
Occupant safety
Introduction to the restraint system
The restraint system can reduce the risk of vehi-cle occupant scomin ginto contact with parts of
the vehicle's interior in the event of an accident.
The restraint system can also reduce the forces to which vehicle occupant sare subjected during
an accident.
The restraint system comprises:
RSeat belt system
RAir bags
RChild restraint system
RChild seat securings ystems
The component softhe restraint system work in
conjunction with each other .They can only
deploy their protective function if, at all times, all
vehicle occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly
(Ypage 41)
Rhave the seat and head restraint adjusted
properly (Ypage 74)
As the driver, you also have to make sure that
the steering wheel is adjusted correctly.
Observe the information relating to the correct
driver's seat position (
Ypage 74).
You also have to make sure that an air bag can
inflate properly if deployed (
Ypage 43).
An air bag supplement sacorrectly worn seat
belt. As an additional safety device, the air bag
increases the level of protection for vehicle
occupant sinthe event of an accident. For exam-
ple, if, in the event of an accident, the protection
offered by the seat belt is sufficient, the air bags
are not deployed. When an accidento ccurs,only
the air bags that increase protection in that par- ticular accidents ituation are deployed. How-
ever, seat belts and air bags generally do not
protec tagainst objects penetratin gthe vehicle
from the outside.
Information on restraint system operation can
be found under "Triggering of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and air bags" (
Ypage 46).
See "Children in the vehicle" for information on
children travelin gwith you in the vehicle as well
as on child restraint systems (
Ypage 49).
Important safetyn otes
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
accidentort rigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injur yoreven
fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
component sortheir software.
If it is necessary to modify component softhe
restraint system to accommodate aperson
with disabilities, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for details. USA only:
for further information contact our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1‑ 800‑367‑ 6372).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
driving aids which have been approved specifi-
cally for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Restraint system warning lamp
The function softhe restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and at
regular intervals while the engin eisrunning.
Therefore, malfunctions can be detected in
good time.
The 6 restraint system warning lamp on the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition is
switched on. It goes out no later than afew sec-
onds after the vehicle is started. The compo-
nents of the restraint system are in operational
readiness.
Am alfunction has occurred if the 6restraint
system warning lamp:
Rdoes not light up after the ignition is switched
on
Rdoes not go out after afew seconds with the
engin erunning
Rlights up again while the engin eisrunning
GWARNING
If the restraint system is malfunctioning,
restraint system component smay be trig-
38Occupant safety
Safety

XTo fastenthe seat belt: pull the seatbelt
smoothl yfrom the belt outle tand engage
movabl ebeltt ongue Cin belt buckle A.
XIf necessary,p ullupont he shoulde rsection
of the sea tbelttot ighten the belt across your
body.
Releasin gseatb elts
!Make sure thatt he seatbeltisf ully rolle dup.
Otherwise, the sea tbeltorb eltt ongu ewillb e
trappe dinthe door or in the sea tmechanism.
Thi scould damag ethe door, the door trim
panel and the sea tbelt. Damaged sea tbelts
can no longer fulfil lthei rprotective function
and must be replaced.V isitaquali fied spe-
cialist workshop.
XPress the release button in the belt buckle,
hol dthe belt tongu efirmly and guid ethe belt
back.
Bel twarning for the drive rand front
passenger
The 7 seatbeltw arning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is areminder thata llvehicl eoccu-
pants must wear thei rseatb elts. It may light up
continuously or flash. In addition, ther emay be
aw arning tone.
Regardless of whethe rthe driver's sea tbelth as
already been fastened ,the 7 seatbeltw arn-
ing lamp lights up for sixs econds each time the
engine is started .If, afte rsixseconds ,the driver
or front-passenger sea tbelth as not been fas-
tened and the doors are closed ,the 7 seat belt warning lamp lights up
.Assoona sthe driv-
er' sa nd front-passenger sea tbelts are fastened
or afront door is opene dagain ,the 7 seat
belt warning lamp goe sout.
If the driver'ss eatb eltisn ot fastened afte rthe
engine is started ,anadditional warning tone will
sound. The warning tone switches off afte rsix
seconds or once the driver'ss eatb eltisf as-
tened.
If the vehicle's speed exceed s15mph
(25 km/h )once and the driver'sa nd front-
passenger sea tbelts are not fastened ,awarning
tone sounds. Awarning tone also sounds with
increasing intensity for 60 seconds or unti lthe
driver or front passenger have fastened their
sea tbelts.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
sea tbelts during the journey,t he seatbeltw arn-
ing is activate dagain .
Airb ags
Introduction
The installatio npoint of an ai rbag can be rec-
ognized by the AIR BAG symbol.
An ai rbag complements the correctl yfastened
sea tbelt. It is no substitute for the sea tbelt. The
ai rb ag provides additional protection in appli-
cable accident situations.
Not al lairbags are deployed in an accident. The
different ai rbag systemsf unctionindepend-
entlyf rom one another (
Ypage 46).
However, no system available toda ycan com-
pletel yeliminate injurie sand fatalities.
It is also not possibl etoruleo utariskofi njury
caused by an ai rbag duetot he high speed at
which the ai rbag must be deployed.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If yo udon ot sitint he correct sea tposition,
the ai rbag canno tprotect as intende dand
could eve ncause additional injury when
deployed .Thisp oses an increased ris kof
injury or eve nfata linjury.
Occupant safety43
Safety
Z

Pelvis air bags:deploy below next to the outer
seat cushions.
When activated, the pelvis air bag increases the
level of protection for vehicle occupantsont he
side of the vehicle on which the impact occurs.
The pelvis air bag is deployed on the side of the
impact.
Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bags :are integrated into
the side of the roof frame and deployed in the
area from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the window curtain air bag
enhances the level of protection for the head.
However, it does not protec tthe chest or arms.
In the event of aside impact, the window curtain
air bag 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, awindow curtain air bag may be
deployed in other accident situations
(
Ypage 46).
Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devicesa nd air bags
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is arisk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deployed air bag replaced at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible.
GWARNING
Ad eployed air bag no longer offers any pro-
tection and cannot provide the intended pro-
tection in an accident .There is an increased
risk of injury.
Have the vehicle towed to aqualified special-
ist workshop in order to have adeployed air
bag replaced.
It is importan tfor your safety and that of your
passenger to have deployed air bags replaced
and to have any malfunctioning air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air bags
continue to perform their protective function for
the vehicle occupantsint he event ofacrash.
GWARNING
Emergency TensioningD evices that have
deployed pyrotechnically are no longer opera-
tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Have pyrotechnically triggered Emergency
TensioningD evices replaced immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop.
If Emergency TensioningD evices are triggered
or air bags are deployed, you will hear abang,
and asmall amount of powder may also be
released. The 6restraint system warning
lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder that is released generally does
not constitut eahealth hazard, but it may cause
short-term breathing difficulties in people with
asthma or other respiratory problems. Provided
it is safe to do so, you should leave the vehicle
46Occupant safety
Safety

XWith your hand flat, firmly push the NECK-
PRO head restraint cushion back in the direc-tion of arrow =until it engages.
XRepeat this procedure for the secondN ECK-
PRO head restraint.
iResettin gthe NECK-PRO head restraints
requires alot of strength. If you have difficulty
resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints, have
this work carried out at aqualified specialist
workshop.
NECK-PRO luxuryh ead restraints
Do not insert your finger between the cushion of
the head restraint and the cover. Pay particular
attention while resetting the NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints.
XRemove resetting tool :from the vehicle
document wallet.
XSlide resetting tool :into guide ;between
the NECK-PRO luxury head restraint and the
rear cover of the head restraint.
XPush resetting tool :down until you hear the
head restraint deployment mechanism
engage.
XPull out resetting tool :.
XWith your hand flat, firmly push the NECK-
PRO luxury head restraint cushion back in the
direction of arrow=until it engages.
XRepeat this procedure for the secondN ECK-
PRO luxury head restraint.
XPut resetting tool :back into the vehicle
document wallet.
iIf you have difficulty resetting the NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints, have this work
carried out at aqualified specialist workshop.
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident ,the following
measures are implemented, depending on the
type and severityoft he impact:
Rthe hazard warning lamps are activated
Rthe emergency lighting is activated
Rthe vehicle doors are unlocked
Rthe frontside windows are lowered
Rthe electrically adjustable steerin gwheel is
raised when the driver's door is opened
Rthe engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off
Rvehicles with mbrace: automatic emergency
call
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install
ac hild restraint system on arear seat. Children
are generally better protected there.
If ac hild younger than twelve years old and
under 5ft(1.50m )inh eight is travelin ginthe
vehicle:
Ralwayss ecure the child in achild 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 instruction sand safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions
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 arisk of
an accident and injury.
Children in the vehicle49
Safety
Z

When leaving the vehicle, alwaystake 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 arisk 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 arisk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, takin gthe child with
you, alwayse nsure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with ablanket ,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 occupantsh ave
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 40) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 41).
Ab ooster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positionin gfor children over
41 lbs (1 8kg)until they reach aheight where a
three-point seat belt can be properly fastened
without abooster seat.
Special seat belt retractor
GWARNING
If the seat belt is released while driving, the
child restraint system will no longer be
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 aspecial 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 achild restraint system:
XAlways comply with the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
XPull the seat belt smoothly out of the belt sash
guide.
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 aratchetin gsound. 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 achild restraint system and deacti-
vating the special seat belt retractor:
XAlways comply with the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
XPress release button of belt buckle, hold the
belt tongue firmly and guide it back towards
the belt sash guide.
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.
50Children in the vehicle
Safety

XRemove cargo compartmentcover
(Ypage 209).
XMov ethe head restrain tup.
XInstall th eLATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restrain t
system wit hTop Tether .Always comply wit h
th ec hild restrain tsystem manufacturer' s
installation instruction swhen doin gso.
XRout eTop Tether belt =under th ehead
restrain tbetween th etwo head restrain tbars .
XHook Top Tether hoo k: of Top Tether belt
= intoT op Tether anchorage ;.
Mak esuret hatT op Tether belt =is no ttwis-
ted.
XTension Top Tether belt =.Always comply
wit hthe child restrain tsystem manufactur -
er' sinstallation instruction swhen doin gso.
XMov ehead restrain tbackd own again slightly
if necessar y(Ypage 77). Mak esuret hat
you do no tinterfere wit hthe correc trouting of
Top Tether belt =.
BabySmart™air bag deactivation sys-
tem
GWARNIN G
Electronic device sonthefront-passenger
seat can affec tthe function of th eBaby-
Smart ™air bag deactivation system, for
example:
RLaptop
RMobile phon e
RTransponder cards suc hasskipasses or
access passes
The front-passenger air bag could deplo yacci-
dentally or no tfunction as intended during an
accident. This poses an increased ris kof
injury or eve nfatal injury.
Do no tplac ea ny of th edevice smentioned
abov eors imilar device sonthefront-
passenger seat .Beaware of th estatus of th e
front-passenger fron tair bag bot hbefore and
during th ejou rney.
The BabySmart ™air bag deactivation system' s
sensor system in th efront-pa ssenger seat
detects whether aspecial Mercedes-Ben zchild
restrain tsystem wit hatransponder for th e
BabySmart ™air bag deactivation system has been installed. In this case, th
ePASSENG ER AIR
BA GO FFindicator lamp lights up and remain s
lit .T he front-passenger fron tair bag is deacti -
vated.
When th eSma rtKey is remove dfromt heignition
loc korisinp osition0,thePASSENGER AI RBAG
OF Findicator lamp does no tligh tup.
iIf th efront-pa ssenger fron tair bag is deac -
tivated by th eBabySmart ™air bag deactiva-
tion system, th ef
o
llowin gremain enabled on
th ef ront-pa ssenger side :
Rthes ide impact air bag
Rthep elvis air bag
Rthew indow curtai nair bag
RtheE me rgency Tensioning Devic e
GWARNING
If you secure achild in achild restrain tsystem
on th efront-pa ssenger seat and th e
PASSENGER AI RBAG OFFindicator lamp is
off ,the front-passenger fron tair bag can
deplo yintheevent of an accident. The child
could be struc kbytheair bag. This poses an
increased ris kofinjury or eve nfatal injury.
Mak esuret hatthe front-passenger fron tair
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AI R
BA GO FFindicator lamp mus tbelit.
GWARNIN G
If th ePASSENG ER AIRBAG OFFindicator
lamp is lit ,the front-passenger fron tair bag is
deactivated. It will no tbedeployed in th e
event of an acciden tand canno tperfor mits
intended protective function .Aperson in th e
front-passenger seat could then ,for example,
come int ocontac twitht he vehicle's interior,
especially if th eperson is sitting to oclose to
th ed ashboard. This poses an increased ris kof
injury or eve nfatal injury.
In this cas ethe front-passenger seat may no t
be used .You may only transpor tachild on th e
front-passenger seat if they are seated in a
suitable rearward or forward-facing child
restrain tsystem. Always observ ethe child
restrain tsystem manufacturer' sinstallation
instructions.
Children in th evehicle53
Safety
Z

GWARNING
If you secure achild in aforward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge rseat
and you position the front-passenge rseat too
close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
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-passenge rseat as far back as
possible.A lways make sure that the shoulder
belts trap is correctly routed from the vehicle
belts ash guide to the shoulderb eltguide on
the child restraint system. The shoulderb elt
strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the belts ash guide. If necessary,
adjust the belts ash guide and the front-
passenger seat accordingly.A lways observe
the information about suitable positioning of
the child restraint system in this Operator's
Manual as wellast he child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp :
showsy ou whethert he front-passenge rfront air
bag is deactivated.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignitio nlock.
The system carrie sout self-diagnostics.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must light up for approximately six seconds. If, after the system self-test, the
PASSENGER AI
RBAG OFF indicator lamp:
Ris lit:t he front-passenge rfront air bag is
deactivated. It wil lthen not be deploye dinthe
event of an accident.
Ris not lit :the sensor system did not detect a
child restraint system with transponde rfor
the BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system.
If, in the event of an accident, all deployment criteria are met, the front-passenge rfront air
bag is deployed.
Childr estraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes
Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenge rseat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install
the child restraint system on arear seat.
If it is absolutel ynecessary to install achild
restraint system on the front-passenge rseat,
alway sobserve the information on the "Baby-
Smart™ air bag deactivation system"
(
Ypage5 3).
You can thus avoi dthe risks that coul darisea s
ar esult of:
Rac hild restraint system that is not detected
by the BabySmart™ air bag deactivation sys-
tem sensor system
Rthe unintentional deactivation of the front-
passenger front air bag
Rthe unsuitabl epositioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board
Rearward-facin gchildr estraint system
If it is absolutel ynecessary to install arearward-
facing child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat, alway smake sure that the
front-passenge rfront air bag is deactivated.
Only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is permanently lit (
Ypag e39) is the front-
passenger front air bag deactivated.
Always observe the child restraint system man-
ufacturer's installation and operating instruc-
tions.
54Children in the vehicle
Safety

Forward-facingchild restrain tsystem
If it is absolutely necessar ytoinstal laforward-
facing child restrain tsystem on th efront -
passenger seat ,always mov ethe front-
passenger seat as far bac kaspossible. The
entire base of th echild restrain tsystem must
always res tontheseat cushion of th efront -
passenger seat .The backrest of th echild
restrain tsystem must lie as flat as possible
against th ebackrest of th efront-pa ssenger
seat .The child restrain tsystem must no ttou ch
th er ooforbes ubjected to aload by th ehead restraint
.Adjus tthe angle of th eseat backrest
and th ehead restraint position accordingly.
Always mak esure that th eshoulder belt strap is
correctly routed from th evehicl ebelt sash guide
to th eshoulder belt guide on th echild restrain t
system. The shoulder belt strap must be routed
forward and down from th evehicl ebelt sash
guide .Ifnecessary, adjust th ebelt sash guide
and th efront-pa ssenger seat accordingly.
Always observ ethe child restraint system man -
ufacturer' sinstallation and operating instruc-
tions.
Problemsw ith theBabySmart ™air bag deactivation system
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
The PASSENGER AIR
BA GO FFindicator lamp
on th ecente rconsol eis
lit .As pecial Mercedes-Ben zchild restrain tsystem wit hatransponder for
th eB abySmart ™air bag deactivation system has been installed on th e
front-passenger seat .The front-passenger air bag has therefor ebeen
deactivated as desired .
GWARNING
Ther eisnoc hild restrain tsystem installed on th efront-pa ssenger
seat .The BabySmart ™air bag deactivation system is malfunctioning ,
for example due to electronic device sonthefront-passenger seat .
Ther eisar iskofi njury.
XRemove electronic equipmen tfromt hefront-passenger seat ,for
example:
RLaptop
RMobile phon e
RCard withatransponder ,suc hasas kipass or access pass
If th ePASSENG ER AIRBAG OFFindicator lamp remains lit ,the front-
passenger seat may no tbeused.
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop.
When you switch th e
ignition on ,the 6
restrain tsystem warning
lamp lights up and/o r
th eP ASSENG ER AIR
BA GO FFindicator lamp
does no tligh tupb riefly.GWARNIN G
The BabySmart ™air bag deactivation system is malfunctioning .
Do no tinstal lachild restraint system on th efront-pa ssenger seat .
It is recommended that you instal lthe child restraint system on a
suitable rear seat .
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop.
XPleas ealso refer to th enotes about th erestraint system warning
lamp (Ypage 193).
Children in th evehicle55
Safety
Z