Some components of safety systems, being an integral part of the vehicle design, do not require additional attention from the vehicle owner. These include a strong steel frame that forms the structure of the cabin, inside which the passenger compartment is located; front and rear crumple zones that absorb impact energy in the event of a collision, as well as automatic seat belt tensioners (additional equipment), which automatically remove slack from the belts in the event of an impact.
Passive safety elements
Seat belts
To ensure the safety of the driver and passengers, all vehicle seats are equipped with seat belts.
The instrument cluster of some models is equipped with a special indicator lamp that reminds the driver and passengers to fasten their seat belts (see Section Instrument cluster, gauges and control lamps and indicator lights).
Position of seats and their backs
The design of the car seats guarantees maximum comfort for the person sitting in them, while simultaneously providing conditions for the most effective performance of their functions by the seat belts and airbags. Soft padding of the cushions and backrests provides additional protection for the occupant in emergency situations.
The choice of seat position also affects the safety of the occupant. For example, if the seat is too close to the steering wheel/dashboard, the risk of injury to the occupant when the airbag deploys increases, as does the risk of being thrown through the windshield in a frontal collision.
Increasing the angle of the seat back will worsen the fixation of the body by the seat belt - the more the seat back is tilted back, the higher the probability of the occupant's body sliding under the lap section of the belt in the event of a strong frontal impact, and the more severe the injuries may be.
Lock the front seat in the most retractable position (convenient for driving a vehicle) from the steering wheel/dashboard position, bring the backrest to a vertical position.
Headrests
Head restraints prevent injury to the cervical spine and head in the event of a rear impact. The height of the head restraint should be adjusted so that its upper edge is level with the upper edge of the occupant's ear (see Section Rules for the use of passive safety equipment for drivers and passengers).
Active safety features
Active safety elements include elements of the SRS system (see Section Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)).
(Original source of information mercedesman)