2007 Mercedes SL-Class Owner's Manual - Page 71

Safety and Security Occupant safety i Air bags are designed to activate only in cer- Safety guidelines for the seat belt, tain frontal impacts (front air bags, driver-side knee bag) and side impacts (head-thorax air bags) which exceed preset thresholds. Only during these events, will they provide their supplemental protection. The driver and passenger should always wear their seat belts. Otherwise it is not possible for the air bags to provide their intended supplemental protection. In case of other types of impacts and impacts below air bag deployment thresholds, air bags will not deploy. The driver and passenger will then be protected to the extent possible by a properly fastened seat belt. A properly fastened seat belt is also needed to provide the best possible protection in a rollover. We caution you not to rely on the presence of the air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt. It is important to your safety and that of your passenger that you replace deployed air bags and repair any malfunctioning air bags to make sure that the vehicle will continue to provide supplemental crash protection for occupants. emergency tensioning device and air bag 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 belts installed or supplied by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Air bags and pyrotechnic emergency tensioning devices (ETDs) are designed to function on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD that has deployed must be replaced. Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They could tear. Do not make any modification that could change the effectiveness of the belts. No modifications of any kind may be made to any components or wiring of the SRS. This includes changing or removing any component or part of the SRS, the installation of additional trim material, badges, etc. over the steering wheel hub, passenger front air bag cover, door frame trims, or door trim panels, and installation of additional electrical/electronic equipment on or near SRS components and wiring. Keep area between air bags and occupants free from objects (e.g. packages, purses, umbrellas, etc.). 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. Air bag system components will be hot after an air bag has inflated. Do not touch. 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. 70