Mercedes-Benz 2003 C-Class Wagon, Operator'S Manual

Page: 58 / 370

64
Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Emergency tensioning device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts for the front and rear outer
seats are equipped with emergency ten-
sioning devices and belt force limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the fol-
lowing cases when the seat belts are fas-
tened:
앫
in frontal or rear-end impacts exceed-
ing a preset severity level
앫
if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see
1
indicator lamp (
컄
page 56)
In an impact, emergency tensioning devic-
es remove slack from the belts in such a
way that the seat belts fit more snugly
against the body. Belt force limiters reduce
the force exerted by the seat belts on oc-
cupants during a crash.
앫
Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat
belt around a person and another per-
son or other objects.
앫
Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you wouldn’t have the full width
of the belt to manage impact forces. The
twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.
앫
Pregnant women should also use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.
앫
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both
feet on the floor in front of the seat.
Warning!
G
An emergency tensioning device (ETD) that
was activated must be replaced.
When scrapping the emergency tensioning
device, our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These are available at your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
Do not place objects heavier than
20 lbs (9 kg) on the front passenger
seat. This could cause the front or side
impact airbag on the front passenger
side to deploy in a crash which exceeds
the system’s deployment threshold.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 64 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM