incorrectly fastened seat belt can also cause
injuries, for example, in the event of an acci-
dent or when braking or changing direction
abruptly. This poses an increased risk of injury
or even fatal injury.
For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable additional restraint
systems.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
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always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cle. The child restraint system must be appro-
priate to the age, weight and size of the child
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always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the belt bags for the outer seat belts
in the rear (
Y
page 46)
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always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(
Y
page 59) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions
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be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" (
Y
page 51)
G
WARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended
protective function if:
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they are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleached or dyed
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the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
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the Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied.
Seat belts may be damaged in an accident,
although the damage may not be visible, e.g.
due to splinters of glass. Modified or damaged
seat belts may tear or fail, e.g. in an accident.
Modified Emergency Tensioning Devices
could accidentally trigger or fail to deploy
when necessary. This poses an increased risk
of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages and inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Only use seat belts that have been approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Proper use of the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Y
page 44).
All vehicle occupants must be wearing the seat
belt correctly before beginning the journey. Also
make sure that all vehicle occupants are always
wearing the seat belt correctly while the vehicle
is in motion.
When fastening the seat belt, always make sure
that:
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the seat belt tongue is only inserted to the belt
buckle belonging to that seat.
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the seat belt is tight across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
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the seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces which occur be dis-
tributed over the area of the belt.
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the shoulder section of the belt is always
routed across the center of your shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt must not
come into contact with your neck or be routed
under your arm. Where possible, adjust the
seat belt to the appropriate height.
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the lap belt passes tightly and as low down as
possible across your lap.
The lap belt must always be routed across
your hip joints and not across your abdomen.
This applies particularly to pregnant women.
If necessary, push the lap belt down to your
hip joint and pull it tight using the shoulder
section of the belt.
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the seat belt is not routed across sharp, poin-
ted or fragile objects.
If you have such items located on or in your
clothing, e.g. pens, keys or eyeglasses, store
these in a suitable place.
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only one person is using a seat belt at a time.
Infants and children must never travel sitting
on the lap of a vehicle occupant. In the event
Occupant safety
45
Safet
y
Z
