Mercedes-Benz C-Class Operator's Manual page 51

abrupt change of direction. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) in height in suitable restraint
systems.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
always secure the child in a child restraint
R
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cle. The child restraint system must be appro-
priate to the age, weight and size of the child
always observe the instructions and safety
R
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
( page 62) in addition to the child restraint
Y
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions
be sure to observe the instructions and safety
R
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" ( page 54)
Y
G
WARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended
protective function if:
they are damaged, modified, extremely
R
dirty, bleach or dyed
the seat belt buckle is damaged or
R
extremely dirty
the Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
R
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in
an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts may tear or fail,
e.g. in an accident. Modified Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices could accidentally trigger or
fail to deploy when necessary. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages or inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Occupant safety
Only use seat belts that have been approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
AMG Performance seat: this seat is designed
for the standard three-point seat belt. If you
install another multi-point seat belt, e.g. sport or
racing seat belts, the restraint system cannot
provide the best level of protection.
G
WARNING
If you feed seat belts through the opening in
the seat backrest, the seat backrest may be
damaged or may even break in the event of an
accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Only use the standard three-point seat belt.
Never modify the seat belt system.
Proper use of the seat belts
Pay attention to the safety notes about the seat
belt ( page 48).
Y
All vehicle occupants must fasten the seat belt
correctly before setting off. Make sure that all
occupants are wearing their seat belts correctly
for the entire journey.
When fastening the seat belt, make sure that:
The seat belt tongue is inserted into the belt
R
buckle that belongs to the seat.
The seat belt is tightened across your body.
R
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
The seat belt is not twisted.
R
Only then can the forces produced in the
event of an accident be evenly distributed
across the belt.
The shoulder section of the belt must always
R
be routed across the center of the shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt should not
come into contact with your neck and must
not be routed under the arm. Where possible,
adjust the seat belt to the appropriate height.
The lap belt must be taut and as low as pos-
R
sible over your lap.
The lap belt must always pass across your hip
joints and never across your stomach or
abdomen. Pregnant women must take partic-
ular care. If necessary, the lap belt can be
pushed down across the hip joints and pulled
tight using the shoulder section.
The seat belt is not routed over sharp, pointed
R
or fragile objects.
49
Z