If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
X Move the seat backrest or seat back slightly
when the vehicle is stationary.
The seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and
the locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. Informa-
tion about the convenience function can be
found under "Belt adjustment" (Y page 48).PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS (anticipatory occu-
pant protection system PLUS)
Introduction PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS is only available in vehicles
with the Driving Assistance PLUS package.
Using the radar sensor system, PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS is able to detect that a head-on or rear-end
collision is imminent. In certain hazardous sit-
uations, PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS takes pre-emptive
measures to protect the vehicle occupants.
Important safety notes The intervention of PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS cannot
prevent an imminent collision.
The driver is not warned about the intervention
of PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS.
PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS does not intervene if the vehi-
cle is backing up.
When driving, or when parking or exiting a park-
ing space using Active Parking Assist, PRE-
SAFE ®
PLUS will not apply the brakes.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS intervenes in certain situa-
tions if the radar sensor system detects an
imminent head-on or rear-end collision. PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
R if the radar sensor system detects that a
head-on collision is imminent, the seat belts
are pre-tensioned.
R if the radar sensor system detects that a rear-
end collision is imminent:
- the brake pressure is increased if the driver
applies the brakes when the vehicle is sta- tionary.
- the seat belts are pre-tensioned.
The PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS braking application is can-
celed:
R if the accelerator pedal is depressed when a
gear is engaged
R if the risk of a collision passes or is no longer
detected
R if Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC indicates
an intention to intervene
If the hazardous situation passes without result- ing in an accident, the original settings are
restored. Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on the
type and severity of the impact:
R the hazard warning lamps are switched on
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R vehicles with a memory function: the electri-
cally adjustable steering wheel is raised when
the driver's door is opened
R the engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off
R vehicles with Mercedes me connect: auto-
matic 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 Children in the vehicle
59Safety Z
Off-road ABS
An ABS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated on:
R Vehicles without the Offroad Engineering
package (Y page 215)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 216)
At speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces
the stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability. BAS (Brake Assist System)
General information BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake pedal quickly, BAS
automatically boosts the braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 66). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Braking X
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. Active Brake Assist
General information i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 66).
Active Brake Assist consists of a distance warn-
ing function with an autonomous braking func-
tion and situation-dependent braking assis-
tance.
Active Brake Assist can help you to minimize the risk of a collision with the vehicle traveling in
front or reduce the effects of such a collision.
If Active Brake Assist detects that there is a risk
of collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. If you do not react to the visual and audible collision warning, autonomous braking
can be initiated in critical situations. If you apply
the brake yourself in a critical situation, Active
Brake Assist supports you with situation-
dependent braking assistance.
Active Brake Assist is only available in certain
countries.
Important safety notes In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
R
there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle is traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle is traveling in front on a different line
R you are driving a new vehicle or servicing on
the Active Brake Assist system has just been
carried out
Observe the notes in the section on breaking-
in (Y page 134).
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle, have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensor checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to the front of the vehicle. Driving safety systems
67Safety Z
Activating/deactivating
Active Brake Assist is automatically active after
switching on the ignition.
You can activate or deactivate Active Brake
Assist (Y page 238) in the on-board computer.
When deactivated, the distance warning func-
tion and the autonomous braking function are
also deactivated.
If Active Brake Assist is deactivated, the 00D4
symbol appears in the assistance graphic dis-
play.
If DSR (Y page 214) is activated, Active Brake
Assist is deactivated.
Distance warning function General information
The distance warning function can help you to
minimize the risk of a front-end collision with a
vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such a
collision. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will
be warned visually and acoustically.
Important safety notesi Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 66).G
WARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
The distance warning function may not give
warnings in all critical situations. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
Always adapt your speed to suit the prevailing
road and traffic conditions. G
WARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations. In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
the distance warning function warns you if you
rapidly approach a vehicle in front. An intermit-
tent warning tone will then sound, and the 00BA
distance warning lamp will light up in the instru-
ment cluster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or X Take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the system to display a warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obstacles that are in the path of your vehicle for an exten-
ded period of time.
Up to a speed of around 44 mph (70 km/h), the
distance warning function can also react to sta-
tionary obstacles, such as stopped or parked
vehicles.
Autonomous braking function If the driver does not react to the distance warn-
ing signal in a critical situation, Active Brake
Assist can assist the driver with the autonomous
braking function.
Vehicles without Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC: the autonomous braking function
is available in the following speed ranges:
R 4 - 65 mph (7 - 105 km/h) for moving objects
R 4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects 68
Driving safety systemsSafety
Vehicles with Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC: the autonomous braking function
is available in the following speed ranges:
R 4 - 124 mph (7 - 200 km/h) for moving
objects
R 4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the Autonomous Braking Func-
tion to intervene.
If the autonomous braking function requires a
particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
)
are activated simultaneously (Y page 58).
Situation-dependent braking assis-
tance General information
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 66).
With the help of the radar sensor system, Active Brake Assist can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If Active Brake Assist detects a risk of collision
with the vehicle in front, it calculates the brake
pressure necessary to avoid a collision. If you
apply the brakes forcefully, situation-dependent
braking assistance adapts to the situation and
automatically increases the brake pressure to a degree appropriate to the traffic situation.
Situation-dependent braking assistance pro-
vides braking assistance in hazardous situations at speeds above 4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar
sensor technology to assess the traffic situa-
tion.
Situation-dependent braking assistance is capa-
ble of reacting to moving objects that have
already been detected as such at least once
over the period of observation, up to vehicle
speeds of around 155 mph (250 km/h).
Situation-dependent braking assistance reacts
to stationary obstacles up to a speed of approx-
imately 44 mph (70 km/h).
If situation-dependent braking assistance
demands particularly high brake pressure, pre-
ventative passenger protection measures (PRE-
SAFE ®
) are triggered simultaneously
(Y page 58). X
Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if: R you release the brake pedal
R there is no longer any danger of a collision
R no obstacle is detected in front of your vehi-
cle.
Situation-dependent braking assistance is then
deactivated.
Important safety notes i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 66). G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist might:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, complex but
non-critical driving conditions may also cause
Active Brake Assist to intervene.
Even if Active Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system is still available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS. Driving safety systems
69Safety Z
Offroad ESP
®
(vehicles with Off-Road
Engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated on:
R Vehicles without the Offroad Engineering
package (Y page 215)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 216)
Offroad ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there is
oversteering or understeering, thus improving
traction.
Crosswind Assist General information
Strong crosswind gusts can impair the ability of your vehicle to drive straight ahead. The cross-
wind driving assistance function integrated in
ESP ®
noticeably reduces these impairments.
ESP ®
intervenes automatically according to the
direction and intensity of the crosswinds affect-
ing your vehicle.
ESP ®
intervenes with stabilizing braking to
assist you in keeping the vehicle in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 50 mph (80 km/h) when driving straight
ahead or cornering gently.
Important safety notes
Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP ®
is
switched off or deactivated because of a mal-
function. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 66). G
WARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 277) as well as display
messages (Y page 247). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety and
offers increased braking comfort. In addition to
the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE also has the HOLD function (Y page 182) and hill start
assist (Y page 139). Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function
General information i
Pay attention to the important safety notes
in the "Driving safety systems" section
(Y page 66).
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
can help you to minimize the risk of a collision
with a vehicle in front or a pedestrian and reduce
the effects of such a collision. If the Active Brake
Assist with cross-traffic function detects a risk
of collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically and, if necessary, your brake appli- cation will be assisted according to the situa-
tion. If you do not react, the system can also
react by braking automatically. In the event of a detected risk of collision due to crossing traffic,you will also be visually and acoustically warned
as well as assisted by the brake boosting effect
according to the situation.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
only available in vehicles with the Driving Assis- tance Plus package.
For Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion to assist you when driving, the radar sensor
system and the camera system must be opera-
tional. 72
Driving safety systemsSafety
If the radar sensor system or the camera system
is malfunctioning, Active Brake Assist with
cross-traffic function is restricted or no longer
available. The brake system is still available with complete brake boosting effect and BAS.
The radar sensor system and camera system
help Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion to detect obstacles that are in the path of
your vehicle for an extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your vehi- cle can be detected.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
detects pedestrians using typical characteris-
tics such as body contours and the posture of a
person standing upright.
i Observe the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" section
(Y page 73).
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function will initially brake your vehicle by a partial
application of the brakes if a danger of colli-
sion is detected. There may be a collision
unless you brake yourself. Even after subse-
quent full application of the brakes a collision
cannot always be avoided, particularly when
approaching at too high a speed. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
In the event of a partial application of the brakes,
the vehicle is braked with up to 50% of the full
braking pressure. G
WARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function cannot always clearly identify objects and
complex traffic situations.
In such cases, Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function might:
R issue an unnecessary warning or engage
R neither give a warning nor intervene
There is a risk of an accident. Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be prepared to brake, especially
if Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion alerts you. Terminate the intervention in a
non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function cannot always clearly identify people, partic-
ularly if they are moving. Active Brake Assist
with cross-traffic function cannot intervene in
these cases. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be prepared to brake, especially if Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion alerts you.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a collision, you must apply the brakes yourself. G
WARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function does not react:
R to small people, e.g. children
R to animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R when cornering
As a result, Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function may not warn you or engage in
all critical situations. There is a risk 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:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle is traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike Driving safety systems
73Safety Z
R
a vehicle is traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
R vehicles quickly move into the radar sensor
system detection range
Recognition by the camera system is also
impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the camera or if the camera is covered
R glare on the camera system, e.g. from the sun
being low in the sky
R darkness
R or if:
-
pedestrians move quickly, e.g. into the path
of the vehicle
- the camera system no longer recognizes a
pedestrian as a person due to special cloth-
ing or other objects
- a pedestrian is concealed by other objects
- the typical outline of a person is not distin-
guishable from the background
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle, have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow speeds where there is no visible damage to thefront of the vehicle.
Following damage to the windshield, have the
configuration and operation of the camera sys-
tem checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Function X
To activate or deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function using the on-board computer
(Y page 238).
If the Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function is deactivated, the 00D4symbol
appears in the multifunction display.
If you have activated DSR (Y page 214), the
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
deactivated.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly approach a
vehicle in front. An intermittent warning tone
will then sound and the 00BAdistance warning
lamp will light up in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so. Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
can also brake the vehicle automatically under
the following conditions:
R the driver and front-passenger have their seat
belts fastened
and
R the vehicle speed is between approximately
4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph (200 km/h)
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function may react to:
R stationary objects in the path of your vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
R pedestrians in the path of your vehicle
i If there is an increased risk of a collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE ®
) are triggered (Y page 58).
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking, up
to the point of full brake application. Automatic emergency braking is not performed until imme-
diately prior to an imminent accident.
If you apply the brake yourself in a critical sit-
uation or during autonomous braking, braking
assistance is provided according to the situa-
tion. If necessary, this increases the brake pres- sure up to full brake application.
To avoid a collision, Active Brake Assist with
cross-traffic function calculates the brake force
necessary if:
R you approach an obstacle, and
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
has detected a risk of a collision
When driving at a speed under 20 mph
(30 km/h): if you depress the brake pedal,
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
activated. The increase in brake pressure from
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
carried out at the last possible moment.
When driving at a speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h) : if you depress the brake pedal
sharply, Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function automatically increases the brake pres- sure to a degree suited to the traffic situation.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
provides braking assistance in hazardous situa-
tions with vehicles in front within a speed range
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 155 mph
(250 km/h). 74
Driving safety systemsSafety
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h) the Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function assists you with braking in haz-
ardous situations with:
R stationary obstacles in the path of the vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
R stationary pedestrians in the path of the vehi-
cle
R obstacles crossing your path that move in the
detection range of the sensors and are detec- ted
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
You can prevent the intervention of Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator pedal further
R activating kickdown
R releasing the brake pedal
The braking application of Active Brake Assist
with cross-traffic function is ended automati-
cally if:
R you maneuver to avoid the obstacle
R there is no longer a risk of collision
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle STEER CONTROL
General information STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering wheel
in the direction required for vehicle stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in particular
if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on a
wet or slippery road surface when you brake
R the vehicle starts to skid
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 66). No steering assistance is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
R ESP ®
is deactivated
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning
R the steering is malfunctioning
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering. Protection against theft
Immobilizer
X To activate with the SmartKey: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X To activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone
can start the engine if a valid SmartKey has been left inside the vehicle.
i The immobilizer is always deactivated when
you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be started (yet the vehicle's battery is charged), the sys-
tem is not operational. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800 FOR-MERCEDES (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada). ATA (anti-theft alarm system) Protection against theft
75Safety Z