2008 Mercedes C-Class Owner's Manual - Page 106

Controls in detail Fastening the seat belts Fastening the seat belts Warning! G Warning! G Warning! G Always fasten your seat belt before driving off. Always make sure all of your passengers are properly restrained. 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 wearing your seat belt. The air bags can only provide the protection they were designed to afford if the occupants are using their seat belts ( page 36). According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating 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 appropriately sized infant restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat recommended for the size and weight of the child. A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is significantly increased if the child restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle and the child is not properly secured in the child restraint. Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are seat belts available. Be 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. Warning! G For additional information on children in the vehicle, see "Children in the vehicle" ( page 51). 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 seat 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 seat belt is properly positioned on the body. 105