Page 57 of 338

acceleration which occurs at various points in
the vehicle. This process is pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment should take place in good
time at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
Rthe distribution of forces during the collision
Rthe collision angle
Rthe deformation characteristics of the vehicle
Rthe characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a deci-
sive role in the deployment of an air bag. Nor do
they provide an indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably, with-
out an air bag being deployed. This is the case if only parts which are relatively easily deformed
are affected and the rate of deceleration is not
high. Conversely, air bags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side
impact or if the vehicle rolls over, the applicable
components of the restraint system are activa-
ted independently of each other dependin g on
t
he apparent type of accident.
RSide impact air bags on the side of impact,
independently of the Emergency Tensioning
Device and the use of the seat belt on the
driver's seat and in the rear compartment
seats
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side deploys under the following
conditions:
-the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
-the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
RWindow curtain air bag on the side of impact, independently of the use of the seat belt and
independently of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied
REmergency Tensioning Devices, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection in this situation
RWindow curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt
iNot all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems work independ- ently of each other.
How the air bag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration and the apparent type of accident:
RFrontal collision
RSide impact
RRollover
PRE-SAFE®(anticipatory occupant
protection system)
Introduction
In certain hazardous situations, PRE-SAFE®
takes pre-emptive measures to protect the vehi-
cle occupants.
Important safety notes
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is a danger
that the seats and/or objects could be dam-
aged when PRE-SAFE
®is activated.
Despite your vehicle being equipped with the
PRE-SAFE
®system, the possibility of personal
injuries occurring as a result of an accident can-
not be eliminated. Always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions and maintain a safe distance from
the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
Occupant safety55
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Function
PRE-SAFE®intervenes:
Rin emergenc ybraking situations, e.g. when
BA Sis activated
Rin critical driving situations, e.g. when physi-
cal limits are exceeded and th evehicl eunder-
steer sor oversteer sseverely
Rvehicles wit hth eDrivin gAssistanc epackage:
when adriver assistanc esystem intervenes
powerfully or th eradar sensor system detect s
an imminent danger of collision in certai nsit -
uation s
PRE-SAF E
®takes thefollowin gmeasures
depending on th ehazardous situation detected:
Rth efron tseat belt sare pre-tensioned.
Rif th evehicl eskids, th efron tside windows are
closed.
Rth efront-passenger seat is adjusted if it is in
an unfavorable position .
Rvehicles with amulticontour seat :th eair pres-
sure in th eside bolsters of th eseat backrest
is increased.
If th ehazardous situation passes without result -
ing in an accident, PRE-SAF E
®slackens thebelt
pre-tensioning .On vehicles wit hmulticontour
seats, th eair pressur ein th eside bolsters is
reduce dagain .All setting smade by PRE-SAF E
®
can then be reversed.
If theseat belt pre-tensioning is no treduced:
XMov eth eseat backrest or seat bac kslightly
when th evehicl eis stationary.
The seat belt pre-t ens
ioning is reduce
dand
th elockin gmechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustmen tis an integral part of
th ePRE-SAF E
®convenience function .Informa-
tion about th econvenience function can be
foun dunder "Belt adjustment" (
Ypage 46).
PRE-SAFE®PLUS (anticipatory occu-
pant protection system PLUS)
Introduction
PRE-SAF E®PLUSis only available in vehicles
wit hth eDrivin gAssistanc epackage.
Usin gth eradar sensor system, PRE-SAF E
®
PLUSis able to detect that ahead-on or rear-end
collision is imminent .In certai nhazardous sit -uations, PRE-SAF
E
®PLUStakes pre-emptive
measures to protect th evehicl eoccupants.
Important safety notes
The intervention of PRE-SAF E®PLUScanno t
preven tan imminent collision .
The driver is no twarned when PRE-SAF E
®PLUS
intervenes.
PRE-SAF E
®PLUSdoes no tinterven eif th evehi-
cle is backin gup.
When driving ,or when parking or exiting apark -
ing spac ewit hassistanc efrom Active Parking
Assist ,PRE-SAF E
®PLUSwill no tapply th e
brakes.
Function
PRE-SAF E®PLUSintervenes in certai nsitua-
tion sif th eradar sensor system detect san
imminent head-on or rear-end collision .
PRE-SAF E
®PLUStakes th efollowin gmeasures
depending on th ehazardous situation detected:
Rif th eradar sensor system detect sthat a
head-on collision is imminent ,th eseat belt s
are pre-tensioned.
Rif th eradar sensor system detect sthat arear -
en dcollision is imminent :
-thebrak epressur eis increased if th edriver
applie sth ebrakes when th evehicl eis sta-
tionary.
-th eseat belt sare pre-tensioned.
The PRE-SAF E®PLUSbraking application is can -
celed:
Rif th eaccelerato rpedal is depressed when a
gear is engage d
Rif theris kof acollision passes or is no longer
detected
Rif DISTRONI CPLU Sindicates an intention to
pull away
If th ehazardous situation passes without result -
ing in an accident, th eoriginal setting sare
restored .
56Occupant safety
Safety
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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
Rth eelectrically adjustable 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 (1.50 m) in height is traveling in th e
vehicle:
Ralways secure th echild in achild restrain t
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restrain tsystem mus tbe appropri-
ate to th eage, weigh tand siz eof th echild
Rbe sur eto observ eth einstruction sand safet y
note sin this section in addition to th echild
restrain tsystem manufacturer' sinstallation
instruction s
Rbe sureto observ eth einstruction sand safet y
note son th e"Occupant classification system
(OCS)" (
Ypage 49)
GWARNIN G
If you leav echildren unsupervised in th evehi-
cle ,they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease th eparking brake.
Rshif tth eautomatic transmission out of th e
parking position P.
Rstart theengine.
In addition ,they may operate vehicl eequip -
men tand become trapped .There is aris kof
an acciden tand injury.
When leaving th evehicle, always tak eth e
SmartKey wit hyou and loc kth evehicle. Never
leav echildren unsupervised in th evehicle.
GWARNIN G
If persons, particularly children are subjecte d
to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is aris kof injury, possibl yeve n
fatal. Never leav echildren unattended in th e
vehicle.
GWARNIN G
If th echild restrain tsystem is subjecte dto
direc tsunlight, part smay get ver yhot .Chil-
dre nmay burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on th emetal part sof th echild
restrain tsystem. There is aris kof injury.
If you leav eth evehicle, taking th echild wit h
you, always ensur ethat th echild restrain t
system is no texposed to direc tsunlight. Pro -
tect it wit h ablanket, for example. If th echild
restrain tsystem has been exposed to direc t
sunlight, let it cool down before securin gth e
child in it .Never leav echildren unattended in
th evehicle.
Always ensur ethat all vehicl eoccupant shav e
their seat belt sfastene dcorrectl yand are sitting
properly. Particular attention mus tbe paid to
children .
Observ eth esafet ynote son th eseat 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 lb s(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
Children in the vehicle57
Safety
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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 front seat belt smoothly out of the
seat-belt extender and the rear seat belt out
of the belt outlet.
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 to
the seat-belt extender in the front and the belt
outlet in the rear.
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 253).
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.
58Children in the vehicle
Safety
Page 61 of 338

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 .
Befor eevery trip, mak esur ethat th eLATCH -
typ e(ISOFIX) child restrain tsystem is engage d
correctl yin bot hLATCH-type (ISOFIX) securin g
rings
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securin grings 0044on th e
rear seat sare covered by foldin gupholstere d
lining 0087withVelcro fastening.
XFold upholstere dlining 0087upwards.
XTurn support 0043by 90°.
Upholstere dlining 0087remain sfolded
upwards.
XInstall th eLATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restrain t
system on bot hLATCH-type (ISOFIX) securin g
rings 0044.
Afte ryou hav eremove dth eLATCH-type (ISO-
FIX) child restrain tsystem, you mus ttur nsup-
por t0043 on upholstere dlining 0087by 90 °again .
The nfol dupholstery lining 0087down .
ISOFIX is astandardize dsecurin gsystem for
specially designed child restrain tsystems on
th erear seats. LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securin g
rings 0044for two LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restrain tsystems are installed on th elef tand
right 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.
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Top Tether
Introduction
Top Tether provides an additional connection
between the child restraint system secured with
a LATCH-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 always be used.
Top Tether anchorages
The Top Tether anchorage points are installed in
the rear compartment behind the head
restraints on the parcel shelf.
XMove head restraint 0043upwards
(Ypage 94).
XFold up cover 0044of Top Tether anchorage 0087.
XInstall the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
system with Top Tether. Always comply with
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions when doing so.
XRoute Top Tether belt0083under head
restraint 0043between the two head restraint
bars.
XHook Top Tether hook 0085of Top Tether belt
0083 into Top Tether anchorage 0087.
Make sure that Top Tether belt 0083is not twis-
ted.
XTension Top Tether belt 0083. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
XFold down cover 0044of Top Tether anchorage
0087.
XIf necessary, move head restraint 0043back
down again slightly (Ypage 94). Make sure
that you do not interfere with the correct rout-
ing of Top Tether belt 0083.
Child restraint 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-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install
the child restraint system on a rear seat.
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification System
(OCS)" (
Ypage 49).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise as a result of:
Ran incorrectly categorized person in the front-
passenger seat
Rthe unintentional deactivation of the front-
passenger front air bag
Rthe unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board
Rearward-facing child restraint system
If it is absolutely necessary to install a rearward-
facing child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat, always make sure that the
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is permanently lit (
Ypage 42 )is the front-
passenger front air bag deactivated.
Always observe the child restraint system man-
ufacturer's installation and operating instruc-
tions.
60Children in the vehicle
Safety
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Forward-facing child restraint system
If you secureachild in aforward-facing child
restrain tsystem on th efront-passenger seat ,
always mov eth efront-passenger seat as far
bac kas possible .Full yretrac tth eseat cushion
length. The entire base of th echild restrain tsys-
te m must always res ton th eseat cushion of th e
front-passenger seat .The backrest of th echild
restrain tsystem must lie as flat as possible
against th ebackrest of th efront-passenger
seat .The child restrain tsystem must no ttouch
th eroo for be subjected to aload by th ehead
restraint. Adjus tth eangle of th eseat backrest
and th ehead restrain tposition accordingly.
Always mak esure that th eshoulder belt strap is
correctly routed from th eseat-belt extender of
th efront-passenger seat to th eshoulder belt
guide on th echild restrain tsystem. The shoul-
der belt strap must be routed forwards from th e
retracte dseat-belt extender for th efront-
passenger seat .
Always observ eth echild restrain tsystem man -
ufacturer' sinstallation and operating instruc-
tions.
Pets in the vehicle
GWARNIN G
If you leav eanimals unattended or unsecured
in th evehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example .
As aresult ,they could:
Ractivat evehicl eequipmen tand become
trapped ,for example
Ractivat eor deactivat esystems ,thereby
endangering other road user s
Unsecured animals could also be flun garoun d
th evehicl ein th eevent of an acciden tor sud-
den steering or braking ,thereby injurin gvehi-
cle occupants. Ther eis aris kof an acciden t
and injury.
Never leav eanimals unattended in th evehi-
cle .Always secure animals properly durin g
th ejourney, e.g. use asuitable animal trans -
por tbox .
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section ,you will fin dinformation about
th efollowin gdriving safet ysystems :
RABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
(Ypage 62)
RBA S (B rakeAssist System) (Ypage 62)
RBASPLU S (B rake Assist System PLUS) wit h
Cross-Traffic Assist (Ypage 62)
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLU S
(Ypage 64 )
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram )
(Ypage 66)
REB D (Electronic Brak eforce Distribution )
(Ypage 68 )
RADAPTIV EBRAKE (Ypage 68 )
RPRE-SAF E®Brake(Ypage 68 )
RSTEERCONTROL (Ypage 70)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, th edriving safet ysystems can nei-
ther reduce th eris kof an acciden tno roverride
th elaws of physics .Drivin gsafet ysystems are
merely aids designed to assist driving .You are
responsible for maintainin gth edistanc eto th e
vehicl ein front, for vehicl espeed, for braking in
goo dtime, and for staying in lane. Always adapt
your driving style to suit th eprevailing road and
weather condition sand maintai n asafedistanc e
from th evehicl ein front. Drive carefully.
The driving safet ysystems describe donly work
as effectivel yas possible when there is ade-
quat econtact between th etires and th eroad
surface .Pay particular attention to th einforma-
tion regarding tires ,recommended minimum
tire tread depths etc. in th e"Wheels and tires "
section (
Ypage 303).
In wintr ydriving conditions, always use winte r
tires (M+ Stires )and if necessary, snow chains.
Only in this way will the driving safety systems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible.
Driving safety systems61
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ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Gene ral inform ation
ABSregulates brak epressur ein suc h away that
th ewheels do no tloc kwhen you brake. This
allows you to continu esteering th evehicl ewhen
braking .
The 0025 ABSwarning lamp in th einstrumen t
cluste rlights up when th eignition is switched
on .It goe sout when th eengin eis running.
AB Sworks from aspee dof about 5mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.
AB Sworks on slipper ysurfaces, eve nwhen you
only brak egently.
Import ant safety notes
iObserveth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion (Ypage 61).
GWARNIN G
If AB Sis faulty, th ewheels could loc kwhen
braking .The steerabilit yand braking charac -
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition -
ally, further drivin gsafet ysystems are deac -
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
din gand accidents .
Drive on carefully. Hav eAB Schecke dimme-
diately at aqualified specialis tworkshop .
When AB Sis malfunctioning ,other systems ,
includin gdrivin gsafet ysystems ,will also
become inoperative. Observ eth einformation
on th eAB Swarning lamp (
Ypage 234) and dis-
play message swhic hmay be shown in th e
instrumen tcluste r (
Ypage 204).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continueto depress th e
brak epedal vigorously until th ebraking sit -
uation is over.
XTo make afull brak eapplication: depress
th ebrak epedal wit hfull force .
If AB Sintervenes when braking ,you will fee l a
pulsing in th ebrak epedal .
The pulsating brak epedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions, and function sas a
reminder to tak eextr acar ewhile driving.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
Gene ral inform ation
BASoperate sin emergenc ybraking situations.
If you depress th ebrak epedal quickly, BA S
automatically boosts th ebraking force ,thus
shortening th estopping distance.
Imp ortant safety notes
iObserv eth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion (Ypage 61) .
GWARNIN G
If BA Sis malfunctioning ,th ebraking distanc e
in an emergenc ybraking situation is
increased. There is aris kof an accident.
In an emergenc ybraking situation ,depress
th ebrak epedal wit hfull force .AB Sprevents
th ewheels from locking .
Brakes
XKeepth ebrak epedal firmly depressed until
th eemergenc ybraking situation is over.
AB Sprevents th ewheels from locking .
The brakes will function as usual once you
release th ebrak epedal .BA Sis deactivated.
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) with Cross-Traffic Assist
Genera l inform ation
BASPLU Scan help you to minimiz eth eris kof a
collision wit h avehicl eor apedestrian and
reduce th eeffects of suc h acollision .If BA S
PLU Sdetects adanger of collision ,you are
assisted when braking .
iPay attention to theimportant safet ynote s
in th e"Drivin gsafet ysystems "section
(
Ypage 61).
BA SPLU Sis only available in vehicles wit hth e
Drivin gAssistance Plus package.
Fo rBA SPLU Sto assist you when driving, th e
radar sensor system and th ecamera system
mus tbe operational.
62Driving safety systems
Safety