
Basic illustration
XAdjust the seat (Ypage 93).
The seat backrest must be in an almost ver-
tical position.
XPull the seat belt smoothly from the belt outlet
and engage belt tongue ;into belt
buckle :.
The seat belt on the driver’s seat and the
front-passenger seat may be tightened auto-
matically, see "Belt adjustment"
(
Ypage 45).
XIf necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
The shoulder section of the seat belt must
always be routed across the center of the shoul-
der. Adjust the belt outlet if necessary.
XTo raise: slide the belt outlet upwards.
The belt outlet will engage in various posi-
tions.
XTo lower: hold belt outlet release =and slide
belt outlet downwards.
XLet go of belt outlet release =in the desired
position and make sure that the belt outlet
engages.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor to
securely fasten child restraint systems in the
vehicle. Further information can be found under
"Special seat belt retractor" (
Ypage 58).
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. Damaged seat belts
can no longer fulfill their protective function and must be replaced. Visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
XPress the release button in the belt buckle,
hold the belt tongue firmly and guide the belt
back.
Seat belt adjustment
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE®convenience function. This func-
tion 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 adjust-
ing.
You can switch the seat-belt adjustment on and
off in the on-board computer (
Ypage 200).
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 occu-
pants 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 warn-
ing 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 fas-
tened and the doors are closed, the 7seat
belt warning lamp lights up. As soon as the driv-
er'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. The warning tone switches off after six
seconds or once the driver's seat belt is fas-
tened.
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
Occupant safety45
Safety
Z

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 warn-
ing is activated again.
Air bags
Introduction
The installation point of an air bag can be rec-
ognized by the AIR BAG symbol.
An air bag complements the correctly fastened
seat belt. It is no substitute for the seat belt. The
air bag provides additional protection in appli-
cable accident situations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident. The
different air bag systems function independ-
ently from one another (
Ypage 53).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at
which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
Rare sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags
Rfollow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants.
RAdjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in an almost upright position. The center of the head restraint must support the head at
about eye level.
RMove the driver's and front-passenger seats
as far back as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely.
ROnly hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the air bag to be fully deployed.
RAlways lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against the
door or side window. You may otherwise be in
the deployment area of the air bags.
RAlways keep your feet in the footwell in front
of the seat. Do not put your feet on the dash-
board, for example. Your feet may otherwise
be in the deployment area of the air bag.
RFor this reason, always secure persons less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable restraint sys-
tems. 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.
RChild restraint systems should be installed on
the rear seats.
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 42).
RAlways observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification System
(OCS)" (
Ypage 49) and on "Children in the
vehicle" (Ypage 58 )in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
and operating instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may prevent
an air bag from functioning correctly. Before
starting your journey 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.
Rno hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks.
46Occupant safety
Safety

PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp:
shows you whether the front-passenger front air
bag is deactivated.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock or on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
press the Start/Stop button once or twice.
The system carries out self-diagnostics.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must light up for approximately six seconds.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
then displays the status of the front-passenger
front air bag. If the status of the front-passenger
front air bag changes while the vehicle is in
motion, an air bag display message may appear
in the instrument cluster (
Ypage 210). When
the front-passenger seat is occupied, always
pay attention to the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp. Be aware of the status of the
front-passenger front air bag both before and
during the journey.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp:
Ris lit: the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. It will then not be deployed in the
event of an accident.
Ris not lit : 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.
GWARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger front air bag is
disabled. It will not be deployed in the event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, 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 ensure that:
Rthe classification of the person in the front- passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
Rthe front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
Rthe person is seated correctly.
Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front air bag is correct.
GWARNING
If you secure a child in a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
off, the front-passenger front air bag can
deploy in the event of an accident. The child
could be struck by the air bag. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
GWARNING
If 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, the child could, in the
event of an accident:
Rcome into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
Rbe struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible. Always make sure that the shoulder
belt strap is correctly routed from the vehicle
belt sash guide to the shoulder belt guide on
the child restraint system. The shoulder belt
strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the vehicle belt sash guide. If nec- essary, adjust the vehicle belt sash guide and
the front-passenger seat accordingly. Always
observe the child restraint system manufac-
turer's installation instructions.
50Occupant safety
Safety

Automa tic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, th efollowin g
measures are implemented, depending on th e
typ eand severity of th eimpact :
Rthehazard warning lamp sare activated
Rth eemergenc ylighting is activated
Rth evehicl edoor sare unlocke d
Rthefron tside windows are lowered
Rvehicles wit h amemory function :th eelectri-
call yadjustable steering whee lis raised
Rth eengin eis switched off and th efuel supply
is cut off
Rvehicles wit hmbrace :automatic emergenc y
call
Children in the vehicle
Import ant safety notes
Acciden tstatistics sho wthat children secured
in th erear seat sare safer than children secured
in th efront-passenger seat .Fo rthis reason ,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you instal l
a child restrain tsystem on arear seat .Children
are generally bette rprotected there .
If achild younger than twelve years old and
under 5ft (1.5 0m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
Ralways 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
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" (
Ypage 49)
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sitting
properly. Particular attention must be paid to
children.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage 43) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 44).
A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
41 lbs (18 kg) until they reach a height where a
three-point seat belt can be properly fastened
without a booster seat.
Special seat belt retractor
GWARNING
If the seat belt is released while driving, the
child restraint system will no longer be
58Children in the vehicle
Safety

secured properly. The special seat belt retrac-tor is disabled and the inertia real draws in a
portion of the seat belt. The seat belt cannot
be immediately refastened. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Stop the vehicle immediately, paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. Reactivate
the special seat belt retractor and secure the
child restraint system properly.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor.
When activated, the special seat belt retractor
ensures that the seat belt will not slacken once
the child restraint system has been secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
XAlways comply with the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
XPull the seat belt smoothly from the belt out-
let.
XEngage the seat belt tongue in the belt buckle.
Activating the special seat belt retractor:
XPull the seat belt out fully and let the inertia
reel retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat belt
retractor is activated.
XPush the child seat restraint system down so
that the seat belt is tight and does not loosen.
Removing a child restraint system and deacti-
vating the special seat belt retractor:
XAlways comply with the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
XPress the release button of the belt buckle,
hold the belt tongue firmly and guide it back
towards the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is deactivated.
Child restraint system
The use of seat belts and child restraint systems
is required by law in:
Rall 50 states
Rthe U.S. territories
Rthe District of Columbia
Rall Canadian provinces You can obtain further information about the
correct child restraint system from any author-
ized Mercedes-Benz Center.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor-
rectly on a suitable seat, it cannot protect as
intended. The child cannot then be restrained
in the event of an accident, heavy braking or
sudden changes of direction. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Make sure that you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions and the notes on use. Please ensure,
that the base of the child restraint system is
always resting completely on the seat cush-
ion. Never place objects, e.g. cushions, under or behind the child restraint system. Only use
child restraint systems with the original cover
designed for them. Only replace damaged
covers with genuine covers.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor-
rectly or is not secured, it can come loose in
the event of an accident, heavy braking or a
sudden change in direction. The child
restraint system could be thrown about, strik-
ing vehicle occupants. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always install child restraint systems prop-
erly, even if they are not being used. Make
sure that you observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation instructions.
You will find further information on stowing
objects, luggage or loads under "Loading guide-
lines" (
Ypage 242).
GWARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems which have been damaged or subjected
to a load in an accident can no longer protect
as intended. The child cannot then be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even
fatal.
Children in the vehicle59
Safety
Z

Replacechild restrain tsystems whic hhav e
been damaged or subjecte dto aload in an
acciden tas soo nas possible. Hav eth esecur-
ing systems on th echild restrain tsystem
checke dat aqualified specialist workshop,
before you instal l achild restrain tsystem
again .
The securin gsystems of child restrain tsystems
are:
Rth eseat belt system
Rth eLATCH-type (ISOFIX) securin grings
Rth eTop Tether anchorages
If it is absolutely necessar yto carry achild on
th efront-passenger seat ,be sur eto observ eth e
information on th e"Occupant Classification
Syste m(OCS)" (
Ypage 49). There you will also
fin dinformation on deactivating th efront-
passenger fron tair bag.
All child restrain tsystems mus tmee tth efol -
lowin gstandards :
RU.S. Federal Motor Vehicl eSafet yStandards
21 3and 22 5
RCanadian Motor Vehicl eSafet yStandards
21 3and 210. 2
Confirmation that th echild restrain tsystem cor-
responds to th estandards can be foun don an
instruction label on th echild restrain tsystem.
This confirmation can also be foun din th einstal -
lation instruction sthat are included wit hth e
child restrain tsystem.
Observ eth ewarning labels in th evehicl einte-
rio rand on th ech ild re
strain
tsystem.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat secur-
ing system
GWARNIN G
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restrain tsystems
do no toffer sufficien tprotective effec tfor
children whos eweigh tis greate rthan 48 lbs
(22 kg )who are secured usin gth esafet ybelt
integrate din th echild restrain tsystem. In th e
event of an accident, achild might no tbe
restrained correctly. This poses an increased
ris kof injury or eve nfatal injury.
If th echild weigh smor ethan 48 lbs (22 kg),
only use LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restrain t
systems withwhic hth echild is also secured
wit hth evehicl eseat belt .Als osecure th e
child restrain tsystem wit hth eTop Tether
belt ,if available.
Always comply wit hth emanufacturer' sinstal -
lation and operating instruction sfor th echild
restrain tsystem used .
Before every trip, mak esur ethat th eLATCH -
typ e(ISOFIX) child restrain tsystem is engage d
correctl yin bot hLATCH-type (ISOFIX) securin g
rings
When installin gth eLATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restrain tsystem, fol dprotective cap s; of
securin grings :inwards .
XInstall th eLATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restrain t
system on bot hLATCH-type (ISOFIX) securin g
rings :.
ISOFIX is astandardize dsecurin gsystem for
specially designed child restrain tsystems on
th erear seats. LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securin g
rings for two LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restrain t
systems are installed on th elef tand right of th e
rear seats.
Non-LATCH-typ e(ISOFIX) child seat smay also
be used and can be installed usin gth evehicle's
seat belt system. Install th echild seat according
to th emanufacturer' sinstructions.
Top Tether
Introduction
Top Tether provide san additional connection
between th echild restrain tsystem secured wit h
a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) system and th evehicle.
This help sreduce th eris kof injury eve nfurther.
If th echild restrain tsystem is equipped wit h a
Top Tether belt ,this should always be used .
60Children in the vehicle
Safety

Important safety notes
GWARNING
If th erear seat backrest sare no tlocked, they
could fol dforwards in th eevent of an acci-
dent, heav ybraking or sudde nchanges of
direction .As aresult ,child restrain tsystems
canno tperfor mtheir intended protective
function .Rear seat backrest sthat are no t
locke dcan also caus eadditional injuries, e.g.
in th eevent of an accident. This poses an
increased ris kof injury or eve nfatal injury.
Always loc krear seat backrest safter instal -
lin g a Top Tether belt .Observ eth eloc kveri-
fication indicator. Adjus tth erear seat backr -
est sso that they are in an upright position .
If th erear seat backrest is no tengage dand
locked, this will be shown in th emultifunction
display in th einstrumen tcluster. Awarning tone
also sounds.
Top Tether anchorages
Top Tether anchorage points =are installed in
th erear compartmen tbehind th eouter head
restraints .
XMovehead restrain t: upwards.
XFold up cover ;of Top Tether anchorage =.
XInstall theLATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restrain t
system wit hTop Tether .Always comply wit h
th echild restrain tsystem manufacturer' s
installation instruction swhen doin gso.
XRout eTop Tether belt Aunder head
restrain t: between th etwo head restrain t
bars .
XHook Top Tether hoo k? intoTop Tether
anchorage =.
XMakesur ethat Top Tether belt Ais no ttwis-
ted.
XTension Top Tether belt A.Always comply
wit hth echild restrain tsystem manufactur -
er' sinstallation instruction swhen doin gso.
XFold down cover ;of Top Tether anchorage
=.
XMov ehead restrain t: bac kdown again
slightly if necessar y (Ypage 95).
Mak esur ethat you do no tinterfere wit hth e
correc trouting of Top Tether belt A.
Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes
Acciden tstatistics sho wthat children secured
in th erear seat sare safer than children secured
in th efront-passenger seat .Fo rthis reason ,
Mercedes-Ben zstrongly advises that you instal l
th echild restrain tsystem on arear seat .
If it is absolutely necessar yto instal l achild
restrain tsystem on th efront-passenger seat ,
always observ eth einstruction sand safet y
note son th e"Occupant Classification Syste m
(OCS)" (
Ypage 49).
Children in the vehicle61
Safety
Z

GWARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors
You secure each door individually with the child-
proof locks on the rear doors. A door secured
with a child-proof lock cannot be opened from
inside the vehicle. When the vehicle is unlocked,the door can be opened from the outside.
XTo activate: press the child-proof lock lever
up in the direction of arrow :.
XMake sure that the child-proof locks are work-
ing properly.
XTo deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow ;.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows
XTo activate/deactivate:press button ;.
If indicator lamp :is lit, operation of the rear
side windows is disabled. Operation is only
possible using the switches in the driver's
door. If indicator lamp :is off, operation is
possible using the switches in the rear com-
partment.
Pets in the vehicle
GWARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured
in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
As a result, they could:
Ractivate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
Ractivate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud-
den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi-
cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Pets in the vehicle63
Safety
Z