Mercedes-Benz Citan 2015 Operating Instructions Manual page 33

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" in this Own-
Y
er's Manual ( page 36) in addition to the
child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions
G
WARNING
Seat belts cannot protect as intended, if:
they are damaged, have been modified, are
R
extremely dirty, bleached or dyed
the seat belt buckle is damaged or
R
extremely dirty
modifications have been made to the belt
R
tensioners, belt anchorages or inertia reels
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in
an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts can tear or fail, for
example in the event of an accident. Modified
seat belt tensioners may be deployed unin-
tentionally or fail to be deployed when
required. There is an increased risk of injury,
possibly even fatal.
Never modify safety belts, seat belt tension-
ers, seat belt anchorages and inertia reels.
Ensure that seat belts are not damaged or
worn and are clean. After an accident, have
the seat belts checked immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
seat belts which have been approved specifi-
cally for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. Other-
wise, your vehicle's general operating permit
could be invalidated.
Correct use of the seat belts
Pay attention to the safety notes about the seat
Y
belt ( page 30).
All vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts correctly before you start driving. You
must also make sure that all vehicle occupants
have fastened their seat belts correctly during
the journey.
Occupant safety
When fastening your seat belt, always 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 which occur be dis-
tributed over the area of the belt.
the shoulder section of the belt is routed
R
across the centre of your shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt must not
come into contact with your neck or be routed
under your 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 be routed across
your hip joints and not across your abdomen.
Pregnant women must take particular care
with this. If necessary, push the lap belt down
to your hip joint and pull it tight using the
shoulder section of the belt.
The seat belt is not routed over sharp, pointed
R
or fragile objects.
If such objects are located on or in your cloth-
ing, e.g. pens, keys, spectacles, etc. stow
these in a suitable location.
Only one person should use each seat belt at
R
any one time.
Babies and children must never travel sitting
on the lap of another vehicle occupant. In the
event of an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat belt.
Do not secure any objects with a seat belt if
R
the seat belt is being used by one of the vehi-
cle's occupants.
Also ensure that no objects are placed
between a person and the seat. e.g. a cush-
ion.
Seat belts are solely intended to secure and
restrain persons. To secure objects, luggage or
loads, always observe the "Loading guidelines"
Y
( page 142).
Vehicles with co-driver's bench seat: if the
i
inside co-driver's seat is not occupied, insert
the seat belt tongue into the belt buckle
belonging to that seat.
31
Z