General information
The following instructions will guide the reader on how to ensure maximum protection for all occupants of the vehicle.
Doors
After the driver and all passengers have taken their seats in the cabin, make sure that all vehicle doors are tightly closed.
On some models, a special warning lamp is provided, which lights up when one or more car doors are not closed tightly.
Front seats
A driver sitting too close to the instrument panel is at increased risk of injury, including serious injury or death from hitting the steering wheel or deploying an airbag in the event of an accident.
To avoid the risk of injury, fasten your seat belt properly, return the seat back to the upright position (tilt no more than 30°) and firmly press your back against it, while moving the seat as far as possible from the steering wheel.
Of course, the driver must provide himself with a good overview and the ability to conveniently manipulate all the controls of the car. Make sure the front passenger seat is also as far away from the instrument panel as possible.
Warning! Positioning the driver's and front passenger's seats too close to the steering wheel/instrument panel in the event of an accident can result in serious injury or even death!
Try to always position the front seats as far away from the frontal airbag modules as possible.
The vast majority of drivers (even short stature) can move the driver's seat as far as possible from the steering wheel, while freely reaching the pedals. However, if you are concerned about the position of the driver's seat being too close to the steering wheel, the compilers of this Guide recommend paying attention to the existence of certain types of auxiliary equipment - comprehensive information on this issue can be obtained at Mercedes-Benz branded service stations.
After making sure that the seat is in the correct position, check the security of its fixation.
Adjust the backrest of the driver's seat, bringing it to the most convenient position for your physique, as close as possible to the vertical position, while leaving sufficient space between the chest and the steering wheel hub with a built-in airbag. Be aware that placing the driver/front passenger too close to the instrument panel greatly increases the risk of injury when front airbags deploy.
If the seatback is tilted too far, the shoulder section of the seat belt will not be pressed against the chest, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of its protective functions. The more the seat back is tilted back, the more likely the occupant's body will slip under the waist section in a severe frontal impact, and the more severe the injuries can be. Instructions for adjusting the seat backs are given in Section Seat adjustment.
Headrests
Before driving, make sure that the position of the head restraints on each of the seats meets the necessary requirements, providing adequate protection of the cervical spine and the head of the occupant in a rear impact.
The head restraint must be adjusted in height so that its central part is flush with the back of the head. If this cannot be achieved, the head restraint should be set to its highest position.
Warning! Improperly positioned head restraints reduce the effectiveness of their protective functions and increase the risk of serious injury in an accident! Head restraint adjustment instructions are given in Section Seat adjustment)
Seat belts
General information
All people in the car while driving must wear seat belts.
The belts of the front and adjustable rear seats have a diagonal lap (three anchor) construction. A special adjustment device for a comfortable fit of the three anchor belts automatically reduces their tension in positions 1 and 2 of the ignition key.
The center seat of the rear seat is equipped with a double anchor lap belt design with a return device.
The front seat belts are equipped with automatic emergency tensioners. The procedure for using such belts is similar to the procedure for using belts of conventional design. The principle of operation of emergency tensioners is discussed in more detail in Section Additional security system (SRS)).
The use of one seat belt for fastening more than one person is not allowed.
The two-anchor belt and the waist section of the three-anchor belt should be located at the level of the hips, covering the hip joint of the seated person, as the most durable element of the skeleton.
The shoulder section of the harness must not be passed under the arm or over the neck of the seated person.
Make sure the belt is not twisted.
Remember that the maximum effectiveness of the seat belt is achieved in the upright position of the seatback. Excessive tilt of the backrest increases the likelihood of the occupant slipping in the event of an impact.
The seat belts of the diagonal-waist design have three anchor points, one of which is equipped with an inertial return device with automatic jerk locking. Belts of this type do not need to be adjusted in length.
When installing a special child seat, the seat belt must be set to permanent lock by pulling it completely out of the retractor. While holding it out, secure it to the child seat following the child seat manufacturer's instructions. Once the buckle is engaged, the excess length of the strap will wrap around the retractor drum and lock into place, securing the child seat securely.
To return the belt to normal operation, remove the child safety seat and allow the return device to wind the belt onto its inertia drum.
Rules for using seat belts
Slowly pull the belt out of the retractor, slung it over your shoulder and snap the belt buckle buckle into the buckle, then pull up on the shoulder section strap, checking that the buckle is secure in the buckle. Make sure the strap is not twisted - a twisted strap is dangerous in itself.
Lower the lap section of the belt as far as possible, placing it as low as possible on the hips.
By pulling on the shoulder section, take up the slack and try to get the belt snug against the body - if necessary, tighten the belt accordingly. The strap should pass diagonally across the ribcage of the seated person in such a way that the load on impact falls mainly on the strongest upper torso.
Warning! Failure to wear seat belts can result in serious injury in the event of an accident!
The driver of the vehicle, having fastened his seat belt, must check that all passengers are also properly fastened.
The correct position of the lap section of the belt will provide the safest repayment of the inertia of the body in the event of an accident, holding it by the strong bones of the hip joint.
Warning! In no case do not pass the shoulder section of the belt at hand and do not wind it behind your back - this can be fraught with the most serious consequences in an accident!
A malfunctioning seat belt will not provide adequate protection to the driver/passenger in the event of an accident. Improper use of seat belts entails a serious risk of injury, damage and even death. If you are not sure that the adjustments are correct, have a Mercedes-Benz Dealership how to check the function of the seat belts.
To unfasten the belt, press the red button labeled PRESS, which is located on the body of the buckle lock. When winding the belt with the return device drum, hold it by the buckle bracket. After getting out of the car, make sure that the belt does not get into the door opening and is not caught when the latter is slammed.
See below for more information on seat belts in your vehicle.
Additional information on seat belts
Attention! Diagonal waist (three anchor) safety belt
Belts of a diagonal-waist design are equipped with an inertial-type return device, the drum of which automatically selects the slack in the straps and constantly maintains a slight pre-tension of the belt pressed against the body. Inertial belts practically do not restrict the movements of the person fastened by them and allow him to easily change the position on the seat. In the event of a traffic accident or sudden braking of the car, the return device automatically locks the seat belt, ensuring that the body is fixed from dangerous movements.
The diagonal lap seat belts of the rear seats used on the considered car models are equipped with additional latches, which provide the possibility of reliable fastening of special child seats. More detailed information on this subject can be obtained from authorized workshops of Mercedes-Benz.
With a sharp pull of the shoulder section of the belt, the locking mechanism of the return device is activated. The drum blocks the belt, eliminating the possibility of dangerous movement of the passenger.
A special adjustment device for a comfortable fit of the three anchor belts automatically reduces their tension in positions 1 and 2 of the ignition key.
Additional Recommendations
Do not attach any pads or other objects to the seat belt straps. Attaching attachments or changing the position of the shoulder section can reduce the effectiveness of the seat belts and increase the chance of injury in a crash.
Do not place hard or sharp objects between your body and the front airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp objects on your knees, or driving with a smoking pipe or other sharp objects in your mouth in an accident can result in serious injury.
In order to prevent the risk of unauthorized deployment of front airbags, try not to press your hands to the locations of their modules on the instrument panel and steering wheel hub.
Automatic emergency belt tensioners
See Section Additional security system (SRS).
Steering column
The steering column must be adjusted so that the steering wheel is against the driver's chest.
The position in which the steering wheel hub is opposite the driver's face is incorrect, since it reduces the protective functions of the front airbag mounted in it. A description of the procedure for adjusting the position of the steering wheel is given in Section Steering wheel adjustment.
Landing on the seat
General recommendations
After the driver and all passengers have taken their seats in the car, adjusted their seats and put on their seat belts, they should put their body in the correct position, pressing their backs firmly against the seat back and placing their feet firmly on the floor of the cabin. Feet should not come off the floor until the car comes to a complete stop and the engine is turned off.
Poor seating while driving increases the risk of injury in a crash. For example, if passengers are crouched, lying down, turning sideways, leaning forward or sideways, or climbing into the seat with their feet, the risk of serious injury as a result of an accident increases significantly.
In addition, front passengers sitting in the wrong seating position can be seriously injured by the interior trim parts breaking as a result of a crash or by the front airbag deploying.
In a vehicle equipped with side/head airbags, if the front passenger's head is tilted to the side while driving and is in the airbag deployment area, the risk of serious injury or injury in an accident is greatly increased.
Try to maintain the correct seating position throughout the ride, keeping your back firmly pressed against the seat back and placing your feet on the floor. Remember that upright seating and the proper use of seat belts increase the effectiveness of all safety features that the car is equipped with.
Recommendations for pregnant women
Ensuring the safety of a pregnant woman is the best way to save the fetus in the event of an accident, so when driving a car (as driver or passenger) a pregnant woman must wear a seat belt without fail, paying special attention to the correct placement of its sections relative to her body.
When using belts with a diagonal-waist design, remember that the lap section of the belt should be located as low as possible on the hips and in no case be placed on the stomach.
A pregnant woman should also occupy an upright position on the seat. At the same time, the front seat should be moved as far as possible from the instrument panel, which will reduce the risk of injury and injury not only for the mother, but also for the fetus in the event of a traffic accident or deployment of the front airbag.
At each visit to the supervising doctor, consult whether it is desirable for you to drive a car.
Transportation of children
To ensure the safety of transporting young and middle-aged children, special child seats and restraints should be used, detailed instructions for placement and installation of which will be offered to you at the place of purchase of the product. If necessary, seek advice from authorized Mercedes-Benz workshops.
Always place your child in the BACK seat of the vehicle and secure it properly using a child seat or seat belt. Deployment of airbags in a collision can cause serious injury or even death to a child, especially if the child is not secured or is not properly secured. Because children are smaller and weaker than adults, they are at greater risk of injury when airbags deploy. Attach ALL child restraint devices to the REAR seat only.
Attention! A rear facing child seat must only be placed in the rear seat of the vehicle!
According to accident statistics, the rear seat is safer for children than the front.