routed across the center of your shoul‐
der.
& WARNING Risk of injury or death when
additional restra int sy stems are not used
fo r persons with a smaller build
Pe rsons under 5 ft(1.50 m) tall cannot wear
th e seat belt cor rectly wi thout a suitable
additional restra int sy stem.
If th e seat belt is not worncor rectly, it can‐
not per form its intended pr otective function.
In addition, an incor rectly fastened seat belt
can also cause injuries, forex ample, in the
ev ent of an accident or when braking or
ch anging direction suddenly .
#Always secure persons under 5 ft
(1.50 m) tall in a suitable restra int sys‐
te m.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
bloc ked seat belt buckle or seat belt
anchorage
Objects next tothe front seat that block the
seat belt buckle or the moving seat belt
anchorage on the front seat impair the func‐
tion of the Emer gency Tensioning Devices.
The Emergency Tensioning Devices can,
th en, not function as intended and the seat
belt can no longer pr ovide the intended pro‐
te ction.
#Before starting the journe y,make sure
th at there are no objects around the
seat belt buckle or between the front
seat and door.
& WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
damaged or modified seat belts
Seat belts cann otprov ide pr otection in the
fo llowing situations:
RIf th e seat belts are damaged, modified,
ex treme lydirty, bleached or dyed
RIfth e seat belt buckle is damaged or
ex treme lydirty
RIfth e Emer gency Tensioning Devices,
seat belt anchorages or seat belt retrac‐
to rs have been modified
Seat belts may be damaged in an accident,
although the damage may not be visible, e.g.
due tosplinters of glass.
Modified or damaged seat belts may tear or
fa il, e.g. in an accident.
Modified Emer gency Tensioning Devices can
accidental lytrig ger or failto function as
intended.
#Ne ver modify the seat belts, Emer gency
Te nsioning Devices, seat belt ancho‐
ra ge s or seat belt retractors.
#Make surethat the seat belts are
undamaged, not wornand clean.
#Alw ays ha vethe seat belts checked
immediately af ter an accident at a
qu alified specialist workshop.
Occupant saf ety 35
Only use seat beltsthat ha vebeen appr ovedfo r
yo ur vehicle byMercedes-Benz.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death from
deplo yedpy rotech nic Emergency Ten‐
sioning Devices
Pyro tech nic Emergency Tensioning Devices
th at ha vebeen deplo yed are no longer opera‐
tional and are unable toper form their inten‐
ded pr otective function.
#Therefore, ha vedeplo yedpy rotech nic
Emergency Tensioning Devices immedi‐
ately replaced at a qualified specialist
wo rkshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you ha vethe
ve hicle towe dto aqu alified specialist workshop
af te r an accident.
* NO
TEDama gecaused bytrapping the
seat belt
If an unused seat belt is not fully retracted, it
may become trapped in the door or in the
seat mechanism.
#Alw ays ensure that an unused seat belt
is fully retracted.
Fa stening and adju sting seat belts
Ifth e seat belt is pulled quickly or sharpl y,the
seat belt retractor lo cks. The seat belt stra p can‐
not be pulled out any fur ther.
#Alw ays engage seat belt tongue 2ofthe
seat belt into seat belt buckle 1ofthe cor‐
re sponding seat.
#Press and hold the seat belt outlet release
and slide the seat belt outlet into the desired
position.
#Let go of the belt outlet release and ensure
th at the seat belt outlet loc ksin position.
Ve hicles with PRE-SAFE
®:If th e front seat belt
is not pulled tight across your body, the seat belt
adjustment may automatically apply a cer tain
tigh tening forc e. Do not hold the seat belt tightly
while it is adjusting. You can activate and deacti‐
va te the seat belt adjustment function using the
multimedia sy stem.
Ve hicles with automatic front passenge r
front air bag shu toff:
* NO
TEDeployment of the Emer gency
Te nsioning Device and side air bag when
th e front passenger seat is unoccupied
Ifth e seat belt tongue is engaged in the seat
belt buckle of the front passenger seat and
36
Occupant saf ety
the front passenger seat is unoccupied, the
Emergency Tensioning Device and the side
air bag may deploy in theeve nt of an acci‐
dent.
#Only one pe rson should use each seat
belt at any one time.
Ve hicles without automatic front passenge r
front air bag shu toff:
* NO
TEDeployment of the Emer gency
Te nsioning Device when the front
passenger seat is unoccupied
If th e seat belt tongue is engaged in the seat
belt buckle of the front passenger seat and
th e front passenger seat is unoccupied, the
Emergency Tensioning Device may depl oyin
th eev ent of an accident.
#Only one person should use each seat
belt at any one time.
Re leasing seat belts
#Press there lease button in the seat belt
buckle and guide the seat belt back with the
seat belt tongue.
Ac tivating or deactivating seat belt adjust‐
ment via the multimedia sy stem
Multimedia sy stem:
, 9 H K L F O H.î 9 H K L F O H 6 H W W L Q J V. % H O W
$ G M X V W P H Q W
#Ac tivate Oor deacti vate ª the function.
Seat belt warning for the driver and front
passen ger
The ü seat belt warning lamp in the Instru‐
ment Display is a reminder that all vehicle occu‐
pants must weartheir seat belts cor rectly.
The ü seat belt warning lamp lights up for six
seconds af tereve ryengine start.
In addition, an acoustic warning tone may sound. When
the driver's and front passenger's doors
are closed and the driver and front passenger
ha ve fast ened their seat belts, the seat belt
wa rning goes out.
During a journe y,the seat belt warning lights up
if:
RThe vehicle speed exceeds 15mp h
(25 km/h) and the driver's or front
passenger seat belt is not fastened.
RThe driver or front passenger unfas tens their
seat belt while theve hicle is in motion.
Occupant saf ety 37
Airbags
Overview ofairbags
1Knee airbag
2Driver's airbag
3Fr ont-passenger airbag
4Wi ndow airbag
5Side airbag
The ins tallation location of an airbag is identified
by the AIRB AGsymbol. When activated, an airbag can pr
ovide addi‐
tional pr otection for the respective vehicle
occupant.
Airbag Potential pr otection for
…
Knee airbag Thigh, knee and lo wer leg
Driver's airbag,
front passenger
airbag Head and
ribcage
Wi ndow airba gHead
Side airbag Ribcage, also pelvis for
front seat occupants
The front passenger airbag can only be deploy ed
in an accident if thePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is off. If the front passenger seat
is occupied, make sure, bo thbefore and during
th e journe y,that thest atus of the front
passenger airbag is cor rect (
→page 42). *
NO
TEImpo rtant points toremember if
th e front passenger seat is unoccupied
In an accident, the components of the
re stra int sy stem may deploy unnecessarily
on the front passenger side if:
RThere are heavy objects on the front
passenger seat.
RThe seat belt tongue is engaged in the
seat belt buckle of the front passenger
seat and the front passenger seat is
unoccupied.
#St ow objects in a suitable place.
#Only one person should use each seat
belt at any one time.
Protection po tential of air bags
Depending on the accident situation, an air bag
may supplement the pr otection of fere dby a cor‐
re ctly fastened seat belt.
38
Occupant saf ety
&WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
incor rect seat position
If yo ude viate from the cor rect seat position,
th e air bag cannot perform its intended pro‐
te ctive function and deployment may even
cause fur ther injuries.
To avo id hazardous situations, alw ays make
sure that all vehicle occupants:
RHa ve their seat belt fastened cor rectly,
including pregnant women.
RAre seated properly and that dis tance to
th e air bags is as large as possible.
RObser vethefo llowing information.
#Alw ays make sure that there are no
objects between the air bag and the
ve hicle occupant.
To avo idrisks resulting from the deployment of
th e air bag:
RBefore starting your journe y,adjust your seat
co rrectly ;th e driver's seat and front
passenger seat should be mo ved as far back
as possible. When doing so, alw
ays obser vethe informa‐
tion on the cor rect driver's seat position
(
→page 82).
ROnly hold thesteering wheel bythesteering
wheel rim. This all owsth e air bag tobe fully
deplo yed.
RAlw ays lean against the seat backrest when
th eve hicle is in motion. Do not lean forw ards
or against the door or side windo w.You may
ot herwise be in the deployment area of the
air bags.
RAlw ayske ep your feet on thefloor. Do not
put your feet on the dashboard, forex ample.
Yo ur feet may otherwise be in the deploy‐
ment area of the air bag.
RIfch ildren are tra veling in theve hicle,
obser vethe additional no tes (→page 46).
RAlw aysstow and secure objects cor rectly. Objects in
theve hicle interior may pr event an air
bag from functioning cor rectly. There fore alw ays
ensure that:
RThere are no people, animals or objects
between theve hicle occupants and an air
bag.
RThere are no objects between the seat, door
and door pillar (B-pillar).
RThere are no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers,
hanging on the grab handles or coat hooks.
RThere are no accessory parts, such as cup
holders, attached totheve hicle within the
deployment area of an air bag, e.g. on doors,
side windo wsor side paneling.
RThere are no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile
objects in the poc kets of your clo thing. Store
such objects in a suitable place.
Occupant saf ety 39
RAlways obser vethech ild restra int sy stem
manufacturer's ins tallation instructions.
RNe ver place objects under or behind the
ch ild restra int sy stem, e.g. cushions.
RFu lly retract the seat cushion length adjust‐
ment.
RThe entire base of thech ild restra int sy stem
must alw aysre st on the seat cushion of the
front-passenger seat.
RThe backrest of thefo rw ard-facing child
re stra int sy stem must, as far as possible, be
re sting on the seat backrest of the front
passenger seat.
RThe child restra int sy stem must not touch the
ro of or be put under stra in by the head
re stra ints. Adjust the seat backrest inclina‐
tion and the head restra int setting accord‐
ing ly.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
objects between the sitting sur face and
th ech ild restra int sy stem
Objects between the sitting sur face and the
ch ild restra int sy stem could af fect the func‐
tion of the automatic front passenger airbag
shutoff.
This could result in the front passenger air‐
bag not functioning as intended during an
accident.
#Do not place any objects between the
sitting sur face and thech ild restra int
sy stem.
#The entire base of thech ild restra int
sy stem must alw aysre st on the sitting
sur face of the front passenger seat.
#The backrest of thefo rw ard-facing child
re stra int sy stem must lie as flat as pos‐
sible against the backrest of the front
passenger seat.
#Alw ays comply with thech ild restra int
sy stem manufacturer's ins tallation
instructions.
A person in the front passenger seat mus t:
RFasten their seat belt cor rectly.
RSit in an almost up right position with their
back against the seat backrest.
RSit with their feet resting on thefloor, if pos‐
sible.
Otherwise, the front passenger air bag may be
deactivated bymis take ,fo rex ample because the
front passenger:
RTr ans fers their weight bysupporting them‐
selves on a vehicle armrest.
RSits in such a wayth at their weight is raised
from the sitting sur face.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
deactivated front passenger airbag
If th ePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front passenger airbag is disa‐
bled. It will not be deplo yed in theeve nt of
an accident and cannot pe rform its intended
pr otective function.
Occupant saf ety 41
Status display
If th e front passenger seat is occupied, ensure,
bo th before and during the journe y,that thest a‐
tus of the front passenger air bag is cor rect for
th e pr evailing situation.
Af ter in stalling a rear wa rd-facing child
re stra int sy stem on the front passenger
seat: PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF must be lit con‐
tinuousl y.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death from
using a rear wa rd-facing child restra int
sy stem when the front passenger air bag
is enabled
If yo u secure a child in a rear wa rd-facing
ch ild restra int sy stem on the front passenger
seat and thePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi‐
cator lamp is off, the front passenger air bag
can deploy in theev ent of an accident.
The child could be stru ck bythe air bag.
Alw ays ensure that the front passenger air
bag is disabled. The PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
NEVER use a rear wa rdfacing child restra int
on a seat pr otected byan ACTIVE FRONT AIR
BA G in front of it; DE ATH or SERIOUS INJU RY
to thech ild can occur.
When ins talling a child restra int sy stem on the
front passenger seat, observ eth eve hicle-spe‐
cific information .
Depending on thech ild restra int sy stem and the
st ature of thech ild, thePA SSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp may be off. In this case, do
not ins tallth ere ar wa rd-facing child restra int
sy stem on the front passenger seat.
Ins tead, ins tallth ere ar wa rd-facing child
re stra int sy stem on a suitable rear seat.
Af ter in stalling a forw ard-facing child
re stra int sy stem on the front passenger
seat: depending on thech ild restra int sy stem
and thest ature of thech ild, PASSENGER AIR
BA G OFF may be lit continuously or be off.
Alw ays obser vethefo llowing information.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
incor rect positioning of thefo rw ard-
fa cing child restra int sy stem
If yo u secure a child in a forw ard-facing child
re stra int sy stem on the front passenger seat
and you position the front passenger seat too
close tothe cockpit, in theeve nt of an acci‐
dent, thech ild could:
RCome into con tact wi th theve hicle inte‐
ri or if thePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi‐
cator lamp is lit, forex ample.
RBe stru ck bythe air bag if the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
is off.
#Alw ays mo vethe front passenger seat
as far back as possible and fully retract
th e seat cushion length adjustment.
Alw ays make sure that the shoulder belt
st ra p is cor rectly routed from the seat
belt outlet on theve hicle tothe shoul‐
der belt guide on thech ild restra int sys‐
te m. The shoulder belt stra p must be
ro uted forw ards and down wards from
Occupant saf ety 43
theve hicle belt outlet. If necessar y,
adjust the seat belt outlet and the front
passenger seat accordingly.
#Alw ays obser vethech ild restra int sys‐
te m manufacturer's ins tallation instruc‐
tions.
When ins talling a child restra int sy stem on the
front passenger seat, observ eth eve hicle-spe‐
cific information .
If a person is sitting in the front passenger
seat: PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF may be lit con‐
tinuously or be off, depending on the person's
st ature. Alw ays obser vethefo llowing informa‐
tion.
If th e front passenger seat is occupied by:
RAn adult or a pe rson with a build cor respond‐
ing tothat of an adult, thePA SSENGER AIR
BA G OFF indicator lamp must be off. This
indicates that the front passenger air bag is
enabled.
If th ePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit continuousl y,an adult or person
with a build cor responding tothat of an adult should not use
the front passenger seat.
Ins tead, they should use a rear seat.
RA person with a smaller build (e.g. a teenager
or small adult), thePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp either lights up continuously
depending on there sult of the classification
or, alternativel y,goes out.
-PA SSENGER AIRB AGOFF is off: mo vethe
front passenger seat as far back as possi‐
ble or a person with a smaller build
should use a rear seat.
-Ifth ePA SSENGER AIRB AGOFF indicator
lamp is lit continuously: a person with a
smaller build should not use the front
passenger seat.
& WARNING Risk of injury or death when
th ePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit
If th ePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit af terth e sy stem self-test,
th e front passenger air bag is deactivated. It
will not be deplo yed in theeve nt of an acci‐
dent. In this case, the front passenger air bag
cannot perform its intended pr otective func‐
tion, e.g. when a person is seated in the front
passenger seat.
That person could, forex ample, come into
con tact wi th theve hicle interior, especially if
th e person is sitting too close tothe cockpit.
If th e front passenger seat is occupied,
alw ays ensure that:
RThe classification of the person in the
front passenger seat is cor rect and the
front passenger air bag is enabled or
deactivated in accordance with the per‐
son in the front passenger seat.
RThe person is seated proper lywith a cor‐
re ctly fastened seat belt.
RThe front passenger seat has been mo ved
as far back as possible.
Fu rther related subjects:RChild restra int sy stem on the front passenger
seat (→page 52).
44 Occupant saf ety