2008 Mercedes C-Class Owner's Manual - Page 48

Safety and Security Occupant safety Warning! G Warning! G Warning! USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY G 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. Damaged seat belts or seat 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 of the ETDs 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, front side impact air bags, rear side impact air bags*, window curtain air bags for side windows), ETD (seat belt emergency tensioning device with seat belt force limiters), 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 (front side impact air bags, rear side impact air bags*, window curtain air bags and ETD) 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. 47