belt MERCEDES-BENZ B-Class 2017 W246 User Guide

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:
R 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
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 52) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" (Y page 45) G
WARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended protective function if:
R they are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleached or dyed
R the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
R 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 40).
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:
R the seat belt tongue is only inserted to the belt
buckle belonging to that seat.
R the seat belt is tight across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
R the seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces which occur be dis-
tributed over the area of the belt.
R 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.
R 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.
R 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.
R 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 of an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat belt.
R objects are never secured with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by one of the
vehicle's occupants.
Also ensure that there are never objects
between a person and the seat, e.g. cushions. Occupant safety
41Safety Z

Seat belts are only intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe the
"Loading guidelines" for securing objects, lug-
gage or loads (Y page 207).
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y
page 40 )and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Y page 41).
If the center rear seat belt is being used, also
observe the information about the seat belt for
the center rear seat (Y page 42).Basic illustration
X Adjust the seat (Y page 79).
The seat backrest must be in an almost ver-
tical position.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the belt out-
let.
X Engage seat belt tongue 0044in belt buckle 0043.
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
The shoulder section of the seat belt must
always be routed across the center of the shoul- der. Adjust the belt outlet if necessary.
X To raise: slide the belt outlet upwards.
The belt outlet will engage in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: hold belt outlet release 0087and slide
belt outlet downwards.
X Let go of belt outlet release 0087in the desired
position and make sure that the belt outlet
engages.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor to
securely fasten child restraint systems in the
vehicle. Further information can be found under "Special seat belt retractor" (Y page 53).Seat belt for the center rear seat If the left-hand rear seat backrest is folded down
and back up again, the rear center seat belt may lock. The seat belt can then not be pulled out.
X To release the rear center seat belt: pull
the seat belt out approximately 1 in (25 mm)
at the belt outlet on the backrest and then
release it again.
The seat belt is retracted and released.
Releasing seat belts !
Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled up.
Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue will be
trapped in the door or in the seat mechanism. This could damage the door, the door trim
panel and the seat belt. Damaged seat belts
can no longer fulfill their protective function
and must be replaced. Visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X Press the release button in the belt buckle,
hold the belt tongue firmly and guide the belt
back.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger The
0076 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle occu- pants must wear their seat belts. It may light up
continuously or flash. In addition, there may be
a warning tone.
Regardless of whether the driver's seat belt has
already been fastened, the 0076seat belt warn-
ing lamp lights up for six seconds each time the
drive system is started. If the front doors are
closed and the driver or front-passenger seat
belt has not been fastened, the 0076seat belt
warning lamp lights up again after the
six seconds. As soon as the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are fastened or a front door is opened again, the 0076seat belt warning
lamp goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after the drive system is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. The warning tone switches off
after six seconds or once the driver's seat belt is
fastened.
If the vehicle's speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h) once and the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are not fastened, a warning
tone sounds. A warning tone also sounds with 42
Occupant safetySafety

increasing intensity for 60 seconds or until the
driver or front passenger have fastened their
seat belts.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belts during the journey, the seat belt warn- ing is activated again. Air bags
Introduction The installation point of an air bag can be rec-
ognized by the AIR BAG symbol.
An air bag complements the correctly fastened
seat belt. It is no substitute for the seat belt. The
air bag provides additional protection in appli-
cable accident situations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident. The
different air bag systems function independ-
ently from one another (Y page 50).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at
which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
R have fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
R are sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags
R follow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants.
R Adjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in an almost upright position. The center of the head restraint must support the head at
about eye level.
R Move the driver's and front-passenger seats
as far back as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely.
R Only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the air bag to be fully deployed.
R Always lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against the
door or side window. You may otherwise be in
the deployment area of the air bags.
R Always keep your feet in the footwell in front
of the seat. Do not put your feet on the dash-
board, for example. Your feet may otherwise
be in the deployment area of the air bag.
R For this reason, always secure persons less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable restraint sys-
tems. Up to this height, the seat belt cannot
be worn correctly.
If a child is traveling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
R Always secure children under twelve years of
age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m)tall in suitable
child restraint systems.
R Child restraint systems should be installed on
the rear seats.
R Only secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
when the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is permanently lit, the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated
(Y page 39).
R Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification System (OCS)" (Y page 45) and on "Children in the
vehicle" (Y page 52)in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
and operating instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may prevent
an air bag from functioning correctly. Before
starting your journey and to avoid risks resulting from the speed of the air bag as it deploys, make
sure that:
R there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air
bag.
R there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
R no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks. Occupant safety
43Safety Z

Side impact air bags
G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers can obstruct or pre-
vent deployment of the air bags integrated
into the seats. Consequently, the air bags
cannot protect vehicle occupants as they are designed to do. In addition, the operation of
the occupant classification system (OCS)
could be adversely affected. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. Front side impact air bags
0043and rear side
impact air bags 0044deploy next to the outer bol-
ster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additional thorax protection. It also offers addi-
tional pelvis protection for occupants in the
front seats. However, it does not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms
In the event of a side impact, the side impact air bag is deployed on the side on which the impactoccurs.
The side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side deploys under the following conditions:
R the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
R the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in the
belt buckle of the front-passenger seat
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt buckle,
the side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side deploys if an appropriate accident situation
occurs. In this case, deployment is independent of whether the front-passenger seat is occupied
or not.
Window curtain air bags Window curtain air bags
0043are integrated into
the side of the roof frame and deployed in the
area from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the window curtain air bag
enhances the level of protection for the head.
However, it does not protect the chest or arms.
In the event of a side impact, the window curtain
air bag is deployed on the side on which the
impact occurs.
If the system determines that they can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt, a window curtain air bag may be
deployed in other accident situations
(Y page 50). Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Introduction The Occupant Classification System (OCS) cat-
egorizes the person in the front-passenger seat.
Depending on that result, the front-passenger
front air bag is either enabled or deactivated.
The system does not deactivate:
R the side impact air bag
R the window curtain air bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices Occupant safety
45Safety Z

Requirements
To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit:
R with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with their back
against the seat backrest
R with their feet resting on the floor, if possible
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, OCS may produce a false classifica- tion, e.g. because the front passenger:
R transfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that their weight is raised
from the seat cushion
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat, be
sure to observe the correct positioning of the
child restraint system. Never place objects
under or behind the child restraint system, e.g. a
cushion. The entire base of the child restraint
system must always rest on the seat cushion of
the front-passenger seat. The backrest of the
forward-facing child restraint system must lie as flat as possible against the backrest of the front-
passenger seat.
The child restraint system must not touch the
roof or be subjected to a load by the head
restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat backrest
and the head restraint position accordingly.
Only then can OCS be guaranteed to function
correctly. Always observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Operation of Occupant Classification
System (OCS) 0043
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
0044 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated or
enabled.
X Press the Start/Stop button once or twice, or
turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock.
The system carries out self-diagnostics.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON indicator lamps must light up simul- taneously for approximately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for 60 sec-
onds, subsequently both indicator lamps are
off (PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF): the
front-passenger front air bag is able to deploy in the event of an accident.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated. It will
then not be deployed in the event of an acci-
dent.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is
off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front air bag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
If the status of the front-passenger front air bag
changes while the vehicle is in motion, an air bag display message appears in the instrument clus-
ter (Y page 176). When the front-passenger
seat is occupied, always pay attention to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp. Be
aware of the status of the front-passenger front air bag both before and during the journey. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It will not be deployed in the event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the person is sitting too close to the
dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front- 46
Occupant safetySafety

passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
R the person is seated correctly.
Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front air bag is correct. G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, the front-passenger front air bag
may deploy in the event of an accident. The
child could be struck by the air bag. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
stays off, do not install a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
You can find more information on OCS under
"Problems with the Occupant Classification Sys-
tem" (Y page 49). G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
R come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
R be struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible and fully retract the seat
cushion length. Always make sure that the
shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from
the vehicle belt sash guide to the shoulder belt guide on the child restraint system. The
shoulder belt strap must be routed forwards
and downwards from the vehicle belt sash
guide. If necessary, adjust the vehicle belt
sash guide and the front-passenger seat
accordingly. Always observe the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions.
If OCS determines that:
R the front-passenger seat is unoccupied, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child of up to twelve months old, in a standard
child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front air bag is deactivated.
But even in the case of a twelve-month-old
child, in a standard child restraint system, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp can
go out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front air bag is activated. The result of the classification is
dependent on, among other factors, the child
restraint system and the child's stature. It is
recommended that you install the child
restraint system on a suitable rear seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a per-
son of smaller stature (e.g. a teenager or
small adult), the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification or, alternatively, goes out.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, move the front-passenger seat
as far back as possible. Alternatively, a per-
son of smaller stature can sit on a rear seat.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person of smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person of adult stature, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
goes out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front air bag is
activated. Occupant safety
47Safety Z

If children are traveling in the vehicle, be sure to
observe the notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 52).
When the occupant classification system (OCS)
is malfunctioning, the red 0075restraint system
warning lamp in the instrument cluster and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp light
up simultaneously. The front-passenger front air
bag is deactivated in this case and does not
deploy during an accident. Have the Occupant
Classification System (OCS) checked and
repaired immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for this purpose.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the seat cushion are damaged, have the necessary
repair work carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for this purpose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat accessories that
have been approved by Mercedes-Benz.
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag will also deploy. The Occupant Classification Sys-
tem (OCS) categorizes the occupant in the front-
passenger seat. Depending on that result, the
front-passenger front air bag is either enabled or
deactivated.
System self-test G
DANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front air bag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may notbe used. Do not install a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS) checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It willnot be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front air bag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when a person is seated in the front- passenger seat.
That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sitting too close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
R the person is seated properly with a cor-
rectly fastened seatbelt
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
as far back as possible
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not, the front- passenger seat may not be used. Do not
install a child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) checked and repaired
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop. G
WARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect OCS oper- ation. This could result in the front-passengerair bag not functioning as intended during an
accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any objects between the seat
surface and the child restraint system. The
entire base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the forward- 48
Occupant safetySafety

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up and remains lit,
even though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or a per-
son of a stature corre-
sponding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is incor-
rect.
X Make sure the conditions for a correct classification of the person
on the front-passenger seat are met (Y page 46).
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front-
passenger seat may not be used.
X Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up and/or
does not stay on.
The front-passenger seatis:
R unoccupied
R occupied with the
weight of a child up to
twelve months old in achild restraint system OCS is malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the child
seat.
X Make sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests on
the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat. The backrest of the
forward-facing child restraint system must lie as flat as possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger seat. If necessary,
adjust the position of the front-passenger seat.
X Make sure that the seat cushion length is fully retracted.
X When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the seat
belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight using the front-passenger seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and the child
restraint system being pulled too tightly.
X Check for correct installation of the child restraint system.
Make sure that the head restraint does not apply a load to the child
restraint system. If necessary, adjust the head restraint accord-
ingly.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight onto the
seat.
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/or
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat. It is recom-
mended that you install the child restraint system on a suitable rear
seat.
X Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deployed air bag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G
WARNING
A deployed air bag no longer offers any pro-
tection and cannot provide the intended pro-
tection in an accident. There is an increased
risk of injury.
Have the vehicle towed to a qualified special- ist workshop in order to have a deployed air
bag replaced.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passenger to have deployed air bags replaced 50
Occupant safetySafety

and to have any malfunctioning air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air bags
continue to perform their protective function for the vehicle occupants in the event of a crash. G
WARNING
Emergency Tensioning Devices that have
deployed pyrotechnically are no longer opera- tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Have pyrotechnically triggered Emergency
Tensioning Devices replaced immediately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered
or air bags are deployed, you will hear a bang,
and a small amount of powder may also be
released. The 0075restraint system warning
lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder that is released generally does
not constitute a health hazard, but it may cause
short-term breathing difficulties in people with
asthma or other respiratory problems. Provided it is safe to do so, you should leave the vehicle
immediately or open the window in order to pre- vent breathing difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate material,
which may require special handling and regard
for the environment. National guidelines must
be observed during disposal. In California, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm .
Method of operation During the first stage of a collision, the restraint
system control unit evaluates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices during a frontal or
rear collision. An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the components of the restraint system are
operational. You can find further information
under: "Restraint system warning lamp"
(Y page 39)
R the seat belt buckle tongue has engaged in
the belt buckle of the respective front seat
The Emergency Tensioning Devices in the rear
compartment are triggered independently of the lock status of the seat belts.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activated independ-
ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations:
R Front air bags and driver's knee bag
R Window curtain air bag, if the system deter-
mines that deployment can offer additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt
The front-passenger front air bag is activated or deactivated depending on the person on the
front-passenger seat. The front-passenger front air bag can only deploy in an accident if the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps (Y page 39).
Your vehicle has two-stage front air bags. During
the first deployment stage, the front air bag is
filled with propellant gas to reduce the risk of
injuries. The front air bag is fully deployed with
the maximum amount of propellant gas if a sec- ond deployment threshold is reached within a
few milliseconds.
The activation threshold of the Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and the air bag are determined by evaluating the rate of vehicle deceleration or
acceleration which occurs at various points in
the vehicle. This process is pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment should take place in good
time at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the collision
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehicle
R 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 deci- Occupant safety
51Safety Z

sive role in the deployment of an air bag. Nor do
they provide an indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably, with-
out an air bag being deployed. This is the case if only parts which are relatively easily deformed
are affected and the rate of deceleration is not
high. Conversely, air bags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side
impact, the relevant restraint system compo-
nents are deployed independently of each other.
R Side impact air bags on the side where the
impact takes place, independently of the
Emergency Tensioning Device and the use of the seat belt on the driver's seat and outer
seats in the second row
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side deploys under the following
conditions:
- the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
- the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in
the belt buckle of the front-passenger seat
R Window curtain air bag on the side of impact,
independently of the use of the seat belt and
independently of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied
R Emergency Tensioning Devices, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection in this situation
i Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems work independ- ently of each other.
How the air bag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration and the apparent type of accident:
R Frontal collision
R Side impact Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on the
type and severity of the impact:
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R the drive system and the high-voltage electri-
cal system are switched off
R vehicles with mbrace: automatic emergency
call Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install a child restraint system on a rear seat. Children
are generally better protected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m)in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint system must be appropri-
ate to the age, weight and size of the child
R be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions
R be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" (Y page 45) G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment. 52
Children in the vehicleSafety