2005 Mercedes E-Class Owner's Manual - Page 71

Safety and Security Occupant safety Warning! G Warning! USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY 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 approved by Mercedes-Benz. Do not make any modifications to the seat belts. This can lead to unintended activation 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 Center. Seat belts can only work when used properly. Never wear seat belts in any other way than as described in this section, as that could result in serious injuries 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, including rollovers. The integrated restraint system includes SRS (driver air bag, passenger front air bag, side impact air bags, head protection window curtain air bags for side windows), ETD (seat belt emergency tensioning device), and front seat knee bolsters. The system is designed to enhance the protection offered to properly belted occupants in certain frontal (front air bags and ETD) and side (side impact and 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 shoulder. In a frontal crash, your body would move too far forward. That would increase the chance of head and neck injuries. The belt would also apply too much force to the ribs or abdomen, which could severely injure internal organs such as your liver or spleen. 69