Mercedes-Benz 2013 CLA, Owner'S Manual

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The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen-
tially determined by:
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the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
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the collision angle
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the deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
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the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an airbag,
nor do they provide an indication of airbag
deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly,
e.g. the bonnet or the wing, without an airbag
being deployed. This is the case if only parts
which are relatively easily deformed are affec-
ted and the rate of deceleration is not high.
Conversely, airbags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor defor-
mation. This is the case if, for example, very
rigid vehicle parts such as longitudinal body
members are hit, and sufficient deceleration
occurs as a result.
i The front belt tensioners can only be trig-
gered if the seat belt tongues on the front
seats are correctly engaged in the seat belt
buckles.
i Not all airbags are deployed in an acci-
dent. The different airbag systems work
independently of each other.
How the airbag system works is deter-
mined by predicting the severity of the acci-
dent, especially vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, and the type of accident:
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head-on collision
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side impact
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overturn
Airbags
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat belts.
Observe the following notes to reduce the risk
of serious or even fatal injury caused by airbag
deployment:
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all vehicle occupants – in particular, preg-
nant women – must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back against
the backrest, which should be positioned
as close to the vertical as possible. The
head restraint must support the back of the
head at about eye level.
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always secure children less than
1.50 m tall or under 12 years of age in suit-
able child restraint systems.
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all vehicle occupants must select a seat
position that is as far away from the airbag
as possible. The driver's seat position must
allow the vehicle to be driven safely. The
driver's chest should be as far away from
the centre of the driver's airbag cover as
possible.
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move the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible. This is especially important if
you have secured a child in a child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
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vehicle occupants – in particular, children
– must not lean their head into the area of
the window in which the sidebag/window-
bag is deployed.
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rearward-facing child restraint systems
must not be fitted to the front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger airbag has
been disabled. On the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger airbag is disabled
if a child restraint system with a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recognition
is fitted to the front-passenger seat in a
vehicle equipped with automatic child seat
recognition. The
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PASSENGER AIRBAG
42
Occupant safety
Safety