2008 Mercedes C-Class Owner's Manual - Page 54

Safety and Security Occupant safety Occupants, especially children, should always sit as upright as possible, properly use the seat belts and use an appropriately sized infant restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat recommended for the size and weight of the child. Children can be killed or seriously injured by an inflating air bag. Note the following important information when circumstances require you to place a child in the front passenger seat: Your vehicle is equipped with air bag technology designed to turn off the front passenger front air bag in your vehicle when the OCS senses the weight of a typical 12-month-old child or less along with the weight of a standard appropriate child restraint on the front passenger seat. A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the front passenger seat will be seriously injured or even killed if the front passenger front air bag inflates in a collision which could occur under some circumstances, even with the air bag technology installed in your vehicle. The only means to completely eliminate this risk is to never place a child in a rear-facing child restraint in the front seat. We therefore strongly recommend that you always place a child in a rear-facing child restraint in the back seat. If you must install a rear-facing child restraint on the front passenger seat because circumstances require you to do so, make sure the 5/ indicator lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front passenger front air bag is deactivated. Should the 5/ indicator lamp not illuminate or go out while the restraint is installed, please check installation. Periodically check the 5/ indicator lamp while driving to make sure the 5/ indicator lamp is illuminated. If the 5/ indicator lamp goes out or remains out, do not transport a child on the front passenger seat until the system has been repaired. A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the front passenger seat will be seriously injured or even killed if the front passenger front air bag inflates. If you have to place a child in a forward-facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, move the seat as far back as possible, use the proper child restraint recommended for the age, size and weight of the child, and secure child restraint with the vehicle's seat belt according to the child seat manufacturer's instructions. For children larger than the typical 12-month-old child, the front passenger front air bag may or may not be activated. 53