Driving; Fastening The Seat Belts - Mercedes-Benz 2003 S 430 Operator's Manual

Getting started

Driving

Driving
Warning!
Do not lay any objects in the driver's foot-
well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in
the driver's footwell have sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate.
40

Fastening the seat belts

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Warning!
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passenger should al-
ways 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 airbags can only protect as ex-
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pected if the occupants are using their seat
belts ( page 56).
Warning!
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
compatible child seat, which operates with
TM
the BabySmart system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the front passenger air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
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TM