2006 Mercedes R-Class Owner's Manual - Page 79

Safety and Security Occupant safety Always wear your seat belt. All vehicle occupants always need to have their seat belts fastened and wear them properly. In addition, applicable motor vehicle safety laws require you to wear seat belts. Even where this is not the case, we strongly recommend that all vehicle occupants have their seat belts fastened and wear them properly. For more information, see "Fastening the seat belts" ( page 50). Warning! G 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 position 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 properly wearing their seat belts. i For information on infants and children traveling with you in the vehicle and restraint systems for infants and children, see "Children in the vehicle" ( page 82). 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 abdomen 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 correctly restrained with a separate seat belt. Never use a seat belt for more than one person at a time. 78