfront, for vehicl espeed ,for braking in
goo dtime ,and for staying in lane. Alway sadapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing roa dand
weather conditions and maintain asafed istance
from the vehicl einfront. Driv ecarefully.
The driving safety system sdescribe donlyw ork
as effectively as possibl ewhent her eisa de-
quate contact between the tire sand the road
surface. Pa yparticula rattentio ntothe informa-
tio nr egarding tires, recommende dminimum
tire trea ddepths etc. in the "Wheels and tires"
sectio n(
Ypage 316).
In wintry driving conditions, always us ewinter
tire s(M+ Stires) and if necessary,s now chains.
Onlyint hiswaywill the driving safety systems
describe dinthissectio nworkase ffectively as
possible.
Driving safety systems61
Safety
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With the help ofasensor system and acamera
system, BAS PLUS can detect obstacles:
Rthat are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time
Rthat cross the path of your vehicle
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your vehi-
cle can be detected.
BAS PLUS detect spedestrians by using typical
characteristic ssuch as the body contours and
posture of aperson standin gupright.
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 completeb rake boost-
ing effect and BAS.
iObserve the restriction sdescribed in the
"Important safety notes" sec-
tion“ (
Ypage 63).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
BAS PLUS cannot alwaysc learly identify
object sand complex traffic situations.
In such cases, BAS PLUS may:
Rintervene unnecessarily
Rnot intervene
There is arisk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminat ethe
intervention in anon-critical driving situation.
GWARNING
BAS PLUS cannot alwaysc learly identifypeo-
ple, this is especially the case if they are mov-
ing. BAS PLUS cannot intervene in these
cases. There is arisk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
Rto small people, e.g. children
Rto animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rwhen cornering
As aresult, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There is arisk 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, the rec-
ognition can be impaired.
Recognition by the radar sensor system is also
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensor soranything else
coveringt he sensors
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are stron gradar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
Ran arrow vehicle is travelin ginfront, e.g. a
motorbike
Rav ehicle is travelin ginfrontonad ifferentline
Rvehicles quickly move into the radar sensor
system detection range
Recognition by the camera system is also
impaired in the event of:
Rdirt on the camera or if the camera is covered
Rglare on the camera system, e.g. from the sun being low in the sky
Rdarkness
Ror if:
-pedestrians move quickly, e.g. into the path
of the vehicle
-the camera system no longer recognizes a
pedestrian as aperson due to special cloth-
ing or other objects
-ap edestrian is concealed by other objects
-the typical outline of aperson is not distin-
guishable from the background
Following damage to the fronte nd of the vehicle,
have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensor schecked at aqualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to the
frontoft he vehicle.
Following damage to the windshield, have the
configuration and operation of the camera sys-
tem checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
Driving safety systems63
Safety
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ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserv ethe "Important safety notes" sec-
tio n(Ypage 61).
ESP
®monitors driving stabilitya nd traction,i.e.
power transmission between th etires and the
road surface.
If ESP
®detect stha tthe vehicle is deviatin gfrom
th ed irection desired by th edriver, oneorm ore
wheels are braked to stabilizet hevehicle .The
engine output is also modified to keep th evehi-
cle on th edesired course within physical limits.
ESP
®assists th edriver when pullinga way on
wet or slippery roads. ESP®can also stabilize
th ev ehicle durin gbraking.
Important safety notes
iObserv ethe "Important safety notes" sec-
tio n(Ypage 61).
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unabl eto
stabilizet hevehicle .Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases th erisk of skiddinga nd an accident.
Drive on carefully. Hav eESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
When towing th evehicle with th erear axle
raised, observ ethe note sonE SP
®
(Ypage 311).
If the å ESP®OFFw arning lamp lightsu p
continuously, ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp lightsupc ontin-
uously, ESP®is no tavailabl edue to amalfunc-
tion.
Observ ethe informatio nonwarning lamps
(
Ypage 249) and display messages whichm ay
be shown in th einstrumen tcluster
(
Ypage 220).
Only use wheels with th erecommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP
®function properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp goes out before
beginnin gthe journey, ESP®is automatically
active.
If ESP
®intervenes, the ÷ESP®warning lamp
flashes in th einstrumen tcluster.
If ESP
®intervenes:
XDo no tdeactivate ESP®unde rany circum-
stances.
XOnly depress th eaccelerato rpedal as far as
necessaryw hen pullinga way.
XAdaptyour driving style to suit th eprevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/sto pfunction switches the
engine off automaticall ywhen th evehicle stops
moving .The engine start sautomaticall ywhen
th ed river want stopull away again.E SP
®
remains in its previously selecte dstatus. Exam-
ple: if ESP®was deactivate dbefore th eengine
was switched off ,ESP®remains deactivated
when th eengine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activatin gESP®(except
Mercedes ‑AM Gvehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserv ethe "Important safety notes" sec-
tio n(Ypage 61).
You can selectb etween thefollowings tate so f
ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®,E SP®no longer sta-
bilizes th evehicle .Thereisani ncreased risk
of skiddinga nd an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in th esituations descri-
bed in th efollowing.
Driving safety systems67
Safety
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It may be best to deactivate ESP®in the follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
describeda bove no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be abl etostabilize the vehicle if
the vehicle starts to skid or awheel starts to
spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheel sfor an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
You can deactivate or activate ESP®via the on-
board computer (Ypage 212)
ESP®deactivated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
ESP
®activated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Characteristic swhen ESP®is deactivated
If ESP®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP
®wil lnot stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
REngine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheel sare abl etospin.
The spinning of the wheel sresults in acutting
action for better traction on loose surfaces.
RTraction control is still activated.
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSISTisnol onger
available; nor is it activated if you brake firmly
with assistance from ESP
®.
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
venes.
RPRE-SAFE®Brake is no longer available, it is
also not activated if you brake firmly and ESP®
intervenes.
RESP®still providess upport when you brake
firmly.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
(Mercedes‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 61).
You can select betwee nthe following states of
ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handling mode is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is agreater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit-
uations describedint he following.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®,E SP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle.T here is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheelsf or an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP
®:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Ron specially designated roads when the vehi-
cle's own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP
®requires an extremely qualifieda nd expe-
rienced driver.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
describeda bove no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be abl etostabilize the vehicle if
the vehicle starts to skid or awheel starts to
spin.
68Driving safety systems
Safety

Deactivating/activating ESP®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode:briefly
press butto n:.
The M SPORT handlin gmodew arnin g
lamp in th einstrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mod e
message appears in
th em ultifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefl ypress butto n:.
The M SPORT handlin gmodew arnin g
lamp in th einstrument cluster goe sout.
XTo deactivate ESP®:press butto n: until
th eå ESP®OF Fw arnin glamp lights up in
th ei nstrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
message appears in th emulti-
function display.
XTo activate ESP®: briefl ypress butto n:.
The å ESP®OF Fw arnin glamp in th e
instrumen tcluster goe sout.T he ÷ ON
message appears in th emultifunction display.
Characteristics of activate dSPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handlin gmodeisa ctivated and on eor
mor ewheels start to spin ,the ÷ ESP®warn -
in gl amp in th einstrument cluster flashes .ESP®
only stabilizes th evehicl etoal imiteddegree .
Whe nSPORT handlin gmodeisa ctivated:
RESP®only improves drivin gstabilit ytoa limi-
te dd egree .
RTraction control is still activated.
REnginetorque is no longer limite dand th e
drive wheels are able to spin .
The spinning of th ewheels result sinacutting
action fo rbette rtraction on loos esurfaces.
RESP®still provides support when you brak e
firmly.
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivate d
If ESP®is deactivated and on eormorew heels
start to spin ,the ÷ ESP®warnin glamp in th e
instrumen tcluster doe snotflash. In suc hsitua-
tions, ES P
®will notstabiliz ethe vehicle.
If you deactivat eESP®:
RESP®no longer improves drivin gstability.
REngin etorque is no longer limite dand th e
drive wheels are able to spin .
The spinning of th ewheels result sinacutting
action fo rbette rtraction on loos esurfaces.
RTraction control is still activated.
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no longer
available; no risitactivated if you brak efirmly
wit ha ssistanc efromE SP
®.
RPRE-SAF E®is no longer available, no risit
activated if you brak efirmly and ES P®inter-
venes.
RPRE-SAF E®Brake is no longer available, it is
also no tactivated if you brak efirmly and ES P®
intervenes.
RESP®still provides support when you brak e
firmly.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
ES P®trailer stabilization is no tavailable in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begin sto
swerve, ES P
®assistsyou in this situation .ESP®
slows th evehicl edown by brakin gand limiting
th ee ngineo utput until th evehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilized.
Important safet ynotes
GWARNIN G
If roa dand weather condition sare poor,
trailer stabilization will no tbeable to preven t
th ev ehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailer swithah ighc enter of gravit ycan
ti po verb efore ES P
®can detec tthis. There is
ar iskofana ccident.
Always adapt your drivin gstyle to th eprevail -
in gr oada nd weather conditions.
If your vehicl ewitht railer (vehicle/trailer com-
bination )begin stol urch, you can only stabiliz e
Driving safetysystems69
Safety
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the vehicle/trailercombinatio nbydepressing
the brake firmly.
ESP
®trailer stabilization is active above speeds
of abou t65k m/h.
ESP
®trailer stabilization does not work if ESP®
is deactivated or disabled because of amalfunc-
tion.
Crosswind Assist
General information
Strong crosswind scan cause your vehicl eto
deviate fromas traight course.The crosswind
drivin gassis tance functio nintegrated in ESP
®
noticeabl yreduce sthese impairments.
ESP®intervenes automaticall yaccording to the
direction and intensity of the crosswind saffect-
ing your vehicle.
ESP intervenes with stabilizing braking to assist
yo uink eeping the vehicl einthe lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicl espeeds
above 50 mph (80 km/h )whend rivin gstraight
ahea dorc ornerin ggently.
Important safety notes
Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP®is deac-
tivated or disabled because of amalfunction.
EBD (electroni cbrak eforce distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rea rwheel stoi mprove drivin gstability
whil ebraking.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tio n(Ypage 61).
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning ,the rea rwheel scan
lock, e.g .under full braking .Thisi ncreasest he
ris kofs kidding and an accident.
Yo us houl dtherefore adap tyou rd rivin gstyle
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake systemc hecked ataquali fied spe-
cialist workshop. Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (
Ypage 249
)aswellasd isplay
message s(Ypage 222).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhance sbraking safety and
offers increasedb raking comfort. In additio nto
the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE also has
the HOLD functio n(
Ypage 169) and hill start
assist (Ypage 135).
PRE-SAFE®Brake
General information
PRE-SAFE®Brake can help yo utominimize the
ris kofa collision with avehicl eahead or a
pedestrian, and reduce the effects of such a
collision. If PRE-SAFE
®Brake hasd etecte darisk
of collision, yo uwillbew arned visuall yand
acousticall yaswellasbya utomatic braking.
iPa ya ttentio ntothe important safety notes
in the "Driving safety systems" section
(
Ypage 61).
PRE‑SAFE
®Brake is onl yavailable in vehicles
with the Drivin gAssistance Plus package.
For PRE-SAFE
®Brake to assist yo uwhend riving,
the rada rsen sors ystema nd the camera system
must be switched on and be operational.
With the help of the rada rsen sorsystema nd the
camera system, PRE-SAFE
®Brake can detect
obstacle sthata rein front of your vehicl efor an
extende dperiodoft ime.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your vehi-
cle can be detected.
PRE-SAFE
®Brake detects pedestrians using
typica lcharacteristics such as the body con-
tours and posture of aperso ns tanding upright.
iObserve the restrictions describe dinthe
"Important safety notes" section
(
Ypage 70).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE
®Brake will initiall ybrake your vehi-
cle by apartia lappli catio noft he brakes if a
dange rofcollision is detected. There mayb e
70Driving safetysystems
Safety