2011 Mercedes E-Class Owner's Manual - Page 59

Occupant safety If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after the engine is started, an additional warning tone will sound. The warning tone goes out after approximately six seconds or once the driver's seat belt is fastened. If, after six seconds, the driver or frontpassenger have not fastened their seat belts and the doors are closed: Rthe 57 Emergency Tensioning Devices and seat belt force limiters The seat belts are equipped with ETDs and belt force limiters. 7 seat belt warning lamp remains illuminated as long as either the driver's or front-passenger seat belt is not fastened. Rif the vehicle speed exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h), the 7 seat belt warning lamp lights up. Additionally, a warning tone will sound with increasing intensity for a maximum of 60 seconds or until the driver's and front-passenger seat belt are fastened. If the driver/front passenger unfasten their seat belt while the vehicle is in motion, the 7 seat belt warning lamp lights up and a warning tone sounds again. The warning tone ceases even if the driver or front passenger have still not fastened their seat belt after 60 seconds. The 7 seat belt warning lamp stops flashing but remains illuminated. After the vehicle comes to a standstill, the warning tone is reactivated and the 7 seat belt warning lamp flashes again if the vehicle speed again exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h) . The 7 seat belt warning lamp only goes out if: Rboth the driver and the front passenger have fastened their seat belts. or Rthe vehicle is stationary and a door is open. i For more information on the 7 seat belt warning lamp, see "Indicator and warning lamps in the instrument cluster, seat belt" (Y page 241). ! If the front-passenger seat is not occupied, do not engage the seat belt tongue in the buckle on the frontpassenger seat. Otherwise, the Emergency Tensioning Device could be triggered in the event of an accident. The ETDs tighten the seat belts in an accident, pulling them close against the body. ETDs do not correct incorrect seat positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts. ETDs do not pull vehicle occupants back towards the backrest. Seat belt force limiters, when activated, are employed to help reduce the force exerted by the seat belts on occupants during a crash. The front belt force limiters are synchronized with the front air bags, which take on a part of the deceleration force. Thus, the force exerted on the occupant is distributed over a greater area. The ETDs can only be activated if: Rthe ignition is switched on. Rthe restraint systems are operational; see "SRS warning lamp" (Y page 34). Rthe belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on each of the lap-shoulder belts in the front. Rthe front-passenger seat is occupied and the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on the front-passenger side. The ETDs on the seats in the rear compartment are triggered independently of the lock status of the seat belts. The ETDs are triggered depending on the type and severity of an accident: Rin the event of a head-on or rear-end collision if the vehicle decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a longitudinal Z Safety