2023 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA Owners Manual

tive in nature. The triggering/deployment of the
components of the restraint system must take place in good time at the start of the collision.
Factors that can be seen and measured only aser
a collision has occurred cannot play a decisive role in air bag deployment. Nor do they provide an indication of air bag deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed signiNcantly without
an air bag being deployed. This is the case if only parts that are relatively easily deformed are aMec-
ted and the rate of vehicle deceleration is not
high. Conversely, an air bag may be deployed
even though the vehicle suMers only minor defor-
mation. If very rigid vehicle parts such as longitu- dinal members are hit, this may result in suP-
ciently high levels of vehicle deceleration.
Depending on the apparent type of accident and
the detected deployment situation, Emergency
Tensioning Devices and/or air bags supplement
the protection oMered by a correctly worn seat
belt.
When enabled, an air bag can provide additional
protection for the respective vehicle occupant.Potential protection provided by each air bag:
= Knee bag: thigh, knee and lower leg
= Driver\bs air bag, front passenger air bag: head
and ribcage
= Window curtain air bag: head
= Side impact air bag: ribcage and pelvis*NOTE Mercedes-AMG vehiclesObserve the notes in the Supplement.
You could otherwise fail to recognize
dangers.
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities in every
accident situation. In particular, the seat belt and
air bag generally do not protect against objects penetrating the vehicle from the outside. It is alsonot possible to completely rule out the risk ofinjury caused by the air bag deploying.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have the
vehicle towed to a qualiNed specialist workshop
aser an accident. Take this into account, particu-
larly if a Emergency Tensioning Device is triggered
or an air bag deployed.
If the Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered
or an air bag is deployed, you will hear a bang,
and a small amount of powder may also be released:
= The bang will not generally aMect your hearing.
= In general, the powder released is not hazard-
ous to health but may cause short-term breathing diPculties to persons suMering from
asthma or other pulmonary conditions.
Provided it is safe to do so, leave the vehicle
immediately or open the window in order to
prevent breathing diPculties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices contain perchlorate material, which may require special handling or environmental protec-
tion measures. National guidelines regarding waste disposal must be observed. In California,
see https://dtsc.ca.gov/. Using the search func- tion, you will Nnd information on perchlorate, for
example.Occupant safety47

Information on the limited protection provided bythe restraint system
Risk due to the incorrect behavior of vehicle occu-
pants
Every vehicle occupant must make sure of the fol- lowing in particular:
= They observe the information on the correct
seat position (  page 38).
= There are no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile
objects in the pockets of their clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place.
&WARNING Risk of injury or death due to
an incorrect seat position
The seat belt does not oMer the intended level
of protection if you have not moved the seat backrest to an almost vertical position.
In particular, you could slip beneath the seat- belt and become injured.
Adjust the seat properly before begin-
ning your journey.Always ensure that the seat backrest is
in an almost vertical position and thatthe shoulder belt is routed across the center of your shoulder.
Risk due to objects in the vehicle interior
Every vehicle occupant must make sure of the fol-
lowing in particular:
= They observe the information on the correct
seat position (  page 38).
= There are no objects between the seat, door
and door pillar (B-pillar).
= There are no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers,
hanging on the grab handles or coat hooks.
= There are no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile
objects in the pockets of their clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place.
&WARNING Risk of injury or death due to
blocked seat belt buckle or seat belt
anchorage
Objects next to the front seat that block the seat belt buckle or the moving seat belt
anchorage on the front seat impair the func- tion of the Emergency Tensioning Devices.
Before starting the journey, make sure
that there are no objects around the seat
belt buckle or between the front seat
and door.&WARNING Risk of injury from objects in
the deployment area of an airbag
Objects in the deployment area of an airbag
can hinder or prevent the correct deployment
of the airbag.
The airbag may then deploy in an uncontrolled manner and may even cause additional inju-
ries to the vehicle occupants by deploying.
This may be the case in particular if the airbag is integrated into the seat.
Always stow and secure objects cor-
rectly.Before commencing your journey, make
sure that no objects are stowed in the
deployment area of an airbag.
The installation location of an air bag is identiNed
by the AIRBAG (  page 52) symbol.
48Occupant safety

Risk due to installing accessories
Do not attach accessories such as mobile naviga-
tion devices, mobile phones or cup holders, within the deployment area of an air bag, e.g. on the
cockpit, on the door, on the side window or on the side trim.
In addition, no connecting cables, tensioning
straps or retaining straps must be routed or attached to the vehicle within the deployment
area of an air bag. Always comply with the acces- sory manufacturer\bs installation instructions and,
in particular, the notes on suitable places for installation.&WARNING Risk of injury or death due to
unsuitable protective covers
Unsuitable protective covers mean that air
bags can no longer protect vehicle occupants as they are designed to do.
Use only protective covers approved by
Mercedes-Benz for the seat in question.
In addition, the function of the automatic
passenger air bag deactivation may be restricted
by an unsuitable protective cover. If the front
passenger seat is occupied, ensure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps display thecorrect status of the front passenger air bag
(  page 41).
Risk due to pets in the vehicle interior&WARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to animals les unsecured or unattended in
the vehicle
If you leave animals in the vehicle unattended or unsecured, they could possibly press but-
tons or switches.
An animal may: = Activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
= Switch systems on or oM and endanger
other road users
Unsecured animals may be thrown around in
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud-
den steering and braking maneuvers and injure vehicle occupants in the process.
Never leave animals in the vehicle unat-
tended.Always correctly secure animals while
driving, e.g. using a suitable animal car-
rier.
Risk due to modiNcation, damage or wear to the
components of the restraint system
*NOTE Mercedes-AMG vehiclesObserve the notes in the Supplement.
You could otherwise fail to recognize
dangers.&WARNING Risk of injury or death due to
modiNcations to the restraint system
Vehicle occupants may no longer be protected
as intended if alterations are made to the
restraint system.
Never alter the parts of the restraint sys- tem.Occupant safety49

Never tamper with the wiring or any elec-
tronic component parts or their sos-
ware.If it is necessary to modify the vehicle to accom- modate a person with disabilities, contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for details.
USA only: for details, contact our Customer Assis-
tance Center on 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1!

The installation location of an air bag is identiNed
by the air bag symbol (  page 52).&WARNING Risk of injury due to malfunc-
tioning sensors in the door
The function of the airbags can be impaired
due to modiNcations or incorrect work per-
formed on the doors or door trim, or if the
doors are damaged.
Never modify the doors or parts of the
doors.Always have work on the doors or door
trim carried out at a qualiNed specialist
workshop.
Risk due to components of the restraint system that have already been deployed
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have the
vehicle towed to a qualiNed specialist workshop
aser an accident.
&WARNING Risk of burns from hot air bag
components
The air bag parts are hot aser an air bag has
been deployed.
Do not touch the air bag parts.Have a deployed air bag replaced at a
qualiNed specialist workshop as soon as
possible.&WARNING Risk of injury due to deployed
airbag
A deployed airbag no longer oMers any protec-
tion.
Have the vehicle towed to a qualiNed
specialist workshop in order to have the
deployed airbag replaced.Have deployed air bags replaced immediately.&WARNING Risk of injury or death from
deployed pyrotechnic Emergency Tension-
ing Devices
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices that have been deployed are no longer opera-
tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function.
Therefore, have deployed pyrotechnic
Emergency Tensioning Devices immedi-
ately replaced at a qualiNed specialist
workshop.
Seat belts
Releasing seat belts
Press the release button in the seat belt buckle and guide the seat belt back with the
seat belt tongue.Occupant safety51

*NOTE Damage caused by trapping the
seat belt
If an unused seat belt is not fully retracted, it
may become trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism.
Always ensure that an unused seat belt
is fully retracted.
Airbags
Overview of air bags
1Driver\bs knee bag2Driver\bs air bag3Front passenger air bag4Front passenger knee bag5Window curtain air bag6Side impact air bag
The installation location of an air bag is identiNed
by the AIRBAG symbol.
Observe the information under "Overview of
deployment situations!

Brief overview of most important points
Safely transporting children in the vehicle
Always observe the following when transporting
children:
= Never leave children unattended in the vehicle
(  page 55).
=
Secure children up to a height of (1.50 m) on
the respective seat (see illustration above) properly with a suitable and approved child
restraint system , and secure small children in
a rearward-facing child restraint system.
= Observe the child restraint system manufac-
turer\bs installation instructions.
Les/right rear seat (preferred seats)
Preferred securing system:®ISOFIX mounting bracketand¯Also secure Top Tether if present
(  page 63).
Alternative securing system:
vVehicle seat belt¯Additionally attach Top Tether if recom-
mended by the manufacturer of the child
restraint system (  page 63).Front passenger seat
Securing system:vVehicle seat belt
Be sure to observe:
= If the front passenger seat is occupied, ensure
that the status of the front passenger air bag is correct for the current situation
(  page 41).
(*) rearward-facing child restraint system only in
combination with automatic air bag shutoM
Center rear seat
Securing system:
vVehicle seat belt¯Additionally attach Top Tether if recom-
mended by the manufacturer of the child
restraint system (  page 63).Safely transporting children in the vehicle53

Important safety notes
Basic information
Be diligent
Bear in mind that negligence when securing a
child in the child restraint system may have seri-
ous consequences. Always be diligent in securing
a child carefully before every journey.
Never allow babies and children to travel sitting
on the lap of another vehicle occupant.
To improve protection for children younger than
12 years old or under 5 s (1.50 m) in height,
Mercedes-Benz recommends you observe the fol-
lowing information:
= Always secure the child in a child restraint sys-
tem suitable for this Mercedes-Benz vehicle.
= The child restraint system must be appropriate
to the age, weight and size of the child.
= The vehicle seat must be suitable for the child
restraint system to be installed:
Accident statistics show that children secured on
the rear seats are generally safer than children secured on the front seats. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install a
child restraint system on a rear seat.
The generic term child restraint system The generic term child restraint system is used in this Operator\bs Manual. A child restraint systemis, for example:
= a baby car seat
= a rearward-facing child seat
= a forward-facing child seat
= a child booster seat !