MERCEDES-BENZ R350 2007 R171 Manual Online

80 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure all of your passengers
are properly restrained, even those sitting in
the rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passengers should
always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are properly wearing
your seat belt. Air bags can only protect as
they are designed if the occupants are prop-
erly wearing their seat belts.
Warning!G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and the
belt is properly positioned on the body.
Warning!G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Make
sure everyone riding in the vehicle is cor-
rectly restrained with a separate seat belt.
Never use a seat belt for more than one per-
son at a time.
Warning!G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced
and their anchoring points must also be
checked.
Only use seat belts which have been ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
of the ETDs or to failure.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

81 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY

Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.

Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver air bag, pas-
senger front air bag, side impact air
bags, head protection window curtain
air bags for side windows) and ETD (seat
belt emergency tensioning device), and
front seat knee bolsters. The system is
designed to enhance the protection of-
fered to properly belted occupants in
certain frontal (front air bags and ETD)
and side (side impact, window curtain
air bags and ETD) impacts which exceed
preset deployment thresholds and in
certain rollovers (window curtain air bags
and ETD).

Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a frontal crash, your body would
move too far forward. That would in-
crease the chance of head and neck in-
juries. The belt would also apply too
much force to the ribs or abdomen,
which could severely injure internal or-
gans such as your liver or spleen.

Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, SmartKeys, etc., as
these might cause injuries.

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
men. If the belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at time. Do not fasten a seat belt
around a person and another person or
other objects.

Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width
of the belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.

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.

Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.

When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.

82 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Enhanced seat belt reminder system
When the engine is started, the seat belt
telltale< will always illuminate
for 6 seconds to remind you and your
passengers to fasten your seat belts.
If the driver’s seat belt is not fastened
when the engine is started, an additional
warning chime will also sound for a maxi-
mum of 6 seconds or until the driver’s seat
belt is fastened.
If after these 6 seconds, the driver’s or the
front passenger’s seat belt (with the front
passenger seat occupied) are not fastened
with all doors closed,

the seat belt telltale< remains illu-
minated for as long as either the driv-
er’s or front passenger’s seat belt is not
fastened

and if the vehicle speed exceeds
15 mph (25 km/h), the seat belt
telltale< starts flashing and a
warning chime sounds with increasing
intensity for a maximum of 60 seconds
or until the driver’s and the front
passenger’s seat belt are fastened
If the driver’s or the front passenger’s
seat belt remains unfastened after
60 seconds, the the warning chime
stops sounding and the seat belt
telltale< stops flashing but
continues to be illuminated.
The seat belt telltale< will only go out
if both the driver’s and the front passen-
ger’s seat belt (with the front passenger
seat occupied) are fastened, or the vehicle
is standing still and a front door is opened.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 426).Emergency tensioning device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts for the front and rear seats
are equipped with emergency tensioning
devices and belt force limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the
following cases:

in frontal or rear-end impacts
exceeding the system deployment
threshold

in certain vehicle rollovers

if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see
1indicator lamp (
page 430)
iThe ETDs for the front seats will only acti-
vate if the respective front seat belt is fastened
(latch plate properly inserted into buckle).
The ETDs for the rear seats will activate with or
without the respective seat belt fastened.

83 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
In an impact, emergency tensioning
devices remove slack from the belts in
such a way that the seat belts fit more
snugly against the body. Belt force limiters,
when activated, are employed to help
reduce the peak force exerted by the seat
belts on occupants during a crash.Active head restraints
The active head restraints are intended to
offer the driver and front passenger
increased protection from whiplash type
injuries. In the event of a rear-end collision,
the active head restraints on the driver’s
and front passenger’s seats are designed
to move forward in the direction of travel,
providing the head with increased support
earlier on in the collision sequence. The
active head restraints move forward
whether the seat is occupied or not.
Warning!G
A pyrotechnic emergency tensioning device
(ETD) that was activated must be replaced.
When disposing of the pyrotechnic emer-
gency tensioning device, our safety instruc-
tions must be followed. These are available
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Warning!G
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model.
Using other seat or head restraint covers
may interfere with or prevent the activation
of the active head restraint. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for availability.
Do not attach any objects (e.g. hangers) to
the head restraints posts. Otherwise, the
active head restraints may not be able to
function properly or offer the intended
degree of protection in the event of an
accident.
Warning!G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that it is as close to
the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or similar situation.

84 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
You cannot remove the active head
restraint on the driver’s and front passen-
ger’s seats.
For removal of the active head restraints
we recommend that you contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
For information on head restraint adjust-
ment, see “Seats” (
page 43).
For information on resetting the activated
active head restraints, see “Resetting acti-
vated head restraints” (
page 482).
Rear head restraintsChildren in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:

Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and
size of the child.

Make sure the infant or child is proper-
ly secured at all times while the vehicle
is in motion.
Warning!G
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints installed when the rear seats
are occupied. Head restraints are intended
to help reduce injuries during an accident.
With a third-row seat occupied, make sure
to move the respective head restraint up
from the lowest non-use position and have
the occupant adjust the head restraint
properly.
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible and the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or similar situation.
Warning!G
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could

injure themselves on parts of the vehicle

be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or
cold

85 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infant and child restraint systems
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow child
restraint instructions for mounting. Then
pull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract. During seat belt retraction, a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is acti-
vated. The belt is now locked. Push down
on child restraint to take up any slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. To deacti-
vate the special seat belt retractor for the
front passenger seat, the front passenger
seat must be in the most backward posi-
tion. The seat belt can again be used in the
usual manner.The use of infant or child restraints is re-
quired by law in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia, the U.S. territories and all
Canadian provinces.Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
If children open a door, they could

injure other persons

get out of the car and injure themselves
or be injured by following traffic
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger or cargo compartment unless
they are firmly secured in place. For more in-
formation, please refer to the “Loading”
(
page 297) and “Useful features”
(
page 311) sections in the “Controls in
detail” chapter.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of:

strong braking maneuvers

sudden changes of direction

an accident
Warning!G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.
iFor information on child seats with mounting
fittings for tether anchorages, see “Installation
of infant and child restraint system”
(
page 95).
For information on LATCH type child seat
mounts, see “Child seat anchors – LATCH type”
(
page 93).

86 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infants and small children should be
seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system properly secured in
accordance with the manufacturer’s in-
structions for the child restraint, that
complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards 213 and 225 and
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
213 and 210.2.
A statement by the child restraint manu-
facturer of compliance with these stan-
dards can be found on the instruction label
on the restraint and in the instruction man-
ual provided with the restraint.
When using any infant or child restraint
system, make sure to carefully read and
follow all manufacturer’s instructions for
installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to inside of vehicle and to infant or
child restraints.
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors
and top tether strap, fully in accordance
with the child seat manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
Always sit nearly upright, properly use the
seat belts and use an appropriately sized in-
fant or toddler restraint or booster seat rec-
ommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:

Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the front
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the OCS senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropri-
ate child restraint on the front passen-
ger seat.

87 Safety and Security
Occupant safety

A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front pas-
senger front air bag inflates in a collision
which could occur under some circum-
stances, even with the air bag technolo-
gy installed in your vehicle. The only
means to completely eliminate this risk
is to never place a child in a rear-facing
child restraint in the front seat. We
therefore strongly recommend that you
always place a child in a rear-facing
child restraint in the back seat.
If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to
do so, make sure that the
59indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the front passen-
ger front air bag is deactivated. Should
the 59 indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. Peri-
odically check the 59 indi-
cator lamp while driving to make sure
the lamp is illuminated. If the
59indicator lamp goes out
or remains out, do not transport a child
on the front passenger seat until the
system has been repaired. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured
or even killed if the front passenger front
air bag inflates.
If you have to place a child in a
forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat, move the seat as
far back as possible, use the proper
child restraint recommended for the
age, size and weight of the child, and
secure child restraint with the vehicle’s
seat belt according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. For
children larger than the typical
12-month-old child, the front passenger
front air bag may or may not be
activated (
page 88).
Warning!G
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.


88 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Occupant Classification System
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
automatically turns the front passenger
front air bag on or off based on the classi-
fied occupant weight category determined
by weight sensor readings from the front
passenger seat.
Occupants must sit properly belted in a
nearly upright position with their back
against the seat backrest and feet on the
floor to be correctly classified. If the occu-
pant’s weight is transferred to another
object in the vehicle (e.g. by leaning on
armrests), the OCS may not be able to
properly approximate the occupant’s
weight category.Furthermore, the occupant weight may
appear to increase or decrease due to
objects hanging on the seat, other passen-
gers pushing on the seat, objects lodged
underneath the seat or stuffed between
seat and middle console or between seat
and door or due to objects applying pres-
sure on the back of the seat. Always make
sure the seat has clearance in all direc-
tions at all times.
Both, driver and the front passenger
should always use the 59 in-
dicator lamp as an indication of whether or
not the front passenger is properly posi-
tioned.Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion shoulder belt across chest and shoul-
der, not face or neck. A booster seat may be
necessary to achieve proper belt positioning
for children over 41 lbs until they reach a
height where a lap/shoulder belt fits proper-
ly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
move it from the vehicle or secure it with the
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an ac-
cident.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use
vehicle equipment and may cause an acci-
dent and/or serious personal injury.
iThe system does not deactivate the front
passenger side impact air bag, the window cur-
tain air bag, and the emergency tensioning de-
vice.
iIf your seat, including your trim cover and
cushion needs to be serviced in any way, take
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
Only seat accessories approved by
Mercedes-Benz may be used.


89 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!G
If the 59indicator lamp illumi-
nates when an adult or someone larger than
a small individual is in the front passenger
seat, have the front passenger reposition
himself or herself in the seat until the
59 indicator lamp goes out, or
check whether objects are caught under or
around the seat.
More information about air bag display
messages (
page 445).
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front passenger front air
bag deployment when the OCS classified
the front passenger seat occupant as being
up to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child re-
straint or if the front passenger seat is
sensed as being empty.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being up
to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint, the 59indicator
lamp will illuminate when the engine is
started and remain illuminated, indicating
that the front passenger front air bag is de-
activated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat is classified as being empty, the
59indicator lamp will illumi-
nate when the engine is started and remain
illuminated, indicating that the front passen-
ger front air bag is deactivated.When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being
heavier than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint or as being a small individual
(such as a young teenager or a small adult),
the 59 indicator lamp will illu-
minate for approximately 6 seconds when
the engine is started and then, depending on
occupant weight sensor readings from the
seat, remain illuminated or go out. With the
59 indicator lamp illuminated,
the front passenger front air bag is deacti-
vated. With the 59indicator
lamp out, the front passenger front air bag is
activated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as an adult or
someone larger than a small individual, the
59 indicator lamp will illumi-
nate for approximately 6 seconds when the
engine is started and then go out, indicating
that the front passenger front air bag is acti-
vated.